The Trust is holding it’s first fundraising challenge event – a Euro Cities Bike Ride , which sets off on the 31st August.  We hope that we can continue to work with the Trust for many years to come with their fundraising challenges and wish them all the very best.

To mark its launch, the Trust has unveiled its first appeal, 50 projects across the nation that will breathe new life into towpaths and riverbanks.  By pledging money or time people can get involved in projects such as creating new habitat for rare water voles, planting linear orchards for people and wildlife, and restoring neglected towpaths.  To see a list of the appeal projects, learn how to become a Friend of the Canal & River Trust and find out how you can get involved visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/appeals.

Full press release is below:

New charity launches on wave of support

Government places historic waterways in trust for the nation

More than 2,000 miles of historic canals and rivers across England and Wales are being handed over to the Canal & River Trust today (12 July) in a move to get communities more involved in their local waterways.

The new charity, whose Patron is the Prince of Wales, will give the 10 million people who visit and love the waterways a greater role in making them cleaner and more beautiful than ever.

To mark its launch, the Trust has unveiled its first appeal, 50 projects across the nation that will breathe new life into towpaths and riverbanks.  By pledging money or time people can get involved in projects such as creating new habitat for rare water voles, planting linear orchards for people and wildlife, and restoring neglected towpaths.  To see a list of the appeal projects, learn how to become a Friend of the Canal & River Trust and find out how you can get involved visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/appeals.

Actor and comedian, Hugh Dennis, who is supporting the Canal & River Trust’s appeal, comments: “For me, as a Londoner, the Regent’s Canal provided a small slice of rural tranquillity right in the middle of a chaotic and bustling city, and its towpath a route to work, my running track, or just a place to watch the world go by.  The Canal & River Trust needs your help to make your towpaths even more special.  Volunteering or making a small donation will make a huge difference to the people and nature along your local waterway.”

The Canal & River Trust takes over from British Waterways and The Waterways Trust in England and Wales and represents a completely new approach to caring for the country’s waterways.  The move, part of the Public Bodies Reform programme, is the largest single transfer of a public body into the charitable sector.

The Trust aims to build upon the public passion for the nation’s canals which rescued them from dereliction and decline in the last century, through increased fundraising, volunteering and community involvement. 

Defra is helping the new charity get off to a great start by committing to a landmark, 15-year grant funding agreement as the bedrock to help the Trust maintain its waterways.  In addition, the Trust is funded through commercial income including money from its waterside property dowry, boat licences and moorings. Every penny donated by the public to the Trust will be spent directly on conserving, restoring, and enhancing the waterways.

Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for the Environment, said: “This is an exciting period in the history of our canals. By placing our waterways in trust for the nation, we are giving all those who love our rivers and canals an opportunity to get involved in how their local river or canal is run and help to provide a bright future for our historic canals.  We have got the new charity off to the best possible start and now it needs the help of all those that use and cherish our waterways.”

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, said: “This Government is determined to deliver public services in different, better ways and that’s just what this new charity will do.  The Canal & River Trust will empower the very people who know British canals and waterways the best to get involved in how they are run.  This is the Big Society in action – and because it’s also the largest single transfer of a public body into the charitable sector, it’s also a major milestone in our programme to reform quangos.”

Tony Hales, chairman of the Canal & River Trust, comments: “In the last 50 years our canals and rivers have been transformed from a national disgrace into a national treasure.  This in itself has been extraordinary, but it is only the start.  The Canal & River Trust opens an exciting new chapter in the waterways’ long history and gives a chance for everyone who cares for them to play a part in their future.  By harnessing public goodwill and energy our canals and rivers can breathe much needed new life into our towns, cities and countryside. It’s an amazing opportunity and we can’t wait to get going!”

The Canal & River Trust has already won the support of three major corporate partners.  £1m of funding is being pledged to support the Trust’s conservation work thanks to players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.  Google is working with the Trust to encourage people to discover and enjoy the wildlife along their local waterway by literally putting towpaths on the map – Google Maps.  And The Co-operative Bank will offer those who enjoy or live on the waterways the option of supporting the conservation work of new Trust through everyday banking products.

For details of the Canal & River Trust, including how to visit, volunteer or donate see www.canalrivertrust.org.uk.

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Spending a week caring and working with your dog team exploring the stunning beauty of Northern Norway, where with luck you will sleep under the Northern Lights, this really is an amazingly different charity adventure

Join us on our next fundraising dogsled adventure!

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This September the Booby Moore Fund head out to Brazil for 10 days to to construct a new school in the remote farming community of Corrente.   The original school building collapsed in 2008, and since then the region has been in desperate need of a dedicated school building, including two classrooms, a kitchen and bathroom.  Project Brazil promises to be an incredibly rewarding trip that will provide memories to last a lifetime.

Stephanie Moore MBE, Bobby Moore’s widow and founder of the Bobby Moore Fund, said:   “I have taken part in several Projects and found them to be the most rewarding experiences of my life. The help that is being given in these remote areas is vital for the local people to be able to remain in their village, and the money raised through the participants’ fantastic fundraising efforts is hugely important to the work of the Bobby Moore Fund.”

To book click here.

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Way back in December, I took part in a day’s project work at Ham Hill Country Park.  It’s a monthly project aiming to clear areas of scrub land with the Park.

The project is run by BTCV (www.btcv.org.uk), a charity set up in 1959 with a background in environmental conservation through volunteer work.

I chose to volunteer at Ham Hill Country Park as it’s a place that our family frequently visit and I wanted to give something back, as the old cliché goes!

The morning of my volunteering day started with an almighty hailstorm as I sat in my cosy conservatory eating breakfast, wondering what the day held in store for me.  To be quite honest I wasn’t relishing the thought of spending a winter’s day in the great outdoors if the weather was going to continue like this!  But thankfully as I donned my working clothes and set off for the Hill the weather broke.

After meeting up with the project co-ordinator and filling in the relevant health and safety forms I met the rest of the group.

I was surprised to learn that far from the team of retired folk looking for a way to keep fit that I was expecting, the group was comprised of people from wide ranging backgrounds; from college students with a free day on their hands to the long term unemployed trying to make good their situation and add experience to their CV.  What t a fantastic way to give back to society, and at the same time get out of the house and keep fit!

We spent our day at Ham Hill clearing an area of scrub that will eventually be grazed by sheep in an effort to stop the tenacious brambles from making a reappearance.

The project coordinator was great at showing us how all the equipment worked and techniques for getting the most done in a short amount of time.  By the end of the day we had made a visible difference to the landscape which will clearly be beneficial to the area for a long time to come.  A great sense of achievement was felt by all and the rain stayed off all day.  Result!.

If you would like more information about volunteering through BTCV, please see their website: www.btcv.org.uk

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Well the Tri Together team are delighted to be announced *Winners* of the ‘Race of the Year’ (>500 entrants) at the recent 220 Triathlon Awards at Sandown Park in Surrey.  Tri Together was exhibiting at the popular Triathlon Show where the awards take place, for the launch of the Tri Together junior race.

Not only is Tri Together now an *Award Winning Triathlon* it has also been shortlisted for the British Triathlon Event of the Year 2011 and British Triathlon Event Quality Mark Level 1 Accredited.

Tri Together is a sprint distance triathlon for people of all ages and abilities to swim, bike and run together. Taking place on Sunday 19th August at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in South London, participants start with an indoor 400m swim, followed by a 15km cycle through the leafy surrounds of Crystal Palace Park and a 5k run finishing in the iconic Jubilee Stadium. Take part on your own or in a relay team.

Swim = 400m – 16 lengths in 25m pool
Bike = 15km – 6 laps of closed road circuit in park
Run = 5km – 5 laps in park

Competitors for the full Sprint event must be 17 or over on 31 December 2012.

Junior Race Entry NOW Open!

For 2012 we have launched a Junior Triathlon race to include the British Triathlon age categories Tri Star 3 (13-14 year olds) and Youths (15-16 year olds) – ages as of 31 December 2012.

• The distances are 300m swim, 8km bike, 2.4km run.
• Youths (15/16yrs) will have the option to take part in the main sprint race (400m swim, 15km bike, 5km run)with parental consent.
• The junior race is open to relay teams.

Tri Together Recommendations

92% of participants gave the event a 4/5 star rating and a staggering 96% said they would recommend it to a friend. For more feedback from last year, visit our 2011 event page

Beginner to Triathlon?

If you have never done a triathlon before then this is the event for you! A staggering 80% of those who took part in 2011 were beginners, so don’t worry; you won’t be alone. If you would like to know more about Triathlon and how it works, visit our Beginner’s & FAQ section on our main Tri Together website to help you prepare for your first event.

Swim = 400m – 16 lengths in 25m pool
Bike = 15km – 6 laps of closed road circuit in park
Run = 5km – 5 laps in park

Entry is from just £32 per person. Tri Together is raising money to support disabled peopl UK-wide so we ask that you raise £220 per person or £600 for a team of three for our charity.

For more information including maps of the course and to register visit the Tri Together web pages

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We have spent the last 5 years working with our Tanzanian local agent and our medics to bring our Kilimanjaro ascent profile as close to that recommended by the British Mountaineering Council as possible, without making the trip prohibitively expensive. We added an extra 2 days to the itinerary to allow more time for trekkers to acclimatise, and have found that this has greatly increased our summit success rate. We have also changed our staffing ratio from 1 ATD staff member for every 15 participants, to 1 ATD staff member for every 10 participants. We have also worked to become members of the IMEC Partnership for Responsible Travel by meeting the porter protection guidelines set by the Kilimanjaro Porter’s Assistance Project.

Across the Divide does not claim to be the cheapest operator of Kilimanjaro treks, but we do pride ourselves on being one of the safest operators on the mountain. If you are looking at other suppliers who offer a cheaper Kilimanjaro trek than we do. I would ask that you consider the following points before making a decision as to which operator to use:

1. We take 7 days to summit which is 1 day more than our competitors. This makes us more expensive than those who offer a shorter itinerary; however the additional day allows participants more time to acclimatise and therefore dramatically increases their chances of summiting.
2. We ascend the mountain using the Rongai Route on the north-eastern side of the mountain which, unlike some of the other routes, retains a true sense of wilderness. The Rongai Route benefits from fewer trekkers (usually one-tenth of those on the Marangu  – or “Coca-Cola” -  trail, which is the route that Classic Tours take) and is generally considered to be one of the easiest of the quality routes on the mountain. We believe that by taking 7 days to climb the mountain via the Rongai Route, we offer the best chance of summiting and are confident that this is the best choice for those looking for a quality Kilimanjaro experience with the least chance of difficulties.
3.  We have a ratio of 1 member of ATD staff per 10 participants. Any staff we send on Kilimanjaro treks have prior altitude experience. This helps to dramatically reduce the risk of serious injury or death due to altitude related illnesses. We also carry a fully-equipped high altitude medical kit inc. oxygen and a Gamov bag, which allows for the immediate treatment of life-threatening cerebral and pulmonary oedema, reducing the risk of death. I would clarify the situation with regards to  other suppliers participant-to-staff ratio and their use of “volunteer doctors”.
4.  We have a 100% safety record on the mountain, even with some incidences of serious illness, including one participant who had a suspected heart attack at 5,600 metres.  Our doctors have saved the lives of people trekking with other operators that did not have the same high level of support.  We believe we offer the highest level of medical support should you fall ill on the trek.
5.  Our summit success rate for 2011 is 93%, with 97.5% of trekkers reaching Gilman’s Point (on the rim of the volcano). 2 of our trips this year have had a 100% summit success rate: the average for Kilimanjaro is just 42%. We believe that the quality of our staff and the time we have built into the itinerary for acclimatisation contribute to our high success rate.
6.  We care about porter protection and we ensure that local staff are paid a fair wage.  We are proud to be a member of the International Mountain Explorers Connection’s Partnership for Responsible Travel Program which recognizes those tour operators committed to fair treatment of Kilimanjaro porters. I note that not all operators are not a member of the porter protection / responsible travel programme.
7.  We use a local agent with 30 years’ experience.
8.  Our groups fly into Kilimanjaro Airport, saving 7 hours of overland transfers.  This means that participants have more chance to recover from their longhaul flight before starting the trek, leading to a better chance of summiting.

We strongly believe that budget is not necessarily best when it comes to climbing Kilimanjaro. Whilst we could reduce our costs by losing the acclimatisation days, reducing our staffing levels, using a local agent who does not meet porter protection guidelines, and so on, we will not compromise on the safety of our trekkers, and feel that we offer a quality, ethical trek at a reasonable cost.

Book your trip of a lifetime to Kilimanjaro with Across the Divide

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Run Dem Crew was formed in east London in 2007 by a runner and writer called Charlie Dark — less than five years on the running club he started has more than 100 members, with some now forming spin-off groups in other parts of the capital.

A good friend of mine – the writer runner — has been running with Run Dem Crew for ages, and she has in turn inspired me to join up with them.

I turned up on Tuesday night at the 1948 Nike store in east London, where the Crew run out from.  Of all nights I could have picked, it turned out this was their First Annual Zombie Run: taking to the streets of London painted up like the living dead.

100 runners took to the streets of the capital under the cover of darkness, and as a pack we set off through Shoreditch and towards Liverpool Street station.  The different speeds and abilities of the groups within Run Dem Crew quickly spaced us all out, but the route was the same: through the middle of Liverpool Street Station, out the other side, across London Bridge, down along the river to the Millennium Bridge, across to St Paul’s (passing by Occupy London) and back towards 1948.

Next March, the Great Arctic Fundraising Adventure will have me running in the snow alongside a pack of huskies  — possibly having fallen off my sled, or pushing the sled uphill.   This night had me running past ionic London sights instead, places that I see every day but don’t pay attention to in my 9-6 working drudge.

My fitness isn’t nearly as bad as I might have thought — which is reassuring, but my flat feet and bow legs don’t make me a natural runner, so I was left with a painful back and painful knees, but the reassurance that I can do this.  Next year, when I’m sat beneath the Northern Lights, I’ll know that running with Run Dem Crew paid off.

There are still places left on next March’s trip to the Arctic with Across the Divide, you can find out more and sign up here

Please do your part to support James and the  Great Arctic Fundraising Adventure and make a donation here. 

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So what to take? We are in the happy position that we only need our trekking kit from Jiri to Namchee Bazaar, where we will meet the rest of the Everest Marathon team. They will bring our bags of running kit to Namchee. Always a bonus to be met half way with extra snacks, toiletries and a layer or two. We’ll also have porters from there….pure luxury!  See below for full trekking list.

As always there a few formailities to complete and we have Indian visas in place (as transiting through there) and we’ll have to get Nepalese visas on arrival, Khumbu region trekking permits will also need to be sorted in Kathmandu. We’ll transfer money over onto our Thomas Cook cash passports and sort the local currency on arrival in Nepal. There is no guarantee of cash machines once we leave Kathmandu, so we need to ensure we’ve enough cash to last the duration of the trek – if staying in tea houses £20-25 a day is recommended.

Rumour has it that each tea house settlement from Namchee to Gorak Shep now has a cyber café, which disappointingly opens up the option of telecommunications – ridiculous the lengths you have to go to in order to achieve non-contactability. We’ll be avoiding those I hope!

So this is bye from us for now and we’ll be in touch upon return with a few holiday snaps and to let you know how we got on. If you want to follow the progress of the group whilst we are away, there is a blog that will be updated when and where facilities permit – www.everestmarathon.org.uk (then click on 2011 RACE on the left hand menu).

Trekking kit list

Travel jabs

Passport and additional passport photos

Travel insurance

Money /Credit cards

Guide books / reading books

Ruck sack

Water proof stuff sacks

Platypus and water bottle

Sleeping bag

Thermarest

Waterproof top and bottoms

Down jacket

Fleece layer

Hat

Gloves x 2 pairs

Buff

Trekking trousers x 2

Underwear

Socks

Long sleeve tops

Short sleeve tops

Shorts

Trekking boots

Tevas

Trekking poles

Head torch

Batteries

Money purse

Sunglasses

Sun tan lotion

Lip balm

Toiletries – small bottles of minimum items

Wet wipes

Travel towel

Travel washing line

Travel clothes wash

Combination padlock

Bivvy bag

First Aid kit

Compass & whistle

Maps

Snacks

Zip lock bags

Water sterilisation tabs

Lighter

Sewing kit

Camera

Tissues

Mobile phone

Travel adaptor

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We are delighted to be working on such a fantastic new event, ATD will of course be making sure Matt Baker from The One Show has all the support he needs as he cycles the rickshaw. 

Matt will embark on his arduous journey on the morning of Friday 11th November from Edinburgh Castle Esplanade and will attempt to complete the marathon 484 mile journey to the BBC in London, finishing live on The One Show’s Children in Need special on Friday 18th November on BBC One.

Throughout the challenge, Matt will be picking up passengers along the way, these will be a variety of surprise guests and Children in Need’s very own Pudsey Bear. He will brave the harsh winter elements and battle steep hills, to cycle his rickshaw for up to ten hours each day and burn up to 9000 calories daily 

Route Summary

Day 1 Edinburgh to Hawick 53.5 Miles

Day 2 Hawick to Hexham 59.2 Miles

Day 3 Hexham to Barnard Castle 49.0 Miles

Day 4 Barnard Castle to York 70.6 Miles

Day 5 York to Lincoln 78.0 Miles

Day 6 Lincoln to Peterborough 73.2 Miles

Day 7 Peterborough to Cambridge 41.0 MilesDay 8 Cambridge to London 59.3 Miles

Follow the event as it happens on our Facebook page.   Good luck to Matt and all the team.

To donate £5, text “MATT” to 70705. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message, £5 will go to BBC Children in Need. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey for full terms and conditions You must be over 16 and ask the bill payer’s permission.

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ATD will of course making sure Matt Baker from The One Show has all the support he needs as he cycles the rickshaw from Edinburgh to London.

Matt will embark on his arduous journey on the morning of Friday 11th November from Edinburgh Castle Esplanade and will attempt to complete the marathon 484 mile journey to the BBC in London, finishing live on The One Show’s Children in Need special on Friday 18th November on BBC One.

The One Show will go live to Hawick on Friday 11th November, the first stop in Matt’s Rickshaw Challenge. The programme will greet him live on air every weeknight as Matt crosses the finishing line at each location. Every day viewers will be able to follow Matt’s progress online at the BBC Children in Need website www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey and on Twitter at @BBCCiN, @bakermattbaker and #CiNrickshaw, as he travels onwards from Hawick to Hexham, Barnard Castle, York, Lincoln, Peterborough, Cambridge and finally London.

Throughout the challenge, Matt will be picking up passengers along the way, these will be a variety of surprise guests and Children in Need’s very own Pudsey. He will brave the harsh winter elements and battle steep hills, to cycle his rickshaw for up to ten hours each day and burn up to 9000 calories daily.

Route Summary

Day 1 Edinburgh to Hawick 53.5 Miles

Day 2 Hawick to Hexham 59.2 Miles

Day 3 Hexham to Barnard Castle 49.0 Miles

Day 4 Barnard Castle to York 70.6 Miles

Day 5 York to Lincoln 78.0 Miles

Day 6 Lincoln to Peterborough 73.2 Miles

Day 7 Peterborough to Cambridge 41.0 Miles

Day 8 Cambridge to London 59.3 Miles

We are delighted to be involved in this event we’ll be updating our social media outlets and blog on a regular basis to follow their progress.  Good Luck Matt and all the ATD team.

To Donate £5, text “MATT” to 70705, texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message, £5 will go to BBC Children in Need.  Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey for full terms and conditions You must be over 16 and ask the bill payer’s permission.

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