A big thank you

The NDCS Challenges Team would like to say a big Thank You to all of you who recently took part in one of our challenges: The London Marathon, North Pole Expedition and Trek Vietnam in April; Cycle Peru, Trek the Inca Trail and the London 10k in May; and the 24 Peaks and 3 Peaks Challenges in June.

London to Paris

These events have so far raised an amazing total of £294,843, and more money is coming in! This is a fantastic amount and will go a long way to make a difference to the lives of deaf children and their families all over the UK. Thank you to all of you for taking on the challenge, and to all your supporters who helped you reach your fundraising target!

“I’m proud and exhilarated at completing this fantastic challenge. Peru is such a beautiful country and even though there are the inevitable ups (Machu Picchu, Abra la Raya pass, Lake Titicaca) and downs (Ayaviri blockade and the challenge having to end), pushing your mind and body to the limit earns the sponsorship received from all the good folks who donated. As a parent of two deaf children I cannot underestimate the value of NDCS challenges. Thanks NDCS.”
Andrew Biddiscombe, Cycle Peru participant

A big thank you!

This weekend four teams took part in the Three Peaks Challenge , climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales, raising money for NDCS .

We’d just like to thank them for their hard work and hope their are aching limbs are not too sore!

The teams taking part were:

Barclays Bank Plc
J Coffey Construction Ltd
Nokia
Structural Systems Uk Ltd

If you are interested in taking part in our Three Peaks Challenge, visit our website for more information.

They made it to the Pole!!!

Pole position…

As our explorers reach the North Pole, see our live diary for more information, I’ve been thinking what it must be like out there on the ice. Other than chartering your own exploration out to the North Pole a possible way of gaining some understanding might be to following in the footsteps of polar explorers through books.

Fiona Thornewill, explorer and wife of our exploration leader Mike Thornewill, gives some suggestions:

Catherine Hartley – South Without a Beard
Mind Over Matter – Ranulph Fiennes
Captain Scott – Ranulph Fiennes
A Life of Aspley Cherry – Garrard
Shadows on the Wasteland – Mike Stroud

I’ve also searched amazon under the search Polar exploration…

Of course you might fancy more of an adventure and if so Mike and Fiona’s company Polar Challenge International are more than equipped to take you to both the North and South Pole.

Change the world 9 to 5

I’m sure there are plenty of people who, like me are thinking what can I do to get more out of the job I do and get to know the people I work with?

Always keen to look at ways of making the time we have at work more interesting suggestions here at Planet NDCS include:

Share your lunch with someone you don’t usually work with
Finding out about other team’s jobs
Praise your colleagues when they do something extra
Raise money for charity
Going to the pub
Have a dress down Friday or EVEN a dress up Friday, have themed days…

A good website to visit www.wearewhatwedo.org

Of course we’re not the only ones with ideas anyone who has any more send them through!!

If you are part of a team in the office you might want to join in one of our corporate events, with NDCS Challenges . There are some really exciting challenges that we have on offer and you will be helping deaf children at the same time.

Events include, Three Peak Challenges , 24 Peak challenges and even skydiving.

For our team events , you will need between five and seven walkers at the start of each mountain, plus two drivers per vehicle. You’ll get to see the most beautiful scenery in the UK, and have the experience of a life time.

NDCS Challenges are run responsibly and carefully, in accordance with the Code of Practise for Outdoor Fundraising in the UK.

North Pole diary

This exclusive Arctic expedition aims to make a surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean between latitude 89N and the Geographic North Pole at 90N. Known as “The Last Degree”. Our team will be undertaking a foot journey of 60 nautical miles (approximately 70 statute miles). Among those taking part is the first deaf person to make it to the North Pole.

Our intrepid explorers are Mike Thornewill, Carl Morris, Ian Berry and Oliver Westbury. For more information why not meet the team.

The sole sponsors for this trip are Transam

Organisers of the event are:

Polar Challenge International – www.polarchallenge.org/
Bull Precision Expeditions – www.bullexpeditions.com

Out of Africa

Well not quite, not sure about whether to make a trip Africa?

The cinema can be a good way to get a flavour of a country or place, ones I’ve seen and recommend:

The African Queen
King Solomon’s Mines (three to choose from)
Black Hawk Down
Gorillas in the Mist
Out Of Africa

Become an NDCS Challenger and you could take one of three trips across this wonderful continent. Firstly there are treks to Kilimanjaro and the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia , while we are also cycling the Nile , with plans to cycle the Garden Route through South Africa in 2009.

Others films with an African backdrop include:

Cry Freedom
Blood Diamond
Amistad
The Constant Gardener
The Last King of Scotland

Are there others you’d add to the list?

As it’s The London Marathon next week we will be looking at top tunes to run to!

What world would you prefer to be in?

As I mentioned I’d happily live in movie world, and a world with Indy back in it is no bad thing!!

Indiana Jones Widget

Further to conversations here at Planet NDCS someone suggested they would rather be in Matrix-world, which sounds pretty cool. What type of world would you prefer to be in?

Looking to run a marathon, cycle South Africa or trek the Andes?

This blog is aimed to give you an idea of some of the events we at NDCS Challenges have on offer while also giving examples of where our work is helping deaf children and their families.

We have different types of events on offer from Running, cycling to trekking and visiting such varied places as Everest Base Camp, Incas, The Himalaya, Great Wall of China and Kilimanjaro.

I work for NDCS, the National Deaf Children’s Society, it helps deaf children and ensures they and their families have the necessary support throughout their lives from birth until after they leave university.