Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

Letters and leaflets are sent. 64 envelopes addressed to charitable trusts to be precise.

A weekend of staring at a computer screen getting unbelievably frustrated at Microsoft word has successfully ended with an overflowing local postbox. Things ran smoothly in the university library making the leaflets and the final letters were being printed when DISASTER STRIKES! Dad spots a blunder on the first line....NOOOOO! Luckily it was easily changed and we were soon enveloping them up ready for dispatch.

Fingers crossed my total left to raise will soon be falling down with contributions from trusts!  

Hard Graft Ahead

There was fantastic news a few weeks ago when a letter arrived saying that I've been selected for Guyana and had been pooled for Botswana. Both are educational projects where I'll most likely be teaching maths and science in the local school - more details to come. I'm already excited but there's still a long road ahead...

Before I go I've got to raise £5400 to cover the costs of getting out there, insurance and many other essential things. There was numerous talks about fundraising during selection so the figure isn't too overwhelming although there's a lot to be done. Donations from charitable trusts apparently take a chunk out of the total so the plan for the next few weeks is to send as many letters and leaflets as possible to various trusts asking for sponsorship. January exams are also looming so eyes down looking...

LETTER!

So this letter arrived today...

WAAAAAAAAAAA

Selection Week

So on the Sunday afternoon of the 9th of September the mammoth journey from Yarm to Coll began (However it seems not as mammoth as half the people on my selection course). Trains to Edinburgh and Glasgow then a delightful 4 hour coach ride to arrive in Oban early evening.

Somehow it wasn't raining and after dumping my bag in the youth hostel I set out for food and to find any other hopeful project trustees. After asking someone whether they were off to spent a week a Coll and getting a very peculiar look I didn't dare ask anyone else. After filling in a few various forms for the week and a deep conversation with a slightly drunk Scottish bloke at the hostel, to the dorm it was. Finally met a Project trust hopeful on the way up (Sam from the south) and doubled the chance that we'd actually wake up in time for the ferry ( 6 bloody 30!!!). We no doubt woke up the 3 chaps in the bottom bunks when getting organised but the ferry port was calling.

The week was amazingly good fun as well as being jam packed full of important stuff including;

• Descriptions of all projects
• Teaching a 10min lesson
• 10min talk on an aspect of Coll
• Digging lazy beds with a lot of singing
• Writing an essay on a current news topic
• Being interviewed by staff
• Talking to staff about the various projects
• Learning a lot about fundraising 
• Climbing to the Highest point of Coll
• Discussing possible scenarios while abroad
• Making a final choice
• Suiting up for a last night Ceilidh and dancing your heart out (luckily there's no pictures of this).

A seriously windy day at the highest point of Coll. Apparently
sliding through the gap under the rock helps you get pregnant.
(I didn't take the risk)

Ben Hogh (the highest point)

Whilst on selection you also stay at a host's family's house with another person from selection. Max (from Stoke on trrrent) and I stayed with Angus (and Fiona) however Fiona was having a ladies week back on the mainland so unfortunately didn't make an appearance  Listening to Angus' tales at the end of the day while he had a whisky and many ciagrettes was an experience I'll never forget. He also made some pretty epic meals and was a great host.

On one night he also drove us down to the newly built community centre for a bit of an astronomy evening with a blow up observatory thing. After getting into the front 'seat' of his very old Vauxall Corsa and starting to buckle my seatbelt he duly stopped me saying 'you won't be needing that round here lad' - another unforgettable moment - along with his rally driving.

The week whizzed by and I was soon making my final choices of where I wanted to go (if they deem suitable - Botswana/Guyana/SouthAfrica) and saying my goodbye's. Another coach ride ahead......What a week.  

Next week...

Selection is next week.....whooooooo/arrrrrggggghhhhh. Very excited and bloody nervous!

Just back to school after the summer (2nd year of sixth form in fact) so it'll be a nice week off after a massive 4 days of school work - although I doubt it's going to be relaxing!

Trains and buses booked. £2.95 phone bought (my phones and water don't have a good history and Coll's an Island so no chances taken). Massive addidas holdall soon to be packed. Paperwork organised. I'm ready.

Looking forward to Sunday!

A Year Volunteering with Project Trust (hopefully)

Back in July before the summer holidays and with help from the parents credit card, I booked onto a selection course to try and spend my gap year volunteering with the Project Trust. A moment of brilliance (or madness - depending on how you look at it) but it's definitely going to be something special.


PT is a charity based on the isle of Coll in Scotland that specialises in sending young volunteers to every corner of the Earth for 12 months to do a variety of projects including teaching and social work. If all goes to plan I'll be going during my gap year! 
Before selection I'd had a little look at the projects that I might be interested in but getting selected was top priority...