A group of 10 athletes, known collectively as the ‘Row for Life’ team, have successfully completed their attempt to become record breakers by rowing 600 miles (1m metres) continuously. They achieved this feat during Cowes Week; that was held over the week of the 6th to the 13th [...]]]>

Row for Life team are record breakers

A group of 10 athletes, known collectively as the ‘Row for Life’ team, have successfully completed their attempt to become record breakers by rowing 600 miles (1m metres) continuously. They achieved this feat during Cowes Week; that was held over the week of the 6^th to the 13^th of August.

The team, who completed their mammoth task in a little less than 66 hours was led by Martin Scotcher, a McTimoney chiropractor, and support was given by the McTimoney Chiropractic Association. Each member of the team rowed a distance equal to 2 1/2 marathons at optimum pace. To add to the pressure, they needed to change over seamlessly so the rowing machines never stopped until they had reached the 1m meter mark.

There were a couple of moments at the beginning of the challenge when technical problems looked like they were going to end the record attempt in its infancy, but they were resolved very quickly. Chiropractors from McTimoney were on hand throughout the entire challenge to ensure that the team remained in tip top condition and to help relieve the inevitable aches and pains.

After the event, Martin Scotcher said that the entire Row for Life team were exhausted by absolutely delighted to have broken the record, and the biggest hurdle to overcome had been the blisters they now all sported. He added that they had all trained hard for several months and when times got tough the crowd had got right behind them and spurred them on. He also thanked the McTimoney chiropractors for keeping them going.

The reason for the event was to raise money for the Africa Children’s Development Trust (ACDT0. The Row for Life team have raised money over the last few years for the charity with a variety of rowing events, but this is the first time they have ever tried for a British record.

The Africa Children’s Development Trust was launched by chiropractor, Nikki Collinson in 2007. She launched the charity after spending 2 ½ months in Africa where she completed a volunteer project and spent time treating many of the children she met. The charity firstly aims to provide
six monthly chiropractic care to children under 16 years of age living in some of the poorest areas, villages & orphanages.

Berni Martin, Chair of The McTimoney Chiropractic Association, comments: “This is fantastic news. We know Martin and his team have been working hard and were determined to set a new British record, but to actually do it is quite an achievement! We are also delighted that our members were able to help keep the team on track. The ADCT will benefit yet again from Martin’s and his team’s efforts and these new funds will help bring chiropractic care to those who would really have a very limited chance of receiving it without the support of this charity.”

Anyone interested in hearing more or donating to the charity can do so directly via the website, www.rowforlife2011.co.uk

The organization hosts a large range of walks all over the world in many exotic locations suited for all [...]]]> If you are searching for a unique travel holiday experience this summer why not consider taking a look at Walk the Walk, a grant organization that is the largest in the UK to support breast cancer research.

The organization hosts a large range of walks all over the world in many exotic locations suited for all people of differing physical abilities.

Whether you like the idea of a small intimate adventure trekking through the mountains of Peru or taking a Power Walk during the midnight hours of sunlight in Iceland there is a challenge for everyone coming up in 2011.
The Inca Trail Peru 2011: 13th – 27th June 2011

The lost City of the Incas is about to be discovered again! The Inca Trail covers 40km of the most stunning landscapes you will ever see, you will experience descending into Machu Picchu, The Lost City of the Incas, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Walk the Walk’s groups are always small and intimate which helps make the experience very special. This adventure takes place in June which means that you are able to join the spectacular celebrations of Inti Raymi,
the largest, most important festival in South America.
Fly out to Lima and spend three days relaxing and acclimatising in Cuzco, visiting historic sites such as the Inca forts of Sacsayhuaman and white water rafting down the Urabamba River, in the breath taking Sacred Valley. Setting off in beautifully decorated bras – the trademark of the charity – on the four day trail – all while raising funds for vital breast cancer causes….this is an adventure of a lifetime.

Costs: £3,165 plus an administration fee of £62. This includes return flights, accommodation, trek permits, breakfast and the services of porters and guides. Walk the Walk asks that you raise a minimum of £600

The MoonWalk Iceland 2011: 16th – 20th June 2011

A truly unique event and the complete antithesis to the craziness of The New York Marathon or The MoonWalk London! You will be taking part, wearing brightly decorated bras, in a Summer Solstice Marathon that ends in a natural mineral spa, visiting some of the country’s most spectacular areas, walking up volcanoes, whale watching and immersing yourself in this beautiful wilderness!
During The MoonWalk Iceland you walk through a beautiful wilderness in the land of the midnight sun, taking in volcanic craters, whale watching, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, and the Hljodaklettar echo rocks. This trip really takes in the best that Iceland has to offer. And with 24-hour daylight, you have plenty of time to enjoy it all!

The MoonWalk Iceland starts at the beautiful Lake Myvatn Nature Baths at 11pm and walkers will complete the 26.2 mile challenge whilst experiencing the strange phenomenon of walking through a sunlight night. On completion of the challenge walkers will have the opportunity to sink into natural warm mineral waters at the end of the marathon. A well-deserved treat for those hard working feet!

Costs: £1,150 plus an administration fee of £62. This includes return flights, accommodation, and a selection of excursions and the services of a guide. There is a minimum fundraising target of £500 but the more you raise the cheaper your travel becomes. Walkers who raise £3,900 in sponsorship will have £1,590 of their expenses costs refunded.

The Three Land Challenge
London: 14th May 2011, Edinburgh: 11th June 2011,
Iceland: 16th – 20th June 2011

Looking for an even bigger personal challenge in 2011 then this is what you have been looking for! For the first time ever, Walk the Walk is offering walkers the chance to enter all three MoonWalk challenges in one package – The MoonWalk London, The MoonWalk Edinburgh and The MoonWalk Iceland!

If you think you have what it takes to complete 3 Power Walking marathons in five weeks then get in touch…we’d love to help you on your journey to completing this spectacular achievement and help raise as many funds for breast cancer charities as possible.

Costs: £1,198 plus an administration fee of £72. This includes return flights to Iceland and accommodation, plus a reduced rate entry fee for the London and Edinburgh MoonWalks of £24.00 each. £500 is the minimum sponsorship that you are asked to raise.

As The MoonWalk London has sold out, this is the only entry method for walkers still wishing to take part.

To be a part of these magical adventures visit www.walkthewalk.org to download an entry form. Places are limited and sell out fast so be sure to move quickly to reserve your spot! Walk the Walk also offers a sponsorship refund scheme – the more money you raise, the more you get refunded from the cost of the trip.

Walk the Walk is currently making grants to support research, but also towards the emotional and physical support for those people that have cancer now. Apart from raising money, Walk the Walk is also passionate about encouraging women and men to become fitter and healthier and take control of their own wellbeing.

Watch out for pink buildings and pink fundraisers as Breast Cancer Campaign’s Paint the Town Pink returns to help raise funds for breast cancer research and promote breast awareness in York.

Returning to York for the second year running this October, Breast Cancer Campaign is aiming to [...]]]> Paint York pink – get involved for breast cancer research

Watch out for pink buildings and pink fundraisers as Breast Cancer Campaign’s Paint the Town Pink returns to help raise funds for breast cancer research and promote breast awareness in York.

Returning to York for the second year running this October, Breast Cancer Campaign is aiming to make the event even bigger (and pinker!) than before.

Paint the Town Pink, which is backed by York Council, is an annual initiative where the charity aims to turn the whole of York as pink as possible. In particular, Monks Cross Shopping Centre will be a hub of fundraising activity with a pink fundraising day (you may have noticed the bollards sporting pink ribbons), including games and collections, on Saturday 16 October and a Pink Ribbon Tribute Tree to remember loved ones and those affected by breast cancer.

The Coppergate Centre will be decorated in pink with fundraising days, including face painting and games, on Saturday 2 October and Wednesday 27 October and will also have a Pink Ribbon Tribute Board.

Local residents can help celebrate the pink month by joining the Paint the Town Pink Walk being held on Thursday 28 October, starting in Rowntree Park at 7pm. The pink activities will then come to a close as everyone in the city is encouraged to take part in Campaign’s national wear it pink day on Friday 29 October. Simply wear an item of pink and donate £2. It’s so easy everyone can get involved!

You can show your support by donating to Team Pink collectors around the city, buying a Paint the Town Pink ribbon pin or by texting PINK to 81400 to make a £2 donation today. Text messages cost £2 plus one message at your standard network rate. Breast Cancer Campaign will receive a minimum of £1.76 from each message sent. (£1.48 from Virgin Mobile users).

Lauren Basket, Breast Cancer Campaign Community Development Manager, said “Paint the Town Pink in York was a huge success last year so now we’re setting our sights even higher. The support we receive from local businesses and individuals will play a vital role in helping us raise awareness of the initiative to the residents of York and hopefully get more people involved with the charity to help us continue funding vital breast cancer research.”

To find out more about Paint the Town Pink York and how you can get involved, please call 020 7749 3708, email lbaskett@breastcancercampaign.org or visit www.breastcancercampaign.org/paintthetownpink

Newcastle and London based Digital Agency TH_NK have brought a Barclays Bike from the London cycle hire scheme up to Newcastle, only to take it away again as they set off on a 5 day cycle ride to their London office.

The adventurers from TH_NK are aiming to [...]]]>

Boris London Bike in Newcastle

Newcastle and London based Digital Agency TH_NK have brought a Barclays Bike from the London cycle hire scheme up to Newcastle, only to take it away again as they set off on a 5 day cycle ride to their London office.

The adventurers from TH_NK are aiming to raise £20,000 for Breast Cancer Campaign by cycling the 450 miles between their Newcastle and London offices. This challenge, which has been aptly called the Tour De TH_NK, is taking place for five consecutive days from 24^th to 28^th September where the cyclists will be covering approximately 90 miles a day.

If you would like to sponsor the team, visit www.tourdethink.com where you can make your donation quickly and easily through their JustGiving page. If you want to do something more original, for £500 you can sponsor one of the riders to wear a t-shirt with anything you like on it.

Tarek Nsier, CEO of TH_NK, who is also taking part in the tour, said, “When our MD, Lynne Davidson, suggested this we thought it was a great idea and signed up. Now that it’s getting close we are starting to question our sanity. We’re keeping going due to a mix of competitiveness and the knowledge it’s all for a good cause.”

As well as being able to make a donation on the Tour De TH_NK website, you can also find out how the team’s training is going, learn more about the riders, and track their progress during the event itself by following @TH_NKtweets and @TourDeTH_NK on Twitter.

The Big Cake Bake launches this CF Fundraising Week (17-23 May) when people all over [...]]]> Everyone loves cake, whether it’s a sponge, carrot, gateau or cupcake. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust wants you to grab a slice of the action by using cakes to help raise vital funds for medical research in The Big Cake Bake!

The Big Cake Bake launches this CF Fundraising Week (17-23 May) when people all over the UK will be holding coffee mornings and cake sales at work, school or home to raise money for the CF Trust. All you need is a venue, large slices of cake, plenty of liquid refreshment and generous guests! If you’re no great shakes at baking, you can always nip to the shops to buy some. You can host your event during CF Fundraising Week or at any other time convenient to you. Get the kettle on and join in the fun.

Cystic Fibrosis is the one of the UK’s most common life-threatening inherited diseases and affects the lungs and digestive system. Each week five babies are born with CF and sadly three young people die from the disease. The CF Trust funds research to treat Cystic Fibrosis, it works to improve the care of those with CF and provides support to families across the country.

Find out more and get your free Big Cake Bake fundraising pack, posters and invitations at www.cftrust.org.uk/help/nationalcampaigns/thebigcakebake or call 0300 373 1100.

The Tag Rugby Trust is a rugby-based charity that was formed in 2002, [...]]]> An online raffle aiming to raise money for the Tag Rugby Trust has just been launched with nearly 20 great prizes to be won, including signed memorabilia, rugby tickets, clothing and kit, generously donated by companies such as Puma, Gilbert, Kitbag and viagogo.

The Tag Rugby Trust is a rugby-based charity that was formed in 2002, which helps to improve the lives of children in some of the poorest regions of the world. We currently work with orphanages and government schools in India, Mexico, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya using the game of Tag Rugby as our vehicle. We fund our tours through volunteers who pay to join the adventure and who work closely with the children in a coaching capacity. Almost without exception our volunteers say that the tour is a life changing experience for them.

Raffle tickets cost just £2, and every penny of the funds raised will go to the charity, helping to improve the lives of under-privileged children all around the world.

There are so many prizes on offer that there will be three draws made, with the first taking place on April 1st – tickets will be valid for every draw after the date on which it was bought.

The plan is to make the Rugby Raffle an annual event, with the aim of growing the prize list and raising plenty of money for charity – please help to make the first year is a success, and then look out for another in 2011.

To enter the raffle, please visit: www.justgiving.com/rugbyraffle2010

The Tag Rugby Trust website can be found at www.trdt.co.uk.