Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

Update 9/5/09

I would like to thank everyone who has generously sponsored me so far! It is greatly appreciated.

I'm now back and fully recovered from the Mountain Challenge.

I'm pleased to inform you that after two and half tough days of climbing sheer rock faces we finally made it to the summit of Mount Fansipan at 3,143 metres!!! The climb was definitely harder than expected as I didn't really expect to be using bamboos to help pull me up onto the next rock however; it is hard to prepare yourself for the unknown. The weather on the first day was around 19 C and it was very hot and sticky, it started raining heavily that night so the second day was a lot harder due to climbing on wet rock faces, which potentially could have caused some serious injuries. There was a great sense of team spirit and determination to succeed which is always useful. Unfortunately, once we had reached the summit it was extremely windy and foggy so we didn't get to see any breathtaking views of Sapa the surrounding town. Whilst, climbing Mount Fansipan we ate and slept on the mountain which could have been challenging for some especially as there were rats around, we also tried the local Vietnamese dishes which mainly consisted of rice, egg, tofu, noodle soup, cabbage and fish sauce. As you can imagine after climbing Mount Fansipan I found it very difficult to walk due to the pressure applied to my knees whilst climbing down. It took around four days to recover completely. By that time, we were already at the orphanage in Binh Luc a small non touristy town 75km from Hanoi. We spent four days decorating a bedroom for the children, which they enjoyed watching when they weren't at school and also helping us to sand down the walls. We also had the chance to spend lunch together with the children and help them with their English homework and play football! The children ranged in age from 3 to 21 all of them seemed extremely happy to be there and were very independent.

Even though the trip was tough at times I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would again like to thank everyone for their support!

If you haven't already sponsored me, there is still time!

I would greatly appreciate any assistance you feel you could offer no matter how small and I will be over the moon if I manage to reach my target of £2,000!

All donations received will go direct to The Wessex Autistic Society.

Thank you!!

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Please help me raise both funds and awareness for those living with autism in Dorset.

On behalf of the Wessex Autistic Society I will be taking part in the Vietnam mountain challenge, on 18th April til 1st May 2009. It is a thirteen day charity trip which offers the opportunity of climbing Vietnam’s highest peak and spending four days helping to improve the lives of local children in the Binh Luc orphanage, 70km from Hanoi.

Trekking Mount Fansipan, one of Indochina’s highest mountains at 3,143 metres high and can be a challenging climb due to its rugged, wet and often cold terrain.

The reason I have chosen to support this charity is because since November I have been working for the Wessex Autistic Society at Portfield School in Christchurch providing support for students with severe autism. Living with an autistic brother I have the knowledge and understanding of how challenging this can be on a family as a whole. I feel there is not enough knowledge about autism available therefore; I have decided to take part in The Challenge in aid of the Wessex Autistic Society's Ruby Anniversary.

 I am financing the cost of the trip myself and all donations received will go to the Wessex Autistic Society.

I would greatly appreciate any assistance you feel you could offer no matter how small.

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT THEIR GREAT WORK.

THANKS - EMILY

For more information please visit www.twas.org

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The Wessex Autistic Society 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.

So please sponsor me now!