Amazing news! After lending a favourable ear to our desperate appeals for extra funds to help cover the remaining expedition costs, we have received top-up grants from each of the the three trusts who initially supported us at the start of the run.
A massive thank you to:
We can continue running! This is such a huge relief to Dave and I, as it’s so much more useful to be raising money for our charities, preparing workshops for the schools we meet along the way, writing articles and runnnnnnning…. than seeking funding! Furthermore it is a renewed vote of confidence from three serious grant organisations that we are doing good work and more than anything that adds a massive lightness to our weary 4,500 mile-old running strides!
So, why did we need to request the top-up grants ?
- The actual distance is greater than we had initially calculated (due to sinuosity of roads and route-selection) and will overrun by about 3 months. It will be more like 6,500 miles (10.000km). A big ask for two non-athletes but at least mentally we are still strong!
- Hyper-inflation in Argentina, but a government in denial, meant our currency was worth 30% less than last year when we planned the trip. We have run the majority of miles thus far in Argentina.
- Although we achieved significant funding from commercial partners and grants to fully cover kit/comms/logistics we did not manage to bring in enough money at the start to cover the full cost of daily living.
So now, thanks to these fantastic trusts, we can concentrate on running, wildlife, wild places and sharing them with you. Phew. Running out of cash in Porto Velho, Brazil, would not be a good idea . . .A bit more about the Trusts:
- Sculpt the Future Foundation promotes positive environmental change towards global sustainability by supporting creative, innovative and sustainable action.
- The Transglobe Expedition Trust (TET) is a charity which was established in 1993 to perpetuate the memory of the Transglobe Expedition by supporting humanitarian, scientific or educational projects which follow in the expedition’s tradition of adventure and perseverance. This tradition was described by its patron HRH the Prince of Wales as, “Mad but marvellous”.
- The John Muir Trust has a vision that wild land is protected and enhanced throughout the UK and wild places are valued by all sectors of society. The Bill Wallace Grant was launched in 2007 to give people the opportunity to seek out life-changing experiences in wild places of the world in ways which will benefit both the person and the wild places themselves.