Keith Wilkinson

Background

Last year, two good friends of mine who are sisters lost their mum to Cancer after a very long battle. I know this was a very difficult time for them but the support and care given by the staff at the Macmillan Cancer Trust Unit (now Macmillan Caring Locally) helped them to stay strong and gave them piece of mind that everything that could be done for their mum, was being done.

I know of many people who have been directly or indirectly affected by Cancer and have decided to raise money for this locally based charity to ensure such a wonderful facility can stay available.

The Charity (Macmillan Caring Locally)

Please click on the link to the left to find out more about this amazing charity.

The Challenge

If you think it sounds easy then read on!

My original thoughts were to climb Kilimanjaro but this is a bit common these days (and it's only about 5km after all) so I've opted to cycle across Peru from the Andes to the Amaz... more

Background

Last year, two good friends of mine who are sisters lost their mum to Cancer after a very long battle. I know this was a very difficult time for them but the support and care given by the staff at the Macmillan Cancer Trust Unit (now Macmillan Caring Locally) helped them to stay strong and gave them piece of mind that everything that could be done for their mum, was being done.

I know of many people who have been directly or indirectly affected by Cancer and have decided to raise money for this locally based charity to ensure such a wonderful facility can stay available.

The Charity (Macmillan Caring Locally)

Please click on the link to the left to find out more about this amazing charity.

The Challenge

If you think it sounds easy then read on!

My original thoughts were to climb Kilimanjaro but this is a bit common these days (and it's only about 5km after all) so I've opted to cycle across Peru from the Andes to the Amazon!

This will involve cycling more than 300km over several days at high altitudes and through steamy rain forests! I will covering around 60km per day! More about my challenge can be found through the charity challenge website below.

http://www.charitychallenge.com/expedition.html?id=1162

Funding

As I am paying from the trip myself (I have sacrificed driving lessons to pay for this so a few more years on the buses for me!) every penny that you donate will go to the charity!

Gift Aid

If you've paid tax on your earnings then the Government will give the tax you paid on the amount you donate to the charity. For more information visit the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/gift-aid.htm

Ten things you should know about me

1) I hate camping.

2) I hate cycling up hills.

3) I am scared of cycling down hills.

4) I don't like insects.

5) I get very grumpy in the heat.

6) I get very grumpy in the cold.

7) I hate missing EastEnders.

8) Washing in a river does not appeal to me.

9) I will go mental if I can't find a MacDonald's in the Amazon.

10) My sofa is a very good friend of mine.

All in all this challenge should be quite tough but if I don't manage to complete it, then I am prepared to do a forfeit to ensure you get value for your money. Please make a suggestion when making your donation most common one wins. I am relying on this not happening!

Training

This is the boring bit. I started going to the gym three times a week back in November 2009 and now need to continue this and possibly up it to four or five times a week until September! It will pay off in the end!

How your donation will help

To help you appreciate how important your donation is, here are some ways that your money will help "Macmillan Caring Locally".

£5 buys a specialist children?s book. These books are specially written to help a child understand bereavement; and the family support team give them to family where a loved one has passed away.

£10 buys a Memory Box. These are keepsake boxes that the Family Support Team give to any children in a family where a loved one is seriously ill. The child is able to decorate the box themselves and put items like photos, perfume etc inside the box. This then becomes a treasured memory of a loved one.

£50 buys a selection of talking books. Some of the patients at the Macmillan Unit find it difficult to hold a book to read, so a portable DVD / CD players are provided that they can use. Talking books are a great way to listen to your favourite book. £100 will buy craft materials for the Day Centre. The Day Centre offers diversional therapies such as painting; and the patients really enjoy the opportunity to spend the day at the centre, and create art and paint pottery. £500 buys an O2 saturation machine. The charity are aiming for all their palliative care sisters to have these machines. Should a patient require their O2 tested at home, and our staff do not have a machine, the alternative is a trip to hospital for the patient, or an uncomfortable procedure in the home, both of which are distressing when they are very poorly. £1000 buys a portable hospital bed. These are the beds that we deliver into people?s homes for when a patient would prefer to be cared for at home. £2500 this will buy a Huntleigh Enterprise Bed for the Ward at the Macmillan Unit. Most of the beds at the Macmillan unit are 10 ? 15 years old, so we they are trying to update them with new Huntleigh beds. These beds offer far superior patient comfort, and make it easier for patient care. To raise enough for a Huntleigh Enterprise bed would be amazing!!!!!!