Next year I am embarking on an epic fundraising challenge on behalf of Scope, the charity for people with cerebral palsy. 

Every 6 hours a child is born with cerebral palsy.  Cerebral palsy is the most commonly diagnosed physical condition in the UK, and occurs around the time of birth when part of the brain fails to develop properly.  It can happen to any child.  Scope is the largest charity in the UKworking with people with cerebral palsy, their families and their carers.

The money raised from the ski challenge will allow Scope to continue running vital services which are designed to support disabled people in every aspect of their lives from birth through to adulthood.  Scope’s aim is that disabled people achieve equality in everyday life.

The event takes place in Utah from 29 February – 8 March 2008 where we will tackle the 3,300 acres ofParkCity,DeerValley, and Utah's largest single resort, The Canyons. The 5,000 continuous acres of legendary downhill terrain in Snowbird are a real test for the legs and that's before we attempt the powder of Alta and the steep black runs of Solitude!

The challenge is - 6 RESORTS in 6 DAYS, 150,000 VERTICAL FEET – this is no picnic - this is a master class in endurance and is equivalent to skiing down Everest more than 5 times!

I am hoping to raise at least £3,000 from sponsorship and will be making a significant contribution to cover the cost of my participation in this event. 

If you are a UK tax payer, and supply your full name and home address to Scope (this will not be used for marketing purposes) they can claim Gift Aid on your donation. This is where the government reimburses Scope with the tax you have already paid on your gift. For higher rate tax payers there is the additional benefit of being able to claim an extra 18% on your donation via a self assessment form. 

I certainly won’t be offended by the size of any donations no matter how small… or large!  

Thank you so much for supporting me.  I will be in touch after the trip to let you know how I got on and, more importantly, how much we raised.  If you would like any additional information please contact me at rboulter@btconnect.com or visit www.scope.org.uk