What a wonderful thing...
After emailing a few lovely friends today, my fundraising total got another boost. It is nice to have support from my friends, especially when I get moments of doubt about doing this (never too much doubt though!).
It seems like my Raleigh preparations have had a nice start before they really kick off in the new year. I've been emailing companies seeing if they want to donate, support or be involved in my trip and Raleigh at all. I've promised my time, skills, my life (well, not yet, but, we'll see how desperate I get shall we?) so we will see how that turns out.
If anyone has any suggestions of how I can get organisations to help me out, and what I need to do to make it happen, then do let me know - any ideas welcome.
Happy Christmas all, enjoy the festive season!
Friday 19 December 2008
Thursday 11 December 2008
I've just noticed...
I've already got 28% of my fund raising! I think that's pretty good going - thanks so much to those who've sponsored me so far!
Sunday 7 December 2008
How I got here
So, I've documented in great deal how I'm going to, or least how I plan to, get there, I just haven't really said a lot about how I got here, or why.
Earlier this year I found myself bored, really, really bored. I wasn't really satisfied at work and it made me question why and what I was going to do about it. I think I had got to the point where I needed to do something a little more than look for a new job, basically invigorating myself a bit. So, after speaking to my housemate about her travels, she happened to mention her Raleigh expedition to Belize in 2001. After hearing about the trip, I was inspired and was a bit put out to find out venturers are between the ages of 17 and 24. After looking into a bit, just out of curiosity at this point, I saw I could go on a career break so I got in touch with Raleigh to find out some details.
After speaking to people at Raleigh, they invited me to apply. After applying, I was invited to the next stage which was the assessment weekend. This was a two day event at a scout centre in East Surrey, aimed to test our leadership skills, as well as our ability to muck in, and our general personality fit. We were told what time to be there, a minimal kit list and that was about it.
I arrived there at 9am on a very wet and miserable Saturday morning. Being a bit crap, I didn't own anything particularly warm, practical or waterproof. Having cobbled together what I could from friends and family I was kitted out in some waterproof trousers, hiking boots, and something resembling a proper coat (this was a combination of a crappy fleece and a crappy mac in a sac). At this point, I felt my equipment and childhood experiences in the guides and the Duke of Edinburgh award meant I was pretty hard and would be able to tackle anything. I was borderline smug.
After a couple of coffees and a meet and greet with Raleigh staff, we were split into three groups of about 9 people. Each group was assigned to a leader and a couple of assessors who would be taking us through the weekend's activities and then deciding if we were suitable for Raleigh, and if so, what we'd end up doing and where. On first impressions, my group seemed like a lovely bunch of folk, however I was a little concerned it would be a case of 'too many cooks' as there was a lot of over enthusiastic chatter and not a lot of listening, which does not a cohesive team make.
We did thew usual and predictable introduction and ice breaking exercises, which were a little cringe worthy, but it was interesting to find out more about my group. I was impressed about how diverse we were, and also the different motives people had for joining an expedition. I became a bit insecure about what I had to offer, but I figured that if I wasn't good enough, I wasn't good enough and there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it.
After a bit if map reading and trekking for an hour we arrived at a lake for a 'river crossing'. When I originally heard this was our next activity I assumed we'd be building some kind of raft but, no, no raft. We were wading through the lake in groups of three which is quite a common and necessary activity on an expedition. We were also advised that as we were carrying all our kit with us all day, the less wet clothes we had with us the better, so I then found myself in my underwear and a life jacket (not the most practical sort I may add!) with 11 strangers. Bearing in mind it was was very wet, and very cold, this was a very unpleasant introduction to the week. I felt like I winded myself after sliding down the muddy banks into the very, very cold water - quite the shock to the system. After wading in the icy, murky lake up to our necks we made it to the other side feeling pretty invigorated as clambered out. It was about 8 degrees outside, and our blood was pumping full throttle.
Some of us had heard rumours that they didn't actually make you sleep outside (despite asking you to bring tents). We heard that they'd test you to the point of making you think you were sleeping outside, but they wouldn't make you do it. I'm no stranger to camping but it was November, and this point it was chucking it down with rain, and we'd only been asked to bring sleeping bags which was hardly sufficient for the conditions. We walked to a clearing in the woods and were given two tarpaulins, a rope, and told to set up a shelter. Again, we had a too many cooks but eventually, we cobbled together something that could fit us all in and allegedly protect us enough from the elements, should we need to use it.
At this point we had some lunch, and then headed back to the main building for some radio exercises. All communications in country is done via radio, so this was to help us grasp basic signals, radio etiquette and how to speak clearly. Alongside this training, our group needed to prepare a presentation on one of Raleigh's countries (coincidentally Borneo!) and prepare food for some of the others. After this, we did some more getting to know and 3 minute presentations on our life stories (cue a lot of emotion, I think we were a bit tired).
After a few hours of this, all the groups congregated for a de brief on their day, and perform their presentations. It was sweet, but a little weird to see how each of the groups had bonded and formed their own little in joke! After this respite form the elements, we were give co-ordinated and told to go pitch up our tents, and cook our dinners. We'd been given a bag containing pasta, tinned tomatoes, some packets of 'bean feast' and a few veggies and I placed myself in charge of cooking (as I'm a control freak). It had been raining the entire day but at this point, probably 8/9pm the heavens really opened and it poured. While the rest of my group pitched tents in the down pour i tried to shelter our stoves as best as I could from the elements. None of us could really see what we were doing and at this point it got really quite miserable. After two hours of cooking we finally had something approaching edible, so dished up our pasta/beanfest/rain water mix and ate huddled in a group.
I can't really describe how wet it was at this point, and how cold. Despite my several layers of clothing I could tell my skin was wet and I was very very cold.At this point my whole group knew all their stuff was soaked and morale was low. We started playing games, naming a line from a film and then guessing it, but it wasn't working so well. At about 11 our group leaders came out to have a bit of a chat with us (yet MORE tell me how you're all feeling exercises) and then we were told we could come down to the main building for hot chocolate.
After 15 minutes of thinking that was it, the day was over, we got a fake emergency call on the radio, and we had to go back into the rain and unpack our tents and moce to another location. We got our tents down, regrouped, and then started our night hike. I was really proud of our group as there was a lot of smiling and laughter despite the yawning and the shivering. We had to take a detour as the stream we tried to cross, and failed (with some members falling in!), was flooded so this added at least 30 more minutes to our walk. We finally got to apoint where we were told our breakfast was waiting for us to find, which we eventually did only to discover they were mars bars instead, and then we were taken back to our camp from earlier in the day and said, it was over, we would sleep now, at 2:30am.
We had a choice between our shelter and our tents, but most of us decided to squeeze into the shelter as we were told the more of us there were the warmer we'd be. This turned out to be somewhat of a mistake as it was very cold, our groundsheet had got a bit wet during the day, and we weren't as protected from the elements as we throught. After about 2 hours of convulsing (it had gone beyond shivering) a groups of us ended up huddling for body warmth and managed a good hour and a half of sleep before waking up to go back to the main building.
The next day was a comparative walk in the park. We ate some breakfast, had a lot of coffee and had a Q&A session on raleigh. I was amazed to see everyone, including myself, fairly bright eyed and still excited about the prospect of going on the expedition. We had heard stories from our group leaders over the weekend and I think most people had made up their minds that they wanted in as not a single negative was mentioned We were then lead out on another hike, but this turned out to be a first aid exercise where a few of our group were in on the act, and started playing casualties while the rest of us looked after them. Againm they were trying to test how we thought on our feet and our ability ti get on with things and work as a team. We carried our casualties back to the HQ and were told that there, and then it was now over. Our group leaders had told us we were one of the best groups they'd seen, and gave us an assessment of each of our leadership skills. It seemed strange to remember during this whole thing we had been assessed! We were rewarded with a huge plate of curry and told if we were successful we would hear within two weeks. We hugged each member of our groups good bye and after wishing everyone luck, went our separate ways. It seemed very strange indeed that I wouldn't be seeing these people again as it was quite the bonding experience.
I managed to fall asleep on both my trains home, and then again for 15 hours once I finally got back to my own bed. I felt completely exhausted but at the same time pretty inspired and excited. It had been a long time since I was so physically active while engaging my brain. I felt tested, and challenged and I like it.
Out of the blue on the Tuesday morning I got an email for the project manager post in Borneo and accepted immediately. I think the assessment weekend was a taster of pushing myself and succeeding under pressure, so I am incredibly excited to see what the expedition makes of me!
Earlier this year I found myself bored, really, really bored. I wasn't really satisfied at work and it made me question why and what I was going to do about it. I think I had got to the point where I needed to do something a little more than look for a new job, basically invigorating myself a bit. So, after speaking to my housemate about her travels, she happened to mention her Raleigh expedition to Belize in 2001. After hearing about the trip, I was inspired and was a bit put out to find out venturers are between the ages of 17 and 24. After looking into a bit, just out of curiosity at this point, I saw I could go on a career break so I got in touch with Raleigh to find out some details.
After speaking to people at Raleigh, they invited me to apply. After applying, I was invited to the next stage which was the assessment weekend. This was a two day event at a scout centre in East Surrey, aimed to test our leadership skills, as well as our ability to muck in, and our general personality fit. We were told what time to be there, a minimal kit list and that was about it.
I arrived there at 9am on a very wet and miserable Saturday morning. Being a bit crap, I didn't own anything particularly warm, practical or waterproof. Having cobbled together what I could from friends and family I was kitted out in some waterproof trousers, hiking boots, and something resembling a proper coat (this was a combination of a crappy fleece and a crappy mac in a sac). At this point, I felt my equipment and childhood experiences in the guides and the Duke of Edinburgh award meant I was pretty hard and would be able to tackle anything. I was borderline smug.
After a couple of coffees and a meet and greet with Raleigh staff, we were split into three groups of about 9 people. Each group was assigned to a leader and a couple of assessors who would be taking us through the weekend's activities and then deciding if we were suitable for Raleigh, and if so, what we'd end up doing and where. On first impressions, my group seemed like a lovely bunch of folk, however I was a little concerned it would be a case of 'too many cooks' as there was a lot of over enthusiastic chatter and not a lot of listening, which does not a cohesive team make.
We did thew usual and predictable introduction and ice breaking exercises, which were a little cringe worthy, but it was interesting to find out more about my group. I was impressed about how diverse we were, and also the different motives people had for joining an expedition. I became a bit insecure about what I had to offer, but I figured that if I wasn't good enough, I wasn't good enough and there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it.
After a bit if map reading and trekking for an hour we arrived at a lake for a 'river crossing'. When I originally heard this was our next activity I assumed we'd be building some kind of raft but, no, no raft. We were wading through the lake in groups of three which is quite a common and necessary activity on an expedition. We were also advised that as we were carrying all our kit with us all day, the less wet clothes we had with us the better, so I then found myself in my underwear and a life jacket (not the most practical sort I may add!) with 11 strangers. Bearing in mind it was was very wet, and very cold, this was a very unpleasant introduction to the week. I felt like I winded myself after sliding down the muddy banks into the very, very cold water - quite the shock to the system. After wading in the icy, murky lake up to our necks we made it to the other side feeling pretty invigorated as clambered out. It was about 8 degrees outside, and our blood was pumping full throttle.
Some of us had heard rumours that they didn't actually make you sleep outside (despite asking you to bring tents). We heard that they'd test you to the point of making you think you were sleeping outside, but they wouldn't make you do it. I'm no stranger to camping but it was November, and this point it was chucking it down with rain, and we'd only been asked to bring sleeping bags which was hardly sufficient for the conditions. We walked to a clearing in the woods and were given two tarpaulins, a rope, and told to set up a shelter. Again, we had a too many cooks but eventually, we cobbled together something that could fit us all in and allegedly protect us enough from the elements, should we need to use it.
At this point we had some lunch, and then headed back to the main building for some radio exercises. All communications in country is done via radio, so this was to help us grasp basic signals, radio etiquette and how to speak clearly. Alongside this training, our group needed to prepare a presentation on one of Raleigh's countries (coincidentally Borneo!) and prepare food for some of the others. After this, we did some more getting to know and 3 minute presentations on our life stories (cue a lot of emotion, I think we were a bit tired).
After a few hours of this, all the groups congregated for a de brief on their day, and perform their presentations. It was sweet, but a little weird to see how each of the groups had bonded and formed their own little in joke! After this respite form the elements, we were give co-ordinated and told to go pitch up our tents, and cook our dinners. We'd been given a bag containing pasta, tinned tomatoes, some packets of 'bean feast' and a few veggies and I placed myself in charge of cooking (as I'm a control freak). It had been raining the entire day but at this point, probably 8/9pm the heavens really opened and it poured. While the rest of my group pitched tents in the down pour i tried to shelter our stoves as best as I could from the elements. None of us could really see what we were doing and at this point it got really quite miserable. After two hours of cooking we finally had something approaching edible, so dished up our pasta/beanfest/rain water mix and ate huddled in a group.
I can't really describe how wet it was at this point, and how cold. Despite my several layers of clothing I could tell my skin was wet and I was very very cold.At this point my whole group knew all their stuff was soaked and morale was low. We started playing games, naming a line from a film and then guessing it, but it wasn't working so well. At about 11 our group leaders came out to have a bit of a chat with us (yet MORE tell me how you're all feeling exercises) and then we were told we could come down to the main building for hot chocolate.
After 15 minutes of thinking that was it, the day was over, we got a fake emergency call on the radio, and we had to go back into the rain and unpack our tents and moce to another location. We got our tents down, regrouped, and then started our night hike. I was really proud of our group as there was a lot of smiling and laughter despite the yawning and the shivering. We had to take a detour as the stream we tried to cross, and failed (with some members falling in!), was flooded so this added at least 30 more minutes to our walk. We finally got to apoint where we were told our breakfast was waiting for us to find, which we eventually did only to discover they were mars bars instead, and then we were taken back to our camp from earlier in the day and said, it was over, we would sleep now, at 2:30am.
We had a choice between our shelter and our tents, but most of us decided to squeeze into the shelter as we were told the more of us there were the warmer we'd be. This turned out to be somewhat of a mistake as it was very cold, our groundsheet had got a bit wet during the day, and we weren't as protected from the elements as we throught. After about 2 hours of convulsing (it had gone beyond shivering) a groups of us ended up huddling for body warmth and managed a good hour and a half of sleep before waking up to go back to the main building.
The next day was a comparative walk in the park. We ate some breakfast, had a lot of coffee and had a Q&A session on raleigh. I was amazed to see everyone, including myself, fairly bright eyed and still excited about the prospect of going on the expedition. We had heard stories from our group leaders over the weekend and I think most people had made up their minds that they wanted in as not a single negative was mentioned We were then lead out on another hike, but this turned out to be a first aid exercise where a few of our group were in on the act, and started playing casualties while the rest of us looked after them. Againm they were trying to test how we thought on our feet and our ability ti get on with things and work as a team. We carried our casualties back to the HQ and were told that there, and then it was now over. Our group leaders had told us we were one of the best groups they'd seen, and gave us an assessment of each of our leadership skills. It seemed strange to remember during this whole thing we had been assessed! We were rewarded with a huge plate of curry and told if we were successful we would hear within two weeks. We hugged each member of our groups good bye and after wishing everyone luck, went our separate ways. It seemed very strange indeed that I wouldn't be seeing these people again as it was quite the bonding experience.
I managed to fall asleep on both my trains home, and then again for 15 hours once I finally got back to my own bed. I felt completely exhausted but at the same time pretty inspired and excited. It had been a long time since I was so physically active while engaging my brain. I felt tested, and challenged and I like it.
Out of the blue on the Tuesday morning I got an email for the project manager post in Borneo and accepted immediately. I think the assessment weekend was a taster of pushing myself and succeeding under pressure, so I am incredibly excited to see what the expedition makes of me!
Thursday 4 December 2008
‘Tis the season to be generous…
So, as is the nature with any charity based activity, the time has come for me throw my shame aside and start asking for sponsorship. Although I have a more sophisticated fundraising plan which includes organised events (suggestions please!) and raising awareness, I’m not above some good old fashioned begging! If you need a bit of convincing then read on to find out WHY you’d be doing a good thing by sponsoring my trip:
1)Charity starts at home...
Raleigh reserves a certain number of spaces on each expedition for members of their youth development programme. Raleigh work with a number of charities who deal with vulnerable young people to help them turn their lives around. This is an important part of the program giving these children, who’ve had some pretty hard times, confidence, motivation, optimism, and a huge helping hand in their personal development.
2)Charity continues abroad...
It almost goes without saying that Raleigh do some amazing work to help poor communities in the countries they work with. Raleigh has full time staff in each of the countries, so they can really identify the needs and issues of the area, and work with local government and organisations to help makes things better. They have a fantastic rapport with the local communities and the difference they make last s a lifetime! You’re donation to me makes the good things happen, so surely that must be worthwhile?
3)Its all change for me
To make sure I’m as prepared as possible and do the best job I can, I’m going to have to really commit to this. This means getting fit so, the new year will be the start of me cutting out the wine (*sob*) and getting up early on Sunday mornings for long walks in the country (character building?) among other things. The preparation for me starts now so please help me keep focussed by supporting the cause! Surely the wine alone is enough reason to sponsor me?!
4)It feels nice?
As we fall deeper into some economic doom and gloom, you can almost hear a nation of purse strings tighten. This is the time when we all want to save some money, but while we’re all clawing back all the pennies I ask that if, you can, please spare a bit for Raleigh. Far from wanting to preach about giving to those less fortunate than ourselves, I just want to stress how much I do think this is a cause worth supporting in spite of current financial circumstances. It's the season of giving after all!
If any of these have struck a chord as real reasons to sponsor me, then you can do so by either clicking the widget on the top right of this page, or visiting http://www.justgiving.com/sarahtaylor24. Alternatively, if you’d rather do it directly to me then let me know and something can be arranged. You’ll even get added to my ‘role call of lovely supporters’ list :)
Thank you for reading!
1)Charity starts at home...
Raleigh reserves a certain number of spaces on each expedition for members of their youth development programme. Raleigh work with a number of charities who deal with vulnerable young people to help them turn their lives around. This is an important part of the program giving these children, who’ve had some pretty hard times, confidence, motivation, optimism, and a huge helping hand in their personal development.
2)Charity continues abroad...
It almost goes without saying that Raleigh do some amazing work to help poor communities in the countries they work with. Raleigh has full time staff in each of the countries, so they can really identify the needs and issues of the area, and work with local government and organisations to help makes things better. They have a fantastic rapport with the local communities and the difference they make last s a lifetime! You’re donation to me makes the good things happen, so surely that must be worthwhile?
3)Its all change for me
To make sure I’m as prepared as possible and do the best job I can, I’m going to have to really commit to this. This means getting fit so, the new year will be the start of me cutting out the wine (*sob*) and getting up early on Sunday mornings for long walks in the country (character building?) among other things. The preparation for me starts now so please help me keep focussed by supporting the cause! Surely the wine alone is enough reason to sponsor me?!
4)It feels nice?
As we fall deeper into some economic doom and gloom, you can almost hear a nation of purse strings tighten. This is the time when we all want to save some money, but while we’re all clawing back all the pennies I ask that if, you can, please spare a bit for Raleigh. Far from wanting to preach about giving to those less fortunate than ourselves, I just want to stress how much I do think this is a cause worth supporting in spite of current financial circumstances. It's the season of giving after all!
If any of these have struck a chord as real reasons to sponsor me, then you can do so by either clicking the widget on the top right of this page, or visiting http://www.justgiving.com/sarahtaylor24. Alternatively, if you’d rather do it directly to me then let me know and something can be arranged. You’ll even get added to my ‘role call of lovely supporters’ list :)
Thank you for reading!
Tuesday 2 December 2008
And so it begins...
Hello one and all
Welcome to, what I intend to be, my diary of a trip of a life time. As you can see above, I've decided to make a break from my every day life and travel to Borneo next summer as a Project Manager on a Raleigh expedition. As a quick introduction to my trip, should I not already have gone into great detail talking about it, these are the vital statistics....
Who are Raleigh? Don't they make bikes?
Raleigh is a charity organisation who take young people from a variety of backgrounds to one of three countries, where they are involved in projects which make a positive impact on their surrounding community. In fact, their website says it best:
"They wanted to give young people a chance to explore the world and by doing so discover their potential as leaders and members of a team working together to make a difference. We still hold true these values today with our two commitments.
We're committed to inspiring people from all walks of life, ages and nationalities, involving them more deeply with people, places, communities and challenges and empowering them to be all they can be. Our second commitment is working in partnership with local communities to make a much needed difference to their lives."
Raleigh currently operate a number of projects in India, Costa Rica and Borneo which you can read more about on their site.
Where are you going?
I'm off to Sabah, which is a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. It is in fact here:
View Larger Map
What will you be doing?
I will be a Project Manager on one of the projects! I won't know exactly until I get there, but it could be abything from building a dam to a eco tourist conservation project. I will be working with another PM will be in charge pf a group of 17-24 year olds and make sure the work gets done and everyone has a great time doing it! At the end of a project, I will also be taking part in a trek, hence the need to get physically fit and buy a lot of outdoors equipment!
Why are you leaving the UK behind to build schools in the jungle?
What attracted me to Raleigh in the first place was its emphasis on challenge and fulfilling your potential. I've been feeling the need to get out there and do something to push myself for some time. I've also been very keen to be involved in charity work on some level so Raleigh seems the ideal choice for me to grow individually as well as doing somewthing worthwhile. The project Manager role will also mean I'm responsible for making the experience as positive as possible for the young people in my group. As someone who hasn't travelled an extensive amount, I also feel that if I'm going to do something like this, I may as well do it properly, hence the trip to Malaysia... with its hot weather & bugs - far from my comfort zone!
When are you off then?
July 9th 2009. I can't wait.
I have months of fundraising (which you can find out about at my justgiving page), fitness building and vaccinations ahead of me, and I want this blog to be not only a place for family friends and supporters to find out how I'm getting on, but also a record of the work put into going on the expedition.
If I've asked you to come and have a look at this page, it's because I want you, in some way, to be part of my trip and the lead up to it. If you have any questions, suggestions for fund raising events or well wishes, please email me or comment here. If you feel like digging into your pockets and sponsoring me then the widget on the right will tell you how, alternatively,
click here.
Welcome to, what I intend to be, my diary of a trip of a life time. As you can see above, I've decided to make a break from my every day life and travel to Borneo next summer as a Project Manager on a Raleigh expedition. As a quick introduction to my trip, should I not already have gone into great detail talking about it, these are the vital statistics....
Who are Raleigh? Don't they make bikes?
Raleigh is a charity organisation who take young people from a variety of backgrounds to one of three countries, where they are involved in projects which make a positive impact on their surrounding community. In fact, their website says it best:
"They wanted to give young people a chance to explore the world and by doing so discover their potential as leaders and members of a team working together to make a difference. We still hold true these values today with our two commitments.
We're committed to inspiring people from all walks of life, ages and nationalities, involving them more deeply with people, places, communities and challenges and empowering them to be all they can be. Our second commitment is working in partnership with local communities to make a much needed difference to their lives."
Raleigh currently operate a number of projects in India, Costa Rica and Borneo which you can read more about on their site.
Where are you going?
I'm off to Sabah, which is a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. It is in fact here:
View Larger Map
What will you be doing?
I will be a Project Manager on one of the projects! I won't know exactly until I get there, but it could be abything from building a dam to a eco tourist conservation project. I will be working with another PM will be in charge pf a group of 17-24 year olds and make sure the work gets done and everyone has a great time doing it! At the end of a project, I will also be taking part in a trek, hence the need to get physically fit and buy a lot of outdoors equipment!
Why are you leaving the UK behind to build schools in the jungle?
What attracted me to Raleigh in the first place was its emphasis on challenge and fulfilling your potential. I've been feeling the need to get out there and do something to push myself for some time. I've also been very keen to be involved in charity work on some level so Raleigh seems the ideal choice for me to grow individually as well as doing somewthing worthwhile. The project Manager role will also mean I'm responsible for making the experience as positive as possible for the young people in my group. As someone who hasn't travelled an extensive amount, I also feel that if I'm going to do something like this, I may as well do it properly, hence the trip to Malaysia... with its hot weather & bugs - far from my comfort zone!
When are you off then?
July 9th 2009. I can't wait.
I have months of fundraising (which you can find out about at my justgiving page), fitness building and vaccinations ahead of me, and I want this blog to be not only a place for family friends and supporters to find out how I'm getting on, but also a record of the work put into going on the expedition.
If I've asked you to come and have a look at this page, it's because I want you, in some way, to be part of my trip and the lead up to it. If you have any questions, suggestions for fund raising events or well wishes, please email me or comment here. If you feel like digging into your pockets and sponsoring me then the widget on the right will tell you how, alternatively,
click here.
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