• Ambitious. Water harvesting + Clinic Refurbishment & Equipment + Health Education Workshop funding + School Room Build + Lunch Programme Funding…
• Under direction of Dr Penny Aberahdt & Melanie Finn (UK citizens who have lived and worked here and can provide effective reporting and maintenance)
• All projects dependent upon numbers recruited to provide sufficient funds to cover
• If less numbers, we will have to cut our cloth accordingly. Will be disappointing as we want the individuals to feel they have made an impact.

What if the deadline date is missed? Is there scope for taking late admissions?

• Official cut-off date: Friday 06 April
• NB: We can keep accepting applications after the date and subject to space but the later the application, the less time to fund-raise.
• If we are over subscribed, applicants who applied earlier (ie not on the last day) will be favoured so a good incentive to get applications in sooner rather than later.

Fund-raising support:

• KEY MESSAGE: if you’re committed and want to take part, then we’ll support you with fund-raising as follows:
o Induction Day MasterClass
o Everyone put into teams of 5/6 and assigned experienced Challenge fund-raising mentor (team leader).
o All Challenge mentors present on 30th April and part of the MasterClass session
o Everyone leaves with fund-raising inspiration + calender of scheduled event and fund-raising activity to hit the ground running.
o Help given with setting up on-line fund-raising page
o Monthly fund-raising goals, monitored by Fund Raising Mentor. Anyone struggling should be identified quickly and discussed with BTAT
o 01 September: anyone not at £3,250 will need to a) pay the deficit themselves or b) forfeit their place. Still gain huge credit for money they have raised for the project, just won’t be able to go on the final trip due to lack of funds to cover their travel costs.
• NB: We support but we DO NOT do the fund-raising for you!
• NB: KEY MESSAGE 2: There is no need to be put off by the amount to fund-raise. If you treat it as a business project, set objectives, time-lines etc, there is no reason why you shouldn’t succeed in raising the money. Six past generations of Challenge trips prove this!

Payment Goals/Deadlines:

• Critical dates – All under T&C’s section on website
• £500.00 personal commitment and deposit payable in instalments by Standing Order timed to coincide with BT pay dates.
• Minimum commitment £100.00 payable on 30 April 2012
• £3,500 fund-raising ON TOP of the personal deposit
• Personal deposit is not EXTRA money. It pays for the holiday aspect at the end AND the Mount Meru Climb costs. Two aspects that cannot be seen as wholely charitable.
• Allows individuals (as for any sponsored climb etc) to inform the public that they’ve paid the costs for this themselves and are genuinely asking for money to sponsor them on this challenge

Answering the questions:

• Don’t agonise over them!
• We’re not expecting Saints…!
• Challenge is about identifying potential in people who may not have had an opportunity to show it before. This is that opportunity.
• Community work could include a variety of voluntary support ie anything where you put yourself out without being paid: manning stands, helping with collections, school plays or activity support, helping friends with their causes (ie previous Challenge applicants)
• If you don’t have experience, relate the question to aspects of your life where you’ve been able to show a helpful and caring attitude.
• Could be caring for ill or elderly members of the family, showing empathy towards friends in need/grief etc
• Or, explain how this type of charitable/community work appeals to you

Food & Accommodation on site

• Expect simple and basic accommodation ranging from fly-tents to a bit of luxury at the end!
• Toilets and showers will be available in the hotels but more limited, ‘hand-dug’ facilities should be expected on the fly-camp.
• Water will always be available for washing but long luxurious showers will not be on offer
• Expect twin to multi-share accommodation in same sex rooms
• Electricity will be limited so don’t rely on charging facilities for phones, cameras, hair tongs (!) etc. Bring batteries!
• Food: Good, simple, familiar and European food. barbequed fare, pasta, rice, potatoes, curries, stews, salads. Nothing to worry anyone!
• There will be a chance to try the local specialties but no-one is forced. Food is not as different as people would think.
• *No grubs or ‘survival’ style food items… Unless you really want to try them…

Medical:

• Have First Aiders with us at all times.
• Will have a travelling medic with us
• There is a Flying Doctor strip at Lake Natron
• Any serious accidents/emergencies will be redirected to Nairobi for excellent facilities. Lesser problems will be assessed by our Medic and appropriate care given.
• We will make all the arrangements and ensure you have an escort and someone to stay with you from our team. Essential to have medical and travel insurance! This will be checked before anyone is allowed to go!
• Essential to fill out the medical forms correctly to ensure their own and everyone else’s safety
• We are NOT responsible for anyone who has not informed us of any prior condition.
• A prior medical condition will NOT stop us selecting someone. In fact, we will be impressed that they wish to undergo this type of experience with the disadvantage of a limiting condition. We will discuss the situation with the individual, make allowances where necessary and ensure safety measures.

Who looks after us on-site?

• Fully escorted from the departure airport in UK to the return.
• Familiar figures throughout
• Giraffe Team: Lara Bryan and Grant Powels will be on-site to offer organisational direction and pastoral care (surrogate Mum & Dad!)
• Local operations Team and experienced guides, drivers, Trackers support throughout.
• No sense of abandonment!

Annual Leave/Special Leave:

• 3 days leave can be allocated to volunteering scheme
• Extra 7 working days at individual Manager’s discretion
• In Openreach (and for apprentices only), Mark Biffin and his Northern Counterpart will contact all successful candidate operational managers to: a) familiarise them with event and programme and b) introduce the idea of special leave for training and development purposes, ahead of the individual asking. Hoping to smooth the way here.
• In reality, most people (without this support) and outside of Openreach have been successful in getting special leave for the entire period