China Trek Video

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The wall is nearly in sight!

Just 24 hours and I'll be at Glasgow airport about to board my flight! After 10 months of fundraising, planning & training the Great Wall is nearly in sight! I am full of excitement and trepidation for what lies ahead and am really proud of myself for raising the amount of money I have. I am indebted to my friends and family for the love, help and support they have shown me over the past year and really couldn't have done it without them. I have also been very touched to receive so many good luck cards and texts in the last few days. It means a lot to know you are behind me 100% and when even one more step seems impossible, the thought of all of you back home and those who will benefit from the money raised will motivate me to go that extra mile!

Thank you!

I have taken today off work to prepare for the trek, and think I have packed and repacked my rucksack about 5 times now! I have researched it all carefully though & hopefully I will have everything I need, my only concern is spending a fortnight without high heels (hee hee)! I have also been browsing "youtube" and the like for videos and photos of the Wall itself and am itching to get there now! This trek will be a truly unique experience and one that I feel very fortunate to be able to participate in. Not only is it a chance to visit one of the great wonders of the world, the trek will take us along remote sections of the wall, off the beaten track and allow us to experience the real china, the rural china, away from the tourists and to meet the local people. This adventure will be full of exploration and cultural discovery and I am determined to make the most of every moment.

Last night I watched the Pride of Britain awards on ITV1 and was inspired by an army officer who, despite losing the use of his legs in a rocket attack in Iraq, has raised over £1million by taking on some remarkable challenges. Most notably he completed the London Marathon in a gruelling two weeks. No matter how tired I feel on my own challenge I will get to that finishing line, you have sponsored me with the belief that I will succeed and I will make you all proud.

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BODY SHOP SOIREE PLANNED

As one final event before TREKCHINA commences I have planned a Body Shop Soiree at home on Saturday 3rd October with a & percentage of the total value of goods sold going towards my fundraising. The evening will consist of personal pampering, product sampling, a buffet, a preview of the Sparkly Christmas Catalogue and the possibility of benefiting from discounted shopping! A few party games will be thrown in just to keep you everyone on their toes and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of free samples to take away! So wine, nibbles, pampering, discounted shopping and all for a good cause…. what more could a girl ask for??????

In addition to inviting my friends and family I have also extended the invitation to the other Scottish Lasses who will be going to China with me through Skyline. We have communicated via the online forum but I thought it would be a nice idea to meet up, get to know each other and share any advice and/or concerns before we go!

4 Weeks Till D-Day!!!

Not long to go now! I have sorted out all my paperwork and gathered together most of my kit so I am all set. Feeling excited about the whole adventure but a little aprehensive aswell. Over the last few weeks I have been experiencing cramp in my calf muscles fairly often and I am concerned this will cause me some issues on the trip. I will speak to Oliver about it at our next session on Tuesday and in the meantime focus on some stretching exercises and will monitor my salt and potassium levels.

If anyone who has not done so already would like to sponsor me to complete my challenge then please visit

www.justgiving.com/sarah09

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure and UK tax payer Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation. Although I am over the moon to have surpassed my original target the more money I can raise from this trek the better and every penny will make a difference! Thank you!

£136.50 raised from Raffle!

Today's raffle was a great success, a large number of the staff took part with over 350 tickets sold in total and everyone seemed happy with their prizes! I asked my team mates to draw tickets at random and fortunately there were winners from all departments! £136.50 was raised in total and I am very thankful to all who took part and all who donated prizes :-)

WORK RAFFLE - 4th September

Originally I had planned to hold a work raffle back in July but due to a variety of reasons it didn't happen. Instead I have arranged to hold a raffle at my place of work on Friday 4th September with tickets being on sale all week (50p for one, £2 for a strip of five).

I have designed some posters to be displayed around the office & there are some great prizes up for grabs, in addition to some of the prizes donated earlier I have recently been promised the following:

A meal for two at "The Bothy", Perth www.socialanimal.co.uk/Perth/Bothy_Perth

A meal for two (£20 voucher) at "The Maltings", Perth http://www.themaltingsperth.co.uk/

A treatment & Blowdry at "Angus Gordon Hairdresser's", Perth

www.angusgordonhairdressing.co.uk

A £20 voucher for "J E White's" butcher at 20 Main Street, DUNFERMLINE, KY11 3HL(01383 872351)

and 2 tickets for the classic comedy "The Steamie" at Perth Theatre www.horsecross.co.uk

so fingers crossed these will arrive in the post on time!

It's taken a lot of perseverance to obtain prizes but I am very grateful to all who have supported me! Thank you!

Quick update

Apologies for not writing for a while, I decided to take a week off work and I have been on a whistle stop tour of the UK, including London, Cardiff & Edinburgh so it's been fairly hectic!
This afternoon I have set myself a few hours to sort out my insurance and paperwork for the trip and write my long overdue thank you letters and emails to those you have been so supportive over recent months! I couldn't have done it without your help!

With just six weeks until D day, my training really needs to step up a gear! I have been making noticeable improvements in terms of strength and stamina but now need to focus on my endurance. Having said that I have managed to fit in more time on the hills recently and have just returned from a 18mile cycle run around the local area, including the delightful loch leven heritage trail. I really enjoyed it but I did succumb to a hot chocolate at Vane Farm enroute so probably undid all my efforts! I am seeing Oliver again tomorrow though and no doubt he'll work me hard - the last two sessions have been like army boot camp!

Training

www.ojpt.co.uk

It's in the bag!

Yesterday 7 volunteers (myself included) got together at the brand new Sainsbury’s store in Kinross to help customer’s pack their groceries in return for a donation to The Scottish Society for Autism. The event had been arranged through the store manager George Paton and his colleague Jane Thomson and l would like to thank them both for allowing us to bagpack in their store and for their support on the day. Sainsbury’s seems focused on creating a positive social impact in our community and it will not go unnoticed.

After 4.5 hours standing at the checkouts yesterday our feet were beginning to feel weary so we decided to call it a day. We took the buckets home and had fun counting out the coins and notes and sorting them into the appropriate bags for the bank. We were amazed and delighted to have a raised grand total of

£592

and it just goes to show how generous our local community is! I would like to say a big thank you to all of Sainsbury’s customers who kindly donated and to Sainsbury’s staff for being to so supportive, particularly those who were on the tills and very approachable and welcoming!

Most of all I would like to say a huge thank you to my team (Ruth, Frances, Vicki, Laura, Nicola & Blair) for all their efforts, for giving up their free time and for having such an enthusiastic attitude. I couldn’t have done it without you!

CHARITY CEILIDH SUCCESS!!

I am pleased to say last night’s charity ceilidh was a great success! The venue was perfect, the band fantastic and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves enormously! I sold over 70 tickets and only a few people pulled out at the last minute so there was a good crowd! Everyone turned up in good spirits with their dancing shoes ready and some went the extra mile donning their smartest tartans! We stamped our feet, clapped our hands and spun across the dance floor with great enthusiasm and were all a few pounds lighter by the end of the evening! Several guests, including 3 from China, had never been to a ceilidh before but were happy to give it a go and with the help of the caller Davey, soon fell in love with the ol’ Scottish fling!

The Eden Ceilidh Band consisted of an accordion, fiddle and drums and were first rate. They entertained us with a variety of vibrant and energetic dances, including Strip the Willow and my favourite The Dashing White Sergeant, and some slower, smother dances such as the Scottish Waltz to give us all a bit of a breather. The band got everyone involved without making anyone feel under pressure and everyone commented on how good the band were!

After a finger buffet served up by the very accommodating staff, my guests tried their luck at my raffle and a coin toss and my DJ from A2Bevents www.a2bevents.mfbiz.com entertained us with the latest chart toppers. Rachel Webb, the Area Manager of The Scottish Society for Autism in Tayside and Fife, then took a few moments to remind us what the evening was in aid of and to thank me for my efforts which I really appreciated. This was then followed by a few more ceilidh dances and then DJ Tom played our requests and a variety of music from the past 4 decades until 1am.

The night was everything I had hoped it would be and more and I am so grateful to The Windlestrae Hotel, Eden Ceilidh band, Tom the DJ, my sister Ruth & close friends Laura P, Ruth M, Ali O & Laura K for all their support and hard work! Most of all I would like to thank everyone who came to my ceilidh and made it such a success! After settling my invoices I raised a grand total of

£635.35

bringing my total to date to over £2000 and I am absolutely delighted!!!!! A traditional Scottish Ceilidh is always good fun but when it is partnered with such an important charity a night to remember is guaranteed!

CHARITY CEILIDH - Saturday 25th July

Over 60 tickets sold already but tickets still available to buy in advance or on the door. Hope to see you there! :-)

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Mandela Day - Make An Imprint

In an effort to celebrate the legacy of South Africa’s former President Nelson Mandela, the great man himself and his Foundation are urging people all over the world to join them tomorrow (on his birthday) in recognising their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them. Mr Mandela has spent 67 years making the world a better place and urges each and everyone of us to take 67 minutes tomorrow to embrace his values and to take action in our local communities. This could mean any number of volunteer activities, including, feeding the homeless, doing the grocery shopping for an elderly person, being a big brother/big sister, or visiting someone who is sick. Whatever you do it will make a difference. Positive change begins with small actions!

Throughout my fundraising endeavours I have witnessed first hand how generous some people can be with their time and money but also sadly how apathetic the general population has become. It has taught me to be more aware of my local community and to make more of an effort to attend local fundraising events and be supportive. Even when my challenge is over in October I will take the important lessons I have learnt and seek to become involved in other projects and volunteer my time to help others. As Nelson Mandela so wisely said "The heroes are those who make peace and build" and we all have this in us.

Ticket sales & the PA

Since I last wrote I have been busy promoting my ceilidh, sending articles to local newspapers, replacing posters that have been hidden or ripped down, emailing friends and family & generally encouraging anyone I meet to buy a ticket! Interest has been good but thus far it’s proving difficult to secure definite yeses and payment from people! As I have deposits to pay for the food and entertainment I really need money to be coming in to cover my costs, I also need an idea of numbers in order to plan my catering! I am beginning to realise how much work goes into throwing a proper party, especially when you are trying to make a profit!

Speaking of local newspapers I received an email yestreday from an employee at the Scottish Society for Autism complementing the coverage of my challenge in the latest edition of the Perthshire Advertiser. Although I had written to the editor I was not aware that anything had gone to print and so I raced out to buy a copy today. Thankfully one of the local newsagents still had a copy of Tuesday's paper and I eagerly tore through the pages to find my article on page 6. What I was not expecting was to see a picture of myself staring back at me! It was quite surreal but hopefully it will give the piece a more human touch. I guess the editor took my pic from my justgiving page, cheeky cheeky! The article is entitled "CHARITY CHALLENGE BRINGS ON THE WALL" and I am quite happy with it although it doesn't give the reader any insight into what autism actually is which is a shame because one of my main goals is to raise awareness. Still I am delighted that my story went to print and I do understand that there are limits on word counts and available space.

Considering the effort I went to convince local businesses to donate raffle prizes I am thrilled that this has paid off and I have some very attractive prizes up for grabs. Recently I have also received

- a family pass for Deep Sea World www.deepseaworld.com

- a family pass for Blair Drummond’s Safari Park www.blairdrummond.com

- 2 family passes for Loch Leven Leisure Pool www.liveactive.co.uk

- A day trip for two round the Highlands with Rabbie's Trail Burners www.rabbies.com

As mentioned in an earlier entry I had hoped to split the prizes between two raffles, one on the 4th July and one at my ceilidh on the 25th. Unfortunately I got a bad chest infection and was unable to attend my work night out so had to cancel my raffle at the last minute. I will keep the prizes I had planned for the time being and will arrange another event in later in the summer.

A night at the Windlestrae and my name in print!

Last night my friend Vicki and I went to a tribute night at the Windlestrae Hotel, the venue for my ceilidh to check out how popular a function there would be and to enjoy the entertainment. The doors opened from 7pm and by 9pm there was a good turn out so I am feeling confident about my ceilidh! I just wish I had thought to print flyers and leave them on the tables, encouraging people to return in 4 weeks for another cracking night! The Tribute Act consisted of a couple who in full costumes delighted us with the music of the past 50 years, performing as Dusty Springfield, Elvis, Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Tina Turner and Michael Buble to name a few. We also enjoyed a good old disco with the DJ happy to play our requests. We took a taxi home just after 1 and grabbed a few business cards to ferry the masses home after my event!

This morning I popped down to the local grocery store to purchase the latestt edition of the Kinross newsletter (www.kinrossnewsletter.org) and was delighted to find my article regarding the Great Wall Challenge printed in black and white on page 15. Page 72 also has an advert for my ceilidh with details of how to obtain tickets so fingers crossed that generates more interest from the locals!

Skyline's Update and training

Skyline (the company we are going to China with) held an information day in London last week, due to other commitments and cost I decided to give it a miss but was kept well informed of all the lastest news via email. It's just a shame that by missing the meeting I have not had a chance to meet the rest of the group. However Skyline does have an online forum so I think it's about time I introduce myself! I called the headoffice today just to clarify a few questions which the latest updates raised and spoke to a lovely girl called Laura who is also going on the trek, so she was able to reassure me about visa, training, flights etc. Our chat made everything seem more real and I realised it is only 15 weeks until we go! That seems like a long time but I still have so much money to raise and training to do!

I've found it difficult to fit in my excercise routine recently what with one thing or another but my session with Ollie yesterday made me realise I should give it more priority! I followed his advice and went out for a good run this morning and plan to go for a big hill walk or cycle rain at the weekend, regardless of the weather! I have also been focused on my diet recently as a health practitioner has advised me I am intolerant to wheat, cheese and onions amongst other things! Having cut these foods out (and believe me it's incredibly difficult to do!) I have been forced to be more attentive to ingredients and can't believe how many additives are in products. I have been doing a lot more home cooking and feel the better for it! I am still in two minds about the validity of the results but I am game to omit the products for the next month and see if any differences are apparent.

Advertising and Raffle

Last Wednesday I collected my posters and leaflets hot off the press from Danscot Print Ltd. (01738 622974) and was delighted with the results. I would like to say a big thank you to Trish for all her hard work and to Vicky & Mary for their support! Danscots is one of the best known businesses in Perth and I would highly recommend them for all your office and stationary needs. Armed with my new posters I set out to convince local companies to display them on their noticeboards and windows. The majority of my responses were positive and I hoped the tartan themed posters would grab people's attention. In addition to my own efforts around Perth and Kinross posters have been put up further afield thanks to family and friends and Facebook and Hotmail has enabled me to promote my ceilidh online! Tickets are beginning to sell and with pay day this Friday I am hopeful requests will be flooding in by next week!

I have continued to make follow up calls to companies regarding raffle prizes and have now received
- 2 generous baskets of goodies from Baxters
- 2 vouchers for Dean's shortbread
- 2 vouchers for a family visit and guided tour of Dewar's World of Whisky, Aberfeldy
- A £10 voucher to spend at "Le Jardin Cafe" in Kinross

In order to target as many people as possible I have decided to hold two different raffles. The first will be held at "Brennan's" in Perth on Saturday 4th July as Aviva has arranged a "Talent Night" for it's employees and I feel it's the perfect opportunity to encourage people to dig in their pockets for a good cause and be in with a chance of winning a great prize. The second raffle with be held at my ceilidh on the 25th and will offer similar prizes with a focus on Kinross businesses.

Don your dancing shoes, it's party time!

Following a little indecision on my part (predominantly due to cost) and the fact that Saturday 25th July seems to be a very popular day to get married and a number of local bands were booked up months ago, I have finally booked a band to provide the Scottish music for my traditional ceilidh next month! Thus I am delighted to announce that "The Eden Ceilidh Band" www.edenceilidhband.com will be entertaining us on the night. The band consists of Davey Summers Jnr on Accordion & Midi Bass, Brian Ness on the Fiddle and Davey Summers Snr on the Drums and hopefully Davey Jnr will also call the dances to keep us all right! I have also secured a DJ from "A2B Entertainment" www.a2bevents.mfbiz.com to provide us with a party atmosphere and disco music towards the end of the night.

"Danscot Print" has kindly agreed to print my tickets and posters free of charge and should be ready for collection any time now! Tickets are priced at £15 and include a light supper. They will be sold on a first come, first served basis and are available by emailing me directly on sarah_miller18@hotmail.com and I hope as many of you as possible can make it!

Passed my first milestone!!!

Today I opened a golden envelope ..... it contained a check from Aviva, my employer, for £350 towards my cause! I was ecstatic because this extremely generous donation met I have raised over a £1000 and am two thirds of the way towards my target!

THANK YOU AVIVA!!!

In addition my Dad had send out a request to the franchisees in his area of work encouraging them all to part with £1 in aid of my appeal. Within 2 days ten of his "colleagues" had kindly donated online and gave much more than was hoped, raising a further £72 towards my target! So I would also like to say a very warm

THANK YOU to SERVICEMASTER

and it's network companies!! It means a lot, particularly when people who have never met me are prepared to give their time and money by making a donation.

Adding together these amounts with recent donations from people in the community my grand total to date is

£ 1,195!!!

(anyone fancy popping in a fiver, just to round it off to a nice even number?!)

The ongoing quest for raffle prizes

Fundraising is rather like applying for a job, you write upteen letters to companies and individuals in the hope that someone will consider what you have to say. The majority of letters seem to go awol, end up in the bin or cast aside, left lying at the bottom of the "to do" tray. Lack of response is a certainty, but there are times when you come rushing home from work to find an intriguing envelope lying on the table and full of hope you rip it open to me met with the standard "on this occasion we have to say no" and feel despondent once again. It's back to the drawing board, with follow up emails and telephone calls and letters to companies further afield.

But just now and again you have success, someone shows interest in you and more often than not this interest comes from an unexpected source. Although I find it a little disconcerting strolling up to "Customers services" and asking to speak to the manager, this is allowed me the opportunity to become more confident and have more faith in what I doing. Moreover some individuals I have met and conversed with by phone in recent weeks have been incredibly supportive and encouraging. In particular I would like to thank Paul and Suzanne at "Boots", Ian at "WHSmith", Emma at "Red Earth" and Isabel at "The Famous Grouse" for looking at my challenge so favourably. Undoubtedly I am grateful to every business who has donated a prize to my proposed raffles but these individuals were especially kind and supportive. Their support will definitely encourage me to stay loyal to their brands in the future, whereas there are some well-known stores who have have declined to contribute or indeed respond and whilst I can understand their decision I can't say it wont have an effect on my future shopping habits....

In addition to the raffle prizes I mentioned on an earlier post I have now received

- A voucher for a guided tour of "The Famous Grouse Distellery" for the winner & their guest, Crieff

- A voucher for a Cut and Finish at "Charlie Taylor's", Perth

- A voucher for a Cut and Finish at "ScottRobb Hairdressing", Falkland

- 2 vouchers for a family swim & a voucher for the health suite at Perth Leisure Pool

- A second complete car valet kit from "Halfords", Dunfermline

- A voucher for a game of golf for 4 at Milnathort Gold Club

and I would like to extend my gratitude to them :-)

Just to keep the momentum going I will end with the total raised so far

£757.28!!!!

A lovely surprise!

My parents spent the day with friends from the Morgan Car Club down in Peeblesshire and one of the party, Irene, had the great idea of a swear box. She brought a custom made box with her and any person who slipped up during the meal was made to donate to my challenge. This raised £38 and is very much appreciated! Extra special thanks to Irene for her idea and support and judging by the amount donated, the rest of you should go and rinse your mouths out with soap!

Adding this £38 to Irene and Patrick's own personal donation, money raised from recent cake baking and further online donations from some very close friends I am now well over £700!! Thanks guys!

A date for your diaries!

I love any social event and an excuse to party, so for me one of the best ways to raise funds in through a traditional Scottish ceilidh! After contacting a number of local hotels and community halls I have finally secured a date and venue for what should be a fantastic night!

I have booked the Windlestrae Hotel in Kinross for Saturday 25th July and hope you will all come along and join in the fun! The Ceilidh will start at 7.30pm and will run until 1am. Plans are still in motion but I hope to have a live ceilidh band followed by a disco with a DJ. There will also be a buffet and a raffle on the night! I am also on the look out for a caller so everyone from beginners, right up to the most experienced, will be able to dance the night away!

So please save the date in your diaries now and more info will follow shortly!

Raffle Prizes

I was on holiday for a few weeks and when I returned I was hoping to find lots of responses to my raffle prize appeal waiting for me. Sadly the 50 odd letters I sent out seems to have been lost, not passed to the appropriate managers or generally discarded. A few companies did take the time to reply to me which I appreciated but their responses were all negative. I was a little despondent but soon realised further action was required! Over the past week I have made return visits to local businesses and made upteen phone calls to managers and my efforts are finally beginning to pay off. So far I have secured the following:
- A round of golf for 4 at Craigie Hill golf course, Perth
- A voucher for a facial at "The Complete Look", Kinross
- A selection of hairproducts from "Mandy's" Hairdresser, Kinross
- A £25 voucher for "The Kirkland's Hotel", Kinross
- A complete car valet kit from "Halfords", Perth

- 2 vouchers for £15 from "Boots", Perth

- The latest Wilbur Smith Hardback from WHSmith, Perth

- 2 vouchers for a "Spa Ritual Manicure" at "Red Earth", Perth

- 2 boxes of chocolates and a candle holder from Morrisons' supermarket, Perth

and a number of other businesses have promised to donate items over the next few weeks, so I'm beginning to get back on track!

I plan to hold two raffles in July, one in Perth and one in Kinross so hope that all goes to plan!

Letter writing, training and thanks!

Fundraising is never far from my mind and I am always looking out for opportunities to rally some support! This past week I have written numerous letters to local businesses asking for donations of gifts or vouchers for bingo and raffle prizes. I am sure they are inundated with requests throughout the year but it doesn't hurt to ask and fingers crossed some of them will look upon my challenge favourably!

I had a couple of good training sessions at the weekend, one on Saturday with Oliver involving jogging and resistance exercises and I then repeated the session on my own on Sunday. I didn't even mind the aching muscles on Monday morning as it just proved to myself that I had worked hard! I had intended to go out for a jog this evening but rain threw a spanner on that idea! Excuses I know, I should be ashamed! Still, those of you who know me will see how hard I am trying most of the time!

After a rather long day at work I came home to find two new donations on my justgiving page which was a lovely surprise! Exactly the boost I was needing to push things up a gear and get cracking on some more letter writing! So thank you ladies it is much appreciated! Added to two other recent donations from my fab cousins Claire and Kenneth I have now raised

£513.28

and am nearly a 6th of the way there! In fact I am feeling so positive I have given myself a goal to double this amount by a month today! With your help it can be done!

So far, so good!

Over the past few weeks cash I have been busy car washing, cake baking and gardening for the neighbours in return for donations. I am glad to say my fundraising box was begining to get full so I decided it was time to pay the bank a visit. Combining this with the money raised from my Easter event at work I deposited £358.28 into the Society's account this morning. I have also received £90 in donations on my "justgiving" website so far so have reached a grand total of .......

£448.28

I still have a long way to go but I am hoping Norwich Union will add to this with their £ matching scheme and I still have lots of fun ideas up my sleeves!

A huge thank you to those who of you who have donated and/or supported me in my challenge so far, and to those of you thinking about it, what's stopping you? Please visit www.justgiving.com/sarah09 and remember every penny counts!

Celebs run London Marathon for National Autistic Society

Since I have become more interested in running, I really enjoyed watching the London Marathon this morning. Watching the elite runners was impressive but I felt truly inspired by the people of Britain, people from every community and walk of life who took part to raise money for so many good causes. Even during the economic crisis, people are prepared to go that extra mile to help others and we should we proud of all that the London Marathon represents! Congratulations to everyone who took part, particularly to those who entertained the cheering crowds with such creative costumes!

As usual a number of celebrities also took part in this year’s marathon to raise money and awareness for charities close to their own hearts. Of particular interest to me, the Irish Singer/ Actor Keith Duffy and the Olympic medal-wining cyclist Chris Boardman ran for the National Autistic Society (NAS). Since Keith’s nine year old daughter Mia, was diagnosed with Autism at 18 months Keith has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of Autism and money for related charities but this year was his first marathon. He completed his first ever marathon in an impressive 3 hours 52 minutes and was very emotional when interviewed by Sue Barker across the finishing line.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPviadg2N2k&feature=related)

Chris has been working closely with the NAS for a few years now and completed the marathon in 3 hours 19 minutes, despite problems with his ankle!

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/8019342.stm)

In total 139 runners completed the marathon in aid of NAS raising an incredible £250,000 for the Society. Well done to all of you, a truly fantastic result!

For more information on NAS please visit http://www.nas.org.uk

World Autism Awareness Day - 2nd April 2009

For more information visit www.worldautismawarenessday.org

The story so far!

6-steps to success!

1. Register to secure my place on the trek and pay my £200 deposit - DONE
2. Create my fundrasing plan - DONE
3. Start fundraising to raise my minimum target of £2800 - IN PROGRESS
4. Get fit by following a fitness programme - IN PROGRESS
5. Forward funds raised to the Society, secure Chinese Visa and complete all paperwork
6. Go to china and complete the trek (and hopefully not finish last!)

Training

If the truth be told I have always had a fairly functional approach to exercise, gritting my teeth and doing it because I felt I should to stay healthy and to prevent the odd bit of flab from multiplying, but never really viewing it as fun. I have always enjoyed skiing, cycling and hill walking but I have never excelled at team sports and going to the gym felt like a chore. Even when I forked out for an expensive gym I had to push myself to go.

When I signed up for this challenge I was well aware that I would have to prepare myself physically. It's vital that I build up a good level of fitness for this trek as I will walking continuously for up to 8 hours a day, and there will be many steep climbs en-route. It's a good job I don't suffer from vertigo! Completing the trek will depend solely on my own commitment, preparation and fitness and so I decided to get some professional help.

Back in February I came across an ad for a personal trainer in the local newsletter and called the number for some advice. I got through to a guy called Oliver who immediately put me at ease and suggested we meet up. A week later Ollie came to my house and went over a typical training programme with my personal needs in mind. His enthusiasm for health and fitness rubbed off on me and since mid-February Oliver has been putting me through my paces. He has created an exercise programme that is specific to my ability and goals but is also very varied which keeps me motivated. It's hard work at times but I'm surprised at how much I am actually enjoying it!

Itinerary

DAY 1: Depart London for Beijing.
DAY 2: Acclimatisation day in Beijing with opportunity to see the Forbidden City.
DAY 3: Transfer to Huangyaguan where we commence our Trek on the Great Wall.
DAY 4: Huangyaguan to Mountain Village - including Heavens Ladder a steep 200 step climb.
DAY 5: Mountain Village to Jinshanling - Follow the contour of the hills along steep farmer's tracks
DAY 6: Gubeiko to Jonshanlin. Bus out to Gubeiko then follow the wall back to Jonshanling passing remnants dating back to the Qing Dynasty.
DAY 7: Jinshanling to Simatei - stunning walk along this largely restored section of the wall.
DAY 8: Simatai to Mutianyu - Hike from the village to Mutianyu part of the Wall.
DAY 9: Mutianyu to Juyongguan - Final day's walk on a circuit of the restored wall before returning to Beijing.
DAY 10: Beijing to London

The Great Wall of China

Image from www.sxu.hu (royalty free)

"You are not a (wo)man if you have not been to the Great Wall", so the saying goes in China.

Targets and donations...

My target is £2800, the vast majority of which will go to the Scottish Society for Autism, a small percentage will go towards trek costs but I have already made a personal donation of £200 and will continue to do so up until the trek. In order to raise such a large amount I have broken it down into smaller action plans.

My first step was to set up a justgiving webpage as it a simple and secure way for people to donate and support me. Justgiving process my donations, reclaim gift aid from the government for all sponsors who are UK tax payers and send the collected amount to the charity on my behalf.

I then sent emails to all my friends and family raising awareness of my venture and encouraging them to support me. To set the ball rolling I then organised a fun Easter quiz at work (Norwich Union). I charged 50p an entry and received a lot of interest! I also offered creme eggs and mini eggs to all those who donated and enrolled the help of my colleague Nicola to go around the office wearing Easter themed bonnets and shaking out collection tins!

Our efforts were well received and I raised a grand total of £203.28, a big thank you all to all my colleagues who supported me! The quiz was perhaps a little on the difficult side as only 3 people got full marks but another 6 runners-up also won delicious Easter Eggs courtesy of Tescos!

Tescos in Perth, Somerfields in Kinross and Giacopazzi's in Milnathort all donated a variety of Easter Eggs for my event and I am very grateful!

What is the Scottish Society For Autism?

The Scottish Society for Autism is an independent Scottish registered charity (SC009068) established in 1968 and has been supporting people with autism for over 40 years. It aims to provide care, support, opportunity and education for individuals of all ages living with this condition throughout their lives. Working together with families, carers, agencies and professionals it seeks to improve understanding of autism, influence policy and practice and provide the best possible services, founded on the most up-to-date knowledge and expertise.

Although the Society does receive some government funding, funds raised by volunteers through a variety of challenges help enormously to extend the range of services, activities and interventions available to meet the needs of those who need it most. By embarking on the Great Wall Trek I aim to raise as much as I can to be added to the Society's general funds for distribution across the whole of the country.

For more information please visit www.autism-in-scotland.org.uk

Work in progress!

Be inspired!

So why am I doing this? Around Christmas time I stumbled across an article asking the reader “When did you last challenge yourself?”. 2008 had been quite a year with the end of a serious relationship, moving back to Scotland, the search for employment and an appendectomy just to top it off! Dealing with the hurdles life threw me made me realise I am quite a resilient individual who can adapt fairly easily but it also offered me the opportunity to reflect on what I want to get out of my life. I realised I needed a challenge for 2009, something to focus on, to help me get fitter and ideally to help change the lives of others at the same time! That’s where the idea of trekking the Great Wall of China came up!

Browsing the Scottish Society for Autism’s website my attention was suddenly grabbed by an advert looking for volunteers to raise vital funds by joining a variety of overseas challenges. The notion of joining a charity trek in China, a country steeped in tradition, history and mythology excited me and on impulse I called the challenge events team for more info. After speaking to a number of different people about the trek I arranged to meet with Sabrina, the events co-ordinator in the New Year.

I was still in two minds about it all, considering the recession and to be honest my dubious levels of fitness but in January I went along to a local hotel to meet Sabrina with an open mind. She put me at ease immediately and gave me an insight into the challenge and patiently answered all my questions. I was concerned about the minimum sponsorship of £2800 and a little uneasy about doing it all on my own but I am very independent and once I get an idea in my head, it’s hard to stop me. After all I am the girl who completely out of the blue decided to head off to Thailand on her own for a month and off she went! I am the first to admit that I am a dreamer, but everything we want from life starts with a dream which we then act upon. The road is not always easy but there’s nothing to lose!

My mind was made up and I agreed to face the challenge of a lifetime and at the root of every plan I make, every event I hold, every penny I raise and every step I take will be a very special charity, The Scottish Society for Autism!

Welcome and thanks!

Thank you for visiting my blog!

The world of blogging is relatively unknown to me but I have joined my fair share of social networking sites and am getting to grips with cyberspace, surely it can’t be that hard! The reason I have created this Blog is so that you can keep up-to-date with my fundraising and training progress. I am sure those who have been kind enough to sponsor me will want to know that I am working hard for the money! Day by day I am finding how much time, effort and commitment this challenge requires and the wall is not even in sight! But I truly believe every minute will be worth it!

Please feel free to leave a comment, question or suggestion on my blog at any time and if you would like to donate please visit www.justgiving.com/sarah09!

Keep smiling and thanks again!