SHILLING Sahara Trek 2011

About the challenge:

Each year at SHILLING Ltd, the Board of Directors send a number of staff on a charity challenge. The 2011 challenge has been set up in association with Charity Challenge to send four members of staff to trek across the Sahara Desert, Morocco on 5th November 2011.

The following team members from SHILLING were chosen to represent the company:

• Josephine Smith
• Pete Fletcher
• Pete Garrett
• Rob Lovelock

Each member of the SHILLING team must raise £500 for a charity of their choice through a variety of sponsorship and fund raising events/activities.

You can keep up-to-date on the team's progress through this website. To the right you'll find Biographies and information about their chosen charities, and below you'll find the trek itinerary, as well as their training schedule and blogs and videos from the big event itself!

Thanks in advance for any help, support and sponsorship!

Josephine, Pete, Pete and Rob

Josephine Smith

Living such a comfortable life in England, I can easily lose perspective. This exciting trek in the Sahara will not only give me the opportunity to see a part of the world I've never seen before but, more importantly, it will require me to take on temporary hardship in support of children and families in Columbia whose hardships are beyond my experience.

Why did I choose In Ministry to Children?

As well as providing practical care for the children, In Ministry to Children also deal with the root of the problem by supporting their parents - through help with parenting skills and setting up micro-enterprise.

This charity is one that shares my personal beliefs as well as my understanding that simply throwing money at a situation will not make a lasting difference. Their work is transforming lives and I know that the money raised will be used wisely to make a real difference.

If you're interested in donating to In Ministry to Children, please give anything that you can via Josephine's sponsorship page

Pete Fletcher

WHAT A CHALLENGE! What an opportunity. What on Earth am I doing!! Some say there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. It looks like I'm walking that line... in my hiking boots. How could I resist though? Just imagine the scenery, the sand dunes oooooo and the sore feet. I must admit that this urge is unusual, even for me, but I'm sure you agree it will be well worth any difficulties which any of us face.

Apart from the personal experience, there are two big extras for me on this challenge. Firstly the chance to say thank you to all the people who have helped me in my life and got me through some tough times, some of them without whom I am sure I wouldn't be here. Secondly, and in contrast to the first, it's a chance to help people who don't have that support, compassion and security all around them, as I did.

Why did I choose In Ministry to Children?

In Ministry appealed to me as mentioned due to my experience of having all the support I needed through life, I don't know how I would have coped without. It's easy to take this for granted, Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Tutors, Employers, Colleagues, Friends and most importantly Family. I've had all the help in the world... it's about time to give some back.

If you're interested in donating to In Ministry to Children, please give anything that you can via Pete's sponsorship page

Pete Garrett

Being given this sort of an opportunity could only happen once in a lifetime, but luckily for me this is the second Charity Challenge I've been on with SHILLING. My first was building a playground at a school in the Kibera (the slums of Nairobi). Having seen the degree of poverty that exists in Africa, I've always wanted to do more for children who experience famine, thirst and have little or no shelter. I sponsor a child at Spurgeons School called Hellen and am working on a website for Sol Kids (see Rob's chosen charity), but when this challenge came up I jumped at the chance of mixing two of my passions - Sport and helping others! My training will see me climbing up Mt. Snowdon, completing the Butser Hill Challenge, the Great South Run and weekly walks with the rest of the team around Liss and the South Downs.

Why did I choose Unicef?

UNICEF already do fantastic work with Children all over the world, but they have been quick to react to the drought in East Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya) which happened earlier this year. I strongly believe that every human has a right to basic food and water supplies. UNICEF's East Africa Children's Crisis Appeal sends desperately needed funds to Somalia to children who have been living in a country with no government since 1991. "The combination of violence, population displacement, drought and extreme poverty, coupled with very low basic services, has greatly increased children's vulnerability to abuse, disease and malnutrition." (UNICEF.org.uk)

If you're interested in donating to UNICEF, please give anything that you can via Pete's sponsorship page

Rob Lovelock

Everyone is given different choices every day, so when I was given the choice of weeks of training, then going out and trekking across the desert I said, "Hey, why not?" It's just the sort of person I am. I see an impassable wall and think "right, so how can I beat this thing then?" This trek appeals to me because I get to raise money to help people who I hold close to my heart and to push myself beyond what I have ever done before. I have already helped build a kitchen in The Bella Vista community which is located in Ensenada, Mexico for Sol Kids and now I want to help more.

Why did I choose Sol Kids?

Sol Kids supports a local youth centre that helps children after school, which for them is 12.00pm in the afternoon, with their homework. They provide a hot meal and keep them entertained for the afternoon. Now that seems very simple to you and me but their parents are working hard just to earn enough money to put food on the table each day. As a result, they are not around to shield them from drugs and violence which is a large problem in that area. A simple project like this changes a child's life from one with little promise to one that has a chance of a better life.

If you're interested in donating to Sol Kids, please give anything that you can via Rob's sponsorship page

Sponsor us

Any sponsorship you give us will go directly to the charities involved. Sponsorship you wish to give directly to the whole team will be divided proportionally between each charity. Thanks in advance for any support you give us.

Working with:

• SHILLING Ltd
• Charity Challenge
• Unicef
• In Ministry to Children
• Sol Kids

Keep up-to-date:

• Twitter feed
• Facebook page
• Flickr gallery
• youTube video blogs