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Update 21/2/11 - Well I'm back in the UK now, and happy to report that I made it to the top, albeit in pretty dreadful weather conditions!  There was a 12 hour blizzard on summit day leading to a near whiteout at the top, and some pretty bad exposure burns on the way down, but almost better now, and thrilled to have crossed the 2000 pound mark in fundraising.  Thanks everyone for all the support!  It was a truly unforgettable trip, and hopefully I'll reach the fundraising target to help contribute to an unforgettable trip to Florida later this year for 192 deserving kids...

 

Update 7/2/11 - Pretty much packed and apart from one faulty bit of equipment which I'll have to nip to town to replace later this morning I'm ready to go.  Flying out this evening, and starting the trek on Wednesday, so won't be updating for a while!  Keep the sponsorship money rolling in!

Update 24/1/11 - Thanks a lot to everyone who has sponsored so far for helping me to cross one thousand pounds.  In two weeks' time I'll be airborne en route to Africa.  Most of my kit is ready, I'm taking my antimalarials (and had the required jabs), and I've been to the gym a couple of times, so hopefully I'm nearly ready!  Keep the sponsorship money coming and give the deserving children of Dreamflight 2011 the holiday of a lifetime!!

 

In February 2011 I will be travelling to Tanzania with the goal of climbing to the summit of Africa.  I know you're thinking 'Even Chris Moyles and Cheryl Cole can do that', but I'll be doing it via the more strenuous 8 day Northern Circuit just for an extra challenge and to hopefully raise lots of money for the fantastic charity, Dreamflight.

Each year Dreamflight takes 192 seriously ill and disabled children between the ages of 8 and 14 from around the United Kingdom to Orlando for the holiday of a lifetime visiting the Theme Parks.  The trip brings fun and joy to these children whose conditions cause pain, distress and disruption to their lives.  Dreamflight is not just a holiday but is often a life-changing experience for these deserving children. 

Accompanied by an army of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists & non-medical volunteers on hand 24-hours a day, the children leave their families behind and discover independence, confidence and a whole new outlook on life.  I have been lucky enough to go on this trip for the last two years as one of the doctors, and have seen first hand the enjoyment and positive effects the children gain from the trip.

The costs of this trip are enormous, in excess of £700,000 per year.   Every donation helps, but some examples of what the money goes towards include:

£100 buys a transit seat, which helps to transfer children to and from their wheelchairs.

£330 equips every child with a Dreamflight bum bag.

£1300 pays for the hire of radios and cell phones, essential in maintaining contact during the trip.

£2240 pays for one regional group of children (for example children from your local area) to swim with the dolphins at Discovery Cove - a highlight of the trip and the reason for my somewhat bizarre fundraising target!

£3000 pays for one child to go on Dreamflight.

My Kilimanjaro trek is entirely self-funded so all donations made will go directly towards making Dreamflight 2011 happen.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now, and I'll keep this site updated with my training progress (if it ever gets started), my immunisation progress (if I ever register with a GP), and maybe even a picture or two once I actually do the climb!