Across the Divide - Community

My volunteering day by Luci Ridout

Across the Divide — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:35:42 +0000

Luci Ridout, our Events Administrator recently took part in a project at Ham Hill CountryPark just outside Yeovil. She gives us an idea of her experience below.

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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Together We Will Beat Cancer – by Claire Langford

Across the Divide — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:15:25 +0000

As a child I would be glued to the television the second weekend of April, watching Jimmy Saville in his shiny shell suit running the London Marathon. One year I even did sympathetic laps of my grandparents’ garden as the runners were making their way around London, but as an adult I lacked the impetus to train through the winter and take on the 26.2 miles of a marathon. Until 2003 when my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. If I’d ever needed a reason to don my trainers and get fundraising, this was it, and I signed up to run the London Marathon for Cancer Research UK the following year.

I seem to remember saying afterwards that I would never run another marathon, but last year my granny was told that she has pancreatic cancer, and my trainers got dusted off again.

So on Sunday 15^th April I joined nearly ten thousand people, a few rhinos, a couple of fairies and Noddy to run the 2012 Brighton Marathon; and fundraise once more for Cancer Research UK. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and it was a tropical 12°c as we made our way past the Royal Pavilion and then snaked our way along the coast road, first east, then west and finally back along the seafront to Brighton Pier and the finish line. Despite a bitterly cold north-easterly wind, supporters were out in their thousands, and the cheers and shouts of encouragement over the last three miles were amazing.

The tortoise rather than the hare, I finished the marathon in 4 hours and 36 minutes. Clearly I am not about to set any records, but that was not my reason for doing the marathon. I was running in memory of my wonderful Dad, in celebration of my inspiring Granny, and to generate much-needed funds for cancer research. Incredibly, every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer, and more than one-in-three people in the UK will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime. These are sobering statistics, but cancer survival rates have doubled in the last forty years, and the work of Cancer Research UK is vital in reducing the numbers of people affected by cancer.

Even though I could barely walk for a couple of days afterwards, running the Brighton Marathon was a great experience and one that I will remember when I am grey and old. Would I do another one? Probably not…but don’t hold me to that! Together we will beat cancer.

Claire Langford, Operations Manager at ATD

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Managing Director Steve Clark blogs about volunteering for PROMISE.

Across the Divide — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:19:30 +0000

PROMISE is a local Somerset organisation that has so far trained in excess of 700 mentors, and has matched them to over 1000 young people. External evaluations have shown that these relationships introduce significant benefits to the lives of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people in Somerset, often where other interventions have struggled.

This year I decided to volunteer as a mentor for Promise, and I have currently completed 3 days of their 5 day training course, after which I will be evaluated, and then hopefully matched with a young person that has asked for PROMISE’s help. It is a pretty big commitment of meeting weekly for a minimum of two years, but with each day of the course, I have become more determined.

The course so far has been incredible, with significant learning for me. I now appreciate how privileged my upbringing was, even though I had previously viewed it as “normal”. It is staggering to learn that it takes from 6 months to a year for a young person to develop a trusting relationship with their mentor, and that the young person may well experience their most significant learning experiences from this relationship. During the course we have heard in detail about the negative effect that social exclusion and poverty has on a young person’s learning, and also been given insight into human needs and how the brain works. It is a very in depth programme, where real care is taken by the PROMISE team to prepare and equip the volunteers with all the tools for the mentoring relationship.

If anyone is local to Somerset and has the time to offer their services as a mentor please consider getting in touch with PROMISE. http://www.promisevolunteers.org.uk/

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Great news from our friends at Leonard Cheshire Disability!

Across the Divide — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:54:50 +0000

Last year we were involved in the planning and logistics of Leonard Cheshire Disability’s first triathlon – Tri Together. It was a fantastic event and 2012 looks like it’s going to be even better!

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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Kilimanjaro – Why Pay More?

Across the Divide — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:06:58 +0000

As a company we place a lot of emphasis on the safety of our treks, and are not prepared to compromise on the safety of our clients in order to keep our prices in line with other operators who do not offer a product of a similar quality.

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:

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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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 Classic Tours are not a member of the porter protection / responsible travel programme.
We use a local agent with 30 years’ experience.
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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Edinburgh to London Bike Ride 2012

Across the Divide — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:11:30 +0000

Following on from our HUGE sucess of Matt Baker’s Children in Need Rickshaw Challenge we’ve come up with a Edinburgh to London bike ride (no rickshaws sadly) that you too can take part in.

The journey between Scotland and England’s capital cities, takes you on an adventure through some of the British Isles finest landscape. The route covers over 450 miles of challenging country, through the rugged fells of Cumbria to one of Britain’s best loved national park, the Yorkshire Dales, and onto the flat land of Lincolnshire and quaint villages of Cambridgeshire. Each day brings new sights and experiences as well as exciting cycling ranging from testing climbs to fast descents. Our final day will lead you away from the peace of Britain’s countryside through London, finishing up where we celebrate this huge achievement.

ONLY £149 REGISTRATION FEE!

Don’t be fooled this is a tough challenge:

Day 1 – Edinburgh to Carlisle. 92 miles

Day 2 – Carlisle to Harrogate. 111 miles

Day 3 – Harrogate to Lincoln. 103 miles

Day 4 – Lincoln to Cambridge. 106 miles

Day 5 – Cambridge to London. 62 miles

So if this is something you’re up for sign up now- click here!

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Guest blogger – James Chesters

Across the Divide — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:17:12 +0000

It can be hard to keep yourself motivated when you’re training on your own, but Across the Divide has provided me with a helpful guide to preparing for the Arctic Circle, and while I’m working hard with my fundraising I also need to be working equally hard on improving my fitness. What better way to prepare than joining a running club?

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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Everest Marathon – final blog post

Across the Divide — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:30:17 +0000

Final countdown for the trip now! The training is almost complete, whilst Patrick has been battering his way to the top of Kilimanjaro, I have been trotting endlessly about the oxygen rich air of the Chilterns. Hard to know which effort will hold us in greatest stead for the race day but at the moment our focus has turned to packing and kit.

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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2 days until the challenge begins…..

Across the Divide — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:02:23 +0000

We are all very excited indeed, as Friday marks the start of the BBC Children in Need – Rickshaw Challenge. Matt Baker, from The One Show, will cycle from Edinburgh to London in 8 days on a Rickshaw!

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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Children in Need’s Rickshaw challenge with Across the Divide

Across the Divide — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:29:12 +0000

We are delighted to announce that we are working on a fantastic new event, The One Show Rickshaw Challenge for BBC Children in Need, launched this evening.

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.

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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