Hi Everyone,

 

On 16 May I'll be running the Eyam Half Marathon in Derbyshire to raise money for the Friends of Conakry Refugee School.  It's a thirteen mile run in total, and meant to be one of the toughest in the UK - lots of lovely hills!  Please sponsor me - this is a truly worthy cause.

 

The Conakry Refugee School, in Guinea, West Africa, provides education and a fresh start for refugee chidren that have fled to Guinea from civil conflicts in Sierra Leone and Liberia.  Most have lost family members and witnessed terrible atrocities.  All are displaced and in desperate need of help.  The school has over 500 pupils at any one time.  There are always more children needing help and money is always short.

 

I'm proud to say that the charity was founded by friends of mine, Ruth and Mark Walmsley. Their daughter Tanya was traveling in West Africa after leaving university in 2005.  Arriving in Guinea she volunteered at the school only to find it faced imminent closure because there was no money to pay the rent on the premises.  She called her Mum and Dad for help, who immediately wired £60 to pay the rent and stave off closure for one month.  Then they got serious, creating the Friends of Conakry School, which now funds the entire enterprise.  The school receives no support at all from the Guinean government.

 

You can find out more about the great work at Conakry School at www.fcrs.org.uk.

 

Running 13 miles is nothing compared to the effort, dedication and care that Ruth, Mark and Tanya have shown for these children so far away from us.  Do your bit.  However bad the recession has been for you and your family, these children have endured far worse.  Every little helps!

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

 

Many thanks,

Annie