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In summer 2008 I raised money for Mines Advisory Group (Wikipedia), an essential humanitarian charity which helps conflict-affected communities around the world. Landmines kill & injure innocent people long after any conflict has ended. The fear of landmines prevents children from going to school, prevents cultivation to feed families and stops people living their lives. MAG helps these communities escape poverty and suffering to allow them to get their futures back on track. As part of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, MAG was co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. |
- Mines strike between 15,000 and 20,000 people every year. That is around one person injured or killed every 20 minutes.
- During the Vietnam war, two million tonnes of bombs were dropped on Laos, a vast amount of which remain unexploded. Israel dropped four million cluster bomblets in 72 hours on Lebanon, an estimated one million failing to detonate. This is just an example, with more than 80 countries affected in this way.
- If no more mines were laid, it would take 1,100 years to clear the ones already in the ground.
- 200,000km2 of contaminated land worldwide. This is the size of Great Britain.
| I'm trying to raise at least £1,500 for MAG on their 3 Capitals in 3 Days cycling challenge. I'll be riding 320 miles from London to Amsterdam and then Brussels on 6th—9th June 2008. Its going to be really tough to ride all day for 3 days back to back, but in that time it is estimated that over 120 innocent men women and children will be hit by mines. Sponsor me to help MAG in their projects. 90% of MAG's income is spent directly on field operations. |
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Sponsor me directly through MAG
This way your donation goes directly to the charity, and if you're a UK taxpayer you can Gift Aid your donation too. It is the best method. |
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Wow, it was an amazing ride. We ended up being just shy of 300 miles in 3 days. It rained a little on Friday and was quite grey and miserable as we left London and hit the lovely rolling countryside hence no photos. But the two days in Holland and Belgium were simply outstanding, calm clear and sunny! Our group of riders were amazing. We had a huge range of ability, people from all walks of life riding a wide range of bikes. After 3 days we really did become good friends, worked well as a team and stuck together. If any of you guys fancy another trip on the bike, drop me a line! So yes, we had a great time and covered some serious mileage. But most importantly 26 of us raised £52,097.70 (nett) for MAG. This money is hugely useful to the charity as it is unrestricted income with no political bias which can be spent quickly in emergency situations in any country. I want to thank all the wonderful people who have sponsored me so far. Your money will go a long way to saving lives/limbs and helping these people get their way of life back together. Landmines will continue to be a major problem for some time. It is never too late to donate to MAG, the link above still works. |
