This September the team at Marchmont are taking on an tough but incredible challenge. Splitting into three teams we will be making our way from Fort Augustus to Inverness Castle by bike, canoe and finishing with a run; covering approximately 56km collectively. We are raising money to support a children's charity called Stand by Me who rescue children around the world from terrible circumstances and give them a chance of a brighter future.
The Challenge
Bike 1 person Fort Augustus to Foyers Jetty 25km 2.5/3 hours
Canoe 2 people Foyers Jetty to Dochgarroch 23km 4-5 hours
Run 1 person Dochgarroch to Inverness Castle 8km 1 hour
What the money raised will be used for
We are raising money to support the work of children's charity Stand by Me and in particular their work in Ethiopia. They rescue children from extreme circumstances, some are orphaned, some abandoned, some abused or living in extreme poverty and then they meet their individual needs, from food and healthcare to loving parents and a life changing education, helping the children for the long term to stand on their own two feet and become who they were born to be.
They have two schools with over 1,000 children in their care in Ethiopia where many parents are struggling to make ends meet, using what little money they have on rent or feeding their children which means educating their children and giving them a chance to escape the generational poverty cycle is very much a secondary focus. Stand by Me's ambition is to give these children a quality education and see them go as far in their education as possible and ultimately escape the circumstances into which they were born.
There are two projects we are hoping to support:
The first is to meet an immediate need of providing uniform for the children who attend their schools as for many these clothes will be the only adequate items they own. It costs £14 for a shirt, trousers/skirt and jumper and whether we help one class or a whole school that will be a wonderful achievement.
The second project is to contribute towards helping Stand by Me build a High School Centre to meet a long term need in the community where they work. It is to provide a base for their children who attend the local government high school to come and receive daily food, medical care, tuition and loving support which they believe will enable the children to achieve a future free of poverty. It will consist of four classrooms, an IT lab, a library, a dining room and kitchen and will cost in the region of £250,000.
To learn more about Stand by Me you can browse the website here