It's all starting to happen

Woohoo - the first prize donations have started to arrive! (Updated)

Thank you to Hatton Adventure World for the kind donation of four entrance tickets worth £60. 

Thank you to The Glee Club  for their fantastically generous donation of not one but two sets of tickets for their Stand Up Comedy Shows at Glee Club Birmingham.

Guess the bear's name is bringing in lots of offline donations and today a generous supported pledged £50.

I'm finalising dates for the Three Peaks Challenge, early September is looking probable.

Sky diving, well, aside from making my legs turn to jelly every time I think of it, I have found a couple of great companies so will soon be booking in.

Next week my St Basils Souper Challenge begins so I will be making lots of delicious soup on Sunday.

All in all, things are happening and it's all very exciting!

Thanks to everyone for your support so far.

xxxx

Soup, Soup, Glorious Soup

What's your favourite tomato soup recipe?

I was very excited to find this in the post today. A fabulous idea from St Basils to raise money for their work to prevent youth homelessness by making and selling tomato and basil soup - a Souper challenge!

I will be making soup for next week for anyone willing to make a donation. So, what's the best tomato soup recipe? 

My fundraising friend is helping a lot as well with lots of donations to guess his name. I hope he will soon have a badger friend.

Are you up for a Three Peaks Challenge?

This year one of the main challenges I have set myself is to conquer the peaks of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon. Not something I ever thought I would do to be honest but over recent years I have thought more and more about testing myself, and I’m hoping for a clear day to see some of those fabulous views.

I am planning to organise my own trip with an accredited company – I don’t want to be one of those stories you read about. You know the ones (people set off in flip flops with a slushie to climb a mountain and end up being rescued by helicopters).

So, I now have a challenge for you should you choose to accept it…

Join me on this challenge.

I will put together a training plan (there are lots out there in internet land). Most seem to start about 16 weeks before the challenge. I am hoping to organise something for the end of summer beginning of autumn to avoid very hot weather but before it gets too cold and wet. That should give us enough time.

You could choose to do the challenge for you because it’s something you want to do. You could choose to do the challenge for you and to join me in raising money for The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country or you could choose to take part to raise money for a charity of your choice. Lots of options!

The cost is about £250 per person. That includes a guide, transport etc.

If you choose to raise money for The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country you would get this money reimbursed if you raise £395 or more.

There’s lots of information out there on planning and equipment such as this site. I'll put a list together and post it soon.

If you’re a member of The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham& the Black Country you will get a 10% discount at Cotswold Outdoors so that’s where I’ll be going to get the things I need.

Are you up for the challenge?

Let me know.

xxxx

Meet my fundraising pal

Introducing my St Basils Bear

This cute little chap will help with my fundraising. He is going to accompany me on all my adventures this year.

So far I have signed up to take part in St Basils Souper Challenge and St Basils Big Birmingham Sleep Out in November.

I have a zumbathon plan coming along for April/May, quizzes in production and the beginnings of plans for a Christmas cabaret, a skills auction and some open mic nights.

Let's start things off though with a good old fashioned guess the bear's name.

Can you guess the name of my new friend (it's not Basil, that's just his t-shirt)?

Let me know in the comments or email me and make sure you make a donation - to me in person if you can, or through my fundraising site at justgiving.

The winner will get some chocolates (pictured).

Thanks for your support everyone.

x x x x x