On October 12th I will be joining a group of people on a 8 day 140km trek across the Namibian Desert. This little jaunt has been arranged to raise funds for EHRA, an organisation that focuses on building relationships between the people of Namibia and the Desert Elephants. You can read about their work at http://www.desertelephant.org.

I am funding this trip privately, some of the money I have paid will cover the costs involved in partaking on the trek, the remainder will be used by EHRA to help fund their work.

Any extra sponsorship money that I raise will be donated to Marie Curie Cancer Care (http://www.mariecurie.org.uk) in support of the superb work they do for cancer patients in the UK. In the not too distant past, a diagnosis of cancer meant resigning to a dimunitive life in hospital. Research and care programs by Marie Curie and other similar organisations have advanced the methods used, allowing for effective home and hospice care, giving the patient and their familly the potential to get as much from of their life as possible.

This is the first time in years that I have booked a trip that does not involve being either under or on top of the water, so you know what a huge sacrifice I am making! Dig deep in those pockets and make it worth the while! You can use this web page to pledge your hard earned cash across, it will also keep a track of how much has been raised.

Remember to tick the box if you are a UK tax payer, Marie Curie will then be able to claim the tax back on top of your donation.

Why Namibia you may ask? Beyond the worthy cause behind EHRA, I also have some personal reasons. Vickie travelled through Namibia in February with her mother, it is whilst she was there that we both realised how strongly we felt for each other. It will mean a lot to me to see a little of what she saw, and perhaps retrace some of her foot steps.

Many thanks for your support.

Stuart Keasley