Hi, and thank you for visiting my fundraising page.  I am trekking up 8,000 ft to Machu Picchu in Peru on 18 September 2009 with my friend Ann McPaul and holding loads of fundraising events thoughout the year, such as a cabaret night on 25 April, an Abba night on 6 June and a couple of others later in 2009.  My original target was £3,500 but I have exceeded even my own expectations so I have changed this to £5,000!!

Update: I have sold coffee & donuts at work twice and raised £200, and I have put sponsorship forms and collection boxes around the town where I live.  They are all filling up fast!  The local journalist, Esther Hutcheson, has been plugging my cause so there is a lot of awareness in the town.

Update: It's going well so far, we raised £1600 at the cabaret night, £800 of which is going to my charity and £800 of which is going to Ann's, so that's fantastic. I did three classical songs on the stage at the Bo'ness Victorian Street fair and got £50 for that - hurray!! 

Update: We've just had the ABBA night (6/6/9) and we raised a further £1200 which I was delighted with and there's more to come!!  Alex Christie also organised a fundraising concert for his music students and raised £330!!  I am very grateful to him for doing that - thank you Alex.  Ann and I have also been booked to do a concert for the Queen's Own Highlanders regiment annual party on 26 June so we are getting paid for that as well.  Can't wait!!

Update: We did the army gig and raised £545!! Not bad for a night's work eh?  We are holding a golf day on 7 August and singing at the dinner in the evening, so that should be fun, there is a charity auction with some superb prizes and Ann's dad is totally responsible for it all - he is such a wonder - he's unstoppable!

We are totally in training now - we have been doing a 'Munro' (for non- Scots that's a mountain over 3,000 ft high) every weekend and I am on the cross trainer for half a hour every morning before I go to work.  I've also been doing lots of flat walks just to get used to being on my feet all day and trying to make sure I dont get any injuries on the way up to Machu Picchu.  I have most of my kit now and so it must be nearly time to go!!

Well....what can I say?  I've put about a quarter of the 1,400 pictures we took on my facebook page!  I made 32 friends when in Peru and I am happy to say I think they will be friends for life.  Everyone raised money for different charities and they really are a wonderful bunch.  The experience was totally amazing, to say the very least.  It'smade me want to go backpacking again as it was a totally liberating experience.

Please note that donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Marie Curie Cancer Care gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Thank you so much for your support.  Love, Justine xx