Rathbones Kendal fundraising for The Outward Bound Trust

Raising money for The Outward Bound Trust

Story

So, why are we driving 2100 miles through six countries in three days (and not climbing lots of mountains)?

Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” — Amy Poehler

It's time for a new challenge - we've climbed the national Three Peaks, the Lakes 24, walked the South Downs Way and during the last four years have swum most of the lakes in the English Lake District. Last summer Louise paddled over 100km across Scotland in a Canadian canoe. Sadly, injury prevents most of us from continuing these physical challenges to any proficient degree but we're still pretty competitive behind the wheel. Charlie is still as fit as a flea so we'll get him to run behind on the hairpins!

Together with fabulous colleagues from the Rathbones’ Kendal office, Jake, Jenna and Charlie and Louise, we've committed to raising £12,000, for a cause close to our hearts.

The Outward Bound Trust (with centres in the Lake District, Scotland and Wales) has a mission to inspire young people to believe they can achieve more than they ever thought possible.

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. – African Proverb

In this increasingly digital world, it's more important than ever to enable young people to connect in the outdoors and find enjoyment and purpose through activities that build their confidence, tenacity and resilience.

With your help, we can make a positive and profound difference to huge numbers of disadvantaged young people from across the UK who would never get such an opportunity to realise there is more in them than they think.

How do you intend to raise £12,000 for the Outward Bounds Trust in these three days?

The Rusty Rally, though obviously an exhilarating adventure, serves a core purpose. It’s a vital fundraiser for The Outward Bound Trust, enabling disadvantaged young people to go on life-changing adventures of their own.

We will be 10 teams in 10 cars (worth no more than £1,000, hence the Rusty Rally) committed to raising more than £100,000, by driving through six countries in three days.

Day One - Brussels to Niederbronn-Les-Bains

After a morning briefing we set off for a dramatic day as we plough through Belgium, Luxembourg and into Germany.

Day Two - Niederbronn-Les-Bains to Glarus Nord

Our aim for day two – to cross the border into Germany’s heartland. Travelling through the beauty of Baden-Baden we head onto the B500, one of Europe’s most beautiful driving roads through the magic of The Black Forest.

Day Three - Glarus Nord to the Italian Lakes

On our final morning we leave Switzerland and take in some of the hairpin bends and incredible scenery of the San Bernadino pass - described by Top Gear as one of the world’s ultimate driving experiences.

What about carbon emissions?

To offset the carbon footprint of our car, (calculated at 1.139 tonnes of CO2 for the trip) Rathbones Investment Management will be donating to support the following projects:

Global Portfolio - supporting a range of projects across the world including carbon avoidance, clean and renewable energy

UK Tree planting - the project plants mainly in school locations, helping to educate children and support wildlife habitats while sequestering carbon emissions.

Reforestation in Kenya - supporting the planting of trees in the Great Rift Valley.

Americas Portfolio - funding supports a range of projects to promote energy efficiency, reducing deforestation and clean drinking water projects.

Community Projects - funding to support a range of projects from within developing countries that have strong additional benefits beyond reducing carbon emissions. These include health benefits saving low income families money and reducing deforestation.

Thank you so much for getting this far. We hope you are persuaded this is a worthy cause. Your donation is hugely appreciated and we will keep you updated on our progress.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.