An update to all of you that have so wonderfully supported us both on our South African trek and visits to South Africa, which is nearing it's end:

Firstly we visited the girls from Gauteng Women's Rugby , an initiative that supports 40,000 girls in the North of the country around Jo'burg, set up only in 2019, and it supplies sanitary products to allow them to play during their periods, provides counselling for girls who have been abused serially and mentally and coaches them in rugby and the values of rugby.

We then trekked into the bush in Kruger National Park, where we dehorned two rhinos to stop them being killed by poachers who just rip off their horns, and leave them to die, often in excruciating pain through sepsis of the wound.

It is a military exercise involving fixed wing aircraft and a helicopter to spot and tranquilise these wonderful beasts, and a host of doctors and vets, even a government official to log and microchip the cut off piece of horn before two burly armed guards take the valuable pieces away to a secure vault in an unknown location. The piece you can see me holding is worth approx £100,000 if sold today, particularly poignant that you can see a heart in the piece we removed.

It was an extraordinary process, overwhelmingly emotional, and wonderfully effective. In the 10 years prior to dehorning being introduced in the area where we were (I am being deliberately vague on the location) they lost 50 rhinos to poachers, in the 6 years since dehorning has been introduced...not one! We also encountered a few other animals on our trek whilst out walking, including all of the Big 5, and 2 leopards paid us a visit at night in our camp too!

Lastly we have visited a few projects today in Cape Town, Firstly, we went to two schools where we have provided fully kitted out media centres (with PCs), and created rugby pitches where none existed and supply rugby coaches...the kids (boys and girls) only get to play rugby (which they are all so keen to do because the whole nation is rugby mad) IF they attend the media centre classes where they can use the technology to learn computer code, AI and robotics. We went into two of the classes in separate schools and the engagement is extraordinary, only match by their passion and ability on the rugby field...lovely way to encourage the right behaviours in education and sport. And finally we saw our Atlas Digibus in action, it is a bus kitted out with 40 lap tops, it delivers 50,000 lessons a year to 5 primary schools in Langa, the oldest township in South Africa...1956 it was set up, it even predates me!

Thank you for your donations so far, you are making a massive difference to these kids lives. Please feel free to encourage others too to donate! Update 30th May 2024.

After my last trek in 2022 to Kenya for The Atlas Foundation, I swore I would never get back “in the boat” for another, such was the difficulty of the trek in the Aberdare Mountains, both in terms of terrain, altitude and torrential rain.

As I sat by the roadside at 10,000 feet, soaking wet, boots full of water, and one of the guides had to take my boots off because I was so physically exhausted, and the shower I had that night was beyond blissful!

But after a few cold beers, and a night of deep deep deep sleep, the world looked rather different, and gradually, I have thought, why not give it another go, you’re are only 65, yes both your knees have been condemned as unsafe, but you love South Africa, you love the projects that Atlas supports and, like a cold perfectly poured pint of Guinness, at the end of the day you just can’t say no!

So, in 4 weeks time I am at it again, accompanied for the first time ever by my wife Michelle, and together with an intrepid band of trekkers, including my good friends John Clougherty and Jason Leonard OBE, we are indeed going back to Africa.

Initially in the north of South Africa, we will visit our GWRI women’s project, and see how The Atlas Foundation is empowering the young women of GWRI, nearly all of whom have had harrowing childhoods. Then we will trek into Kruger National Park, where we will be walking in the bush with the Big 5 all around us, and after a night in the bush we will set off with a couple of experienced rangers to dehorn rhinos - yes you read that right - by dehorning these magnificent beasts it stops them being poached for their horns. Poaching really means ripping off their horns and leaving them to die in pain. The horn is just like a toe nail or hair, and it is painless to remove it surgically so we are incredibly excited to be able to help do this ourselves.

From Kruger, we fly south to Cape Town, where we will see the good work carried out on the Atlas Digibus, currently travelling between Cape Town and Langa every day and delivering 50,000 lessons a year in one of the largest townships in South Africa. We will also be visiting the Masiphumelele and Ocean View High Schools. There we will see the new Atlas media centres, and learn how the Atlas rugby programme is helping the boys and girls from these incredibly deprived communities. The work that Atlas is doing here is vital in helping overcome the problems of drugs, violence and gang culture that are rampant locally. A walk through Masi, with our experienced local coaches, who act as role models and mentors for the children, will allow us to see firsthand the real impact that Atlas has on the ground.

Michelle and I simply can’t wait, and I hope you will consider helping us in our fund-raising goal where every penny will go towards helping these amazing kids, giving them a chance to thrive through the power of Atlas and rugby.

Thank you for reading this and helping these unbelievable kids.