Unilever supporting the Boots Macmillan Kilimanjaro challenge

We are very pleased to confirm that Unilever has pledged support to our Kilimanjaro challenge.

As well as contributing to the Boots finance team’s fundraising efforts for Macmillan Cancer Support, they have additionally pledged a £2,000 contribution to Macmillan and our Kilimanjaro efforts. This takes Unilever’s overall input to Boots/Macmillan to £10,000 in 2013/14.

Neil Jones

£250,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support!

£250,000 for Macmillan, and more to come

We have heard from Macmillan that we have reached another point on our fundraising totaliser - we have now smashed the £250,000 level!

Not far from our £300,000 target now.

Well done everyone.

Neil Jones

Fantastic fundraising ... £233,000 ... and climbing

Team Boots Kilimanjaro totaliser - Nov '13

Wow! We have just received an updated fundraising figure from Macmillan.

The number has grown dramatically in recent weeks, and we are now at £233,000. Brilliant!

As the totaliser shows, we are making great progress towards our target.

Keep up the fantastic work everyone.




Neil Jones

More inspiration (and a few tips) from a Kilimanjaro conquerer

As our preparations continue, we are hearing some great stories from colleagues who have conquered Kilimanjaro in the past. In addition to Jeff, Justine and Reena, we have also heard from Claire.

Here is her account:

“Two years ago I climbed Kilimanjaro by the Western Breach approach. It was the most amazing eight day experience of my life. But we were well prepared, and here are some of my tips (I’m on the right of the photo).

The attitude sickness kicks in at around 3000m. This is essentially the evening of your first day. From there your health will deteriorate. How you cope with the deterioration is down to your personal genetic make-up and is not necessarily improved by fitness. Of the ten of us who did the climb, and we all made it, every person was taking Diamox by the end. To my mind it is essential to the trip whether you use it preventatively or medicinally. The one person I know who made it to the top without taking Diamox, can’t remember ‘summiting’, and one of my walking companions was hallucinating, even with the aid of Diamox. Settle for the altitude prevention aids and enjoy the journey. 

The walk is not tough in itself. Don’t get me wrong, your boots need to be fully broken in and I thoroughly recommend the two-pair-sock approach (polyethylene fabric next to your skin) to avoid blisters. As for clothing, be prepared with layers, as the temperatures can vary quite dramatically, and by your summit night, you will be wearing everything you have with you (the last camp on the western breach approach is called ‘glacier camp’ for a reason). You can only ‘carry’ 10kg, so this essentially means two changes of clothes, and summit coat/gloves/hat, and your sleeping bag. Don’t bother with an alternate pair of shoes; you won’t need them. Keeping things ‘clean and tidy’ in your large bag/rucksack can be tricky. I found packing my clothes, and other items in zip lock bags was helpful in keeping some order, generally not losing things and separating clean from dirty. 

On the equipment side, my best advice is a head torch and spare batteries and a good rucksack with waist and chest straps. Although porters carry most of your stuff, you will still carry up to 10KG yourself; 3kg of which will be water (use a camelback or similar), which is recognised advice against altitude sickness! Other good equipment included walking poles. For some they are essential, if you have dodgy knees, but they also help improve your balance when tired and give you rhythm which helps the continuous walking. If you don’t like the taste of chemically treated water (you will be adding purification tablets to your water), some people brought along powdered drink concentrate to mask the flavour. 

Summit night, because you leave at around 1am and walk all night, is different. It’s tough; the walk is harder, but more importantly the air is even thinner, and breathing is difficult. But keep your head down and just keep going. Any other ascent, other than the western breach goes by the way of the Barafu camp, and although the assent is shallower, the terrain is shale or sand. The only advice I have to give, having watched people struggle up, is to prepare yourself mentally for that kind of terrain; it is slow climb terrain. 

Getting and staying clean are nigh on impossible; so don’t worry too much about it. Best advice, is to take dry shampoo, anti-perspirant, baby wipes, panty liners, avoid anything with an aerosol and don’t forget your toothbrush and paste. It’s amazing how fresh you feel having just cleaned your teeth. 

As you climb, the conditions change, as I’m sure you know. During the day it can still be warm and pleasant, but at night the temperature plummets when the sun sets. You will have clothes to deal with it, but other tips include; bringing your boots inside the sleeping area of your tent at night or they will freeze, and keep batteries and other electronics warm, so keep them close to you in the sleeping part of the tent as well. 

My last “wonder tip” is to get yourself a metallic water bottle (like a Sigg bottle). Not only will that carry your water, but with boiled water, you can create a handy and very effective hot water bottle!!”

Good luck everyone, Claire Goodier

Neil Jones

Lexie and Morag's third, and final, national peak

A lot of people have been increasing their training. Having successfully tackled Scafell Pike and Snowdon, Lexie and Morag recently travelled to Ben Nevis. Here is their story.

"We set off from Nottingham with high hopes of good weather. Stopped off at Tebay services for some award winning homemade farmhouse food! Then continued on to fort William to complete the 400 mile journey to the foot of Ben Nevis!

We arrived at our accommodation for the evening, but first tucked into some fab food - haggis, neeps and tatties with a whisky sauce was the order of the day... Morag felt right at home. Following dinner we checked into the bunkhouse at which point we learnt that the bunkhouse is a downgrade from a hostel - cubby holes with beds in them and no doors... We were in section two (not dissimilar to cell block H) and shared this section with some interesting characters, let's introduce them... fairly anonymously!

1. The snorer (and porridge eater and official light switcher off’er)
2. 'Been there done that' lady
3. Queen faffer
4. Mr ‘almost normal’
5. Mr pessimistic (as named by their own group)!

On reflection, they probably had names for us too… Miss 'doesn't belong in a hostel' and Miss 'if I make enough noise will she ever wake up'

After being rudely awoken by section one - the children, making bacon butties at 5:45am!!!! We were the last to leave the "hostel" at 8am. The weather was lovely (following a downpour the night before). We remembered our instructions from Edale and 'set out a little bit cold'.

We stopped for a homemade flap jack after about two hours, then for first lunch at 11.30am. This is when the steep climb really started. Walking across a waterfall, then zig-zagging around five fingers (imagine a child's drawing around a hand at this point except the hand is on a steep mountain).

This is when we started to encounter the people that lie on mountains, i.e. those that have made it to the top and on the way back down completely forget how long it is back to the top. So, with fingers in our ears, singing to ourselves 'La La La La I can't hear you' we ignored all suggested timescales and made it to the top at least twice as long as the time of peoples’ suggestions!

The top was freezing, wind chill made it feel like at least minus 7 degrees celsius!

After some photos and Facebooking, we started the steep climb down. Half way down it started to rain, making the tricky rocks, even trickier.

After our second lunch, followed a couple of hours later by a mini Peperami snack stop, we made it back to the bunkhouse. First back, meant first into the shower block which had just been cleaned, lovely!

Showered, changed and ready to party we hit the Ben Nevis Inn, very glad we booked a table as people were getting turned away!

After our celebratory fizz to mark our third and final National Peak we opted for the local haggis and black pudding burger, chicken and haggis rumbledethumps followed by cranachan (when in Scotland....) - devine!"

All in all, a great weekend.

Lexie & Morag

Team Kilimanjaro takes shape



Conversations about our excellent training weekend have continued this week. And some positive comments have been received by email.

 

For example:

 

• "I would like to thank all the team for a brilliant weekend of challenge reassurance and information! I made some great friends".

• "I just wanted to say thank you and also how much I enjoyed my weekend in the Peak District. Everyone made me feel so welcome and it was great to meet up with more of the group that I will be treking with. It had been organised so well and all my questions were answered, the place was great and I left not only feeling more prepared for the trek but inspired too. Thanks to all the people who organised the event and made it so much fun. I look forward to meeting up again soon. Thanks again".

Here are several of the best photos from the training weekend:


Team gathered outside Edale Youth Hostel

Climbing towards Kinder Scout

The Sunday walkers

 Neil Jones

 

Less than 100 days to go

9th October 2013 ... and Team Two's countdown clock has ticked past 100 days.

Only 99 days until the Nottingham group depart for Tanzania. And only 92 days for our first team.

It's getting very real now!

Neil Jones

Training weekend conquered. Next challenge... kit!

What a brilliant training weekend we had in the Peak District!

A great time had by all as we met 50 Boots colleagues and chatted about fundraising, training, and plans for the big event in January. We also met a few like-minded people who will be undertaking another Kilimanjaro challenge for Macmillan later in January/February. We wish them well.

Macmillan, Discover Adventure, and Edale Youth Hostel put on a fantastic weekend for all of us.

As well as hiking in glorious sunshine, one of the highlights was the briefing on Saturday evening. We learned more about the itinerary, and all the kit we will need.

Below are some ideas for various kit items from the team at Macmillan. These points supplement the comprehensive kit list everyone has been sent.

Hopefully our trekkers will continue to share their kit hints and tips via our Facebook group.

...don't forget the discount at Cotswold Outdoor that Macmillan have secured for all their trip participants.

• With your main kit bag, make sure it's a soft duffle type bag (water-proof fabric is even better) as its easier for the porters to carry too. Check out the Cotswolds Outdoor shop where they currently have some on sale http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/mountain-equipment-wet-dry-kit-bag-100l-65110085. Plus pack a smaller soft bag inside in which you can leave your gear at the hotel while we're on the mountain

• Pack all your items in different coloured dry bags - it helps with knowing where your stuff is especially if you use different coloured bags - and for a 'girlie' tip, pop a spray of perfume in each bag before you close it up. The bags help with keeping your kit organised (which is helpful the higher we go on the mountain) plus it will help keep it dry and relatively clean from the dust on the mountain. Make sure you pack an empty dry bag to pop your dirty clothes in as well. http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/equipment/rucksacks/drybags-raincovers?CFID=4174292&CFTOKEN=8a1b54a6d46be33f-B1E73D32-F0BF-04CF-CEF9E6A3344C7DFD&jsessionid=0201E2CF4B79DE2830F77F4038CAD3A6.cfusion. Make sure you pack your sleeping bag in a dry bag (even a couple of bin liners will do the trick)

• Wear your hiking boots on the plane and pack a change of clothes and toiletries plane just in case your bag is delayed arriving at Kilimanjaro airport. Plus have your camera handy for the flight into Kilimanjaro airport as sometimes you fly around the summit of Kili and you can get some fantastic photos

• Take a couple of buffs and spray some perfume in these as well. They are great for wearing around your neck, both for extra warmth and keeping the sun off the back of your neck, to wear as a hair-band and to pop over your nose when going to the loo (that's where spraying it with perfume comes in handy) http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/buff?CFID=4174292&CFTOKEN=8a1b54a6d46be33f-B1E73D32-F0BF-04CF-CEF9E6A3344C7DFD&jsessionid=0201E2CF4B79DE2830F77F4038CAD3A6.cfusion. I have a fleece buff for higher on the mountain too.

• Take a platypus and a drink bottle. Check out the different ones available here http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=products.search&searchvalue=camelback&source.x=0&source.y=0 With the platypus, it's a great idea to ensure that the top part (where you drink from) has a cover as it gets dusty and dirty on the mountain. http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/camelbak-antidote-thermal-control-kit-68210126?id_colour=180 You can get insulating covers for the tube, but on summit night it's still going to freeze regardless, so you can then take your drink bottle and pop it inside your jacket so it won't freeze. Also, I take Berocca (or similar) and pop one in the drink bottle each morning and drink 750ml of that before breakfast each morning (it's the last thing you feel like doing in the morning, but drinking more fluid definitely helps with altitude). I also take two panadol in the morning and then two ibuprofen at night - I'm by no means medically qualified but I take these as a bit of a preventative measure.

• Have a pair of polarised sunglasses especially for higher on the mountain when we're above the cloud cover.

• Have a good thermarest or similar - you will be camping on rocky uneven ground and it gets cold on the mountain. http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=products.search&searchvalue=thermarest&source.x=0&source.y=0 When you're sleeping, put your main kit bag at your feet so you don't slide down your bed during the night too much. I also put my down jacket or similar in the hood of the sleeping bag as a pillow, have my head torch, spare batteries and camera in the sleeping bag to keep warm, and clothes for the next day in the sleeping bag (usually down the end) so they are semi warm to put on in the morning. Plus with your down jacket and torch in your sleeping bag, it makes it much easier to pop these things on if you have to get up in the night for the loo. And altitude may disrupt your monthly cycle so please be prepared, just in case.

• Have a small torch that you can hang in your tent at night time. Pack some snap-lock bags as they are good for rubbish both in the tent and on the mountain. And take a pack of wet-wipes too.

• Take some snacks with you for while you are trekking, DA will give you some tracker bars but if you have any favourite snacks, then bring these along. Chocolate bars will melt on the first day while going through the rainforest but they will refreeze as you go higher up. You will walk very slowly up the mountain but that's a good thing as it will help you adjust to the altitude much better. It might seem a bit annoying at first but so well worth it.

• One night you will camp at the bottom of Barranco Wall after coming through what is what I call 'Dinosaur Valley' (it's awesome). Climbing Barranco is my favourite day. When you get to the top, the view is amazing - especially if it's clear - you can see forever and then you have the summit of Kili behind you! Brilliant spot for photos! As you get higher - you're above the cloud line, it's so surreal and magical!

• Take hand sanitiser and use it religiously. And make sure everyone else is doing the same as it will really help prevent any bugs being shared amongst the group.

• Have a good head torch as you'll need it a night and on summit night. I use one walking pole, only going up on summit night as it just gave me something to lean on when needed. If you are going to take walking poles, just make sure you practice with them before we head out. On the way down from summit its mainly scree then quite rocky just before reach Barraffu camp. And it's a long way down so just keep some reserves for the trek down. You can wear gaitors for this to stop the pebbles going in the back of your boots, but it's not essential.

• On summit night, just keep plodding and try not to stop for too long at any point. Have your water bottle inside your jacket and your platypus full (which you can have for the trek back down). Have some snacks in your pockets so they are easy to get too. Layer up as it will probably be much warmer on the trek back down from summit. And have your camera inside your jacket as well to keep it warm and also for easy access. And just hang in there for sunrise - it's probably one of the most amazing sunrises you will ever see and it will give you a little extra boost to keep going.

• Oh and when you reach Stella Point, don't rest too long as it's still a bit of a trek around to the summit (around 45min - 1 hour). But that part of the trek is fab - you have a glacier on one side and the crater on the other.

• Remember to pack a treat for yourself as well. Or if you like particular sauces, tea etc. etc. pack some of these too. For example, little satchels of HP or ketchup etc.

 

So that's the next few weeks and months accounted for. Acquiring kit!

 

Thank you to the team at Macmillan for sharing these points.

 

Neil Jones 

 

100 days to go, and next stop... the Peak District

Our countdown clock has hit another milestone - 100 days to go until the first group depart from Heathrow (9th January). And having received our flight details recently, anticipation is definitely building.

The biggest event of our preparation is also looming large.


Picturesque Peak District.
Looking towards Kinder Scout

Next weekend there will be around 50 of our trekkers meeting in the Peak District for our eagerly awaited training weekend. We will be exploring the picturesque Edale valley, including a long training walk on Saturday and an optional walk on Sunday. This will be a great opportunity to test kit and fitness, and to meet many fellow trekkers for the first time.

Neil Jones

Tanzania - some facts and figures

Apologies for a few weeks of inactivity on the blog. Fundraising, training, and preparations for the imminent training weekend in the Peak District have been the order of the day recently.

  

However, during that time thoughts have been turning to the country we will be exploring in less than four months. Tanzania.

  

A few facts and figures about this east African country...

• Full name: United Republic of Tanzania
  
• Population: 47.6 million (UN, 2012). UK population: 62.8 million (UN 2012)
• Capital: Dodoma (official), Dar es Salaam (commercial)
• Largest city: Dar es Salaam
• Area: 945,087 sq km (364,900 sq miles). UK area 242,514 sq km (93,638 sq miles). So Tanzania is almost four times larger than the UK
• Major languages: English, Swahili
• Major religions: Christianity, Islam
• Life expectancy: 58 years (men), 60 years (women) (UN). UK life expectancy: 78 years (men), 82 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 Tanzanian shilling = 100 cents
• Main exports: Gold, sisal, cloves, coffee, cotton, cashew nuts, minerals, tobacco
  
• GNI per capita: US $540 (World Bank, 2011). UK GNI per capita: US $37,780 (World Bank, 2011)  
• Internet users: by June 2012, 5.6 million Tanzanians were online (Internetworldstats.com). That’s around 12% of the population. Conversely, there were 52.7 million internet users in the UK by December 2011 - nearly 85% of the population (Internetworldstats). 

• Tanzania has been spared the internal strife that has blighted many African states. Though it remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with many of its people living below the World Bank poverty line, it has had some success in wooing donors and investors.
• Tanzania assumed its present form in 1964 after a merger between the mainland Tanganyika and the island of Zanzibar, which had become independent the previous year.



View from the slopes of Kilimanjaro. Above the clouds.

• Tourism is an important revenue earner; Tanzania's attractions include Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, and wildlife-rich national parks such as the Serengeti.

Source: BBC News country profiles (September 2013)

Neil Jones

£125,000 and climbing

We have moved on to the next milestone - £125,000 raised for Macmillan from our 70 trekkers!

Some of the Nottingham group at '4000m'
at Nottingham Trent University.
Source: Nottingham Post

As well as fundraising, people have been training hard over the summer months. Including the majority of the Nottingham team who went along to the Nottingham Trent University altitude chamber in July. 30 of us spent an hour exercising in conditions simulating 4,000 metres (around 13,000ft). The air felt strange with the greatly reduced oxygen, but everyone passed with flying colours.

There is a lot more to do between now and our expedition in January, but we are making great progress every week, especially with our fundraising.

150 days to go. Onwards and upwards...


Neil Jones

£100,000 for Macmillan!!! And six months to go

Several colleagues have remarked that we have hit another milestone.

On this day in six months time (18th January 2014), our first team will be preparing to return from Tanzania at the end of their expedition, and the Nottingham group will be arriving at the foot of Kilimanjaro for the start of the climb.

But that is not the biggest milestone this week. More importantly, the Macmillan team have confirmed that we have collectively exceeded the £100,000 fundraising mark.

Wow! £100K already. And lots more fundraising to come.

The next six months will bring yet more highlights. Keep up the great work everyone.

Neil Jones

Whetting our appetite

Two colleagues (Reena and Justine) have just returned from their own Kilimanjaro adventure. Here is a summary of their trip, including several key insights and tips...

“WOW!!! It is great to see how much you have already fundraised, and to read about the activities you have already been involved in! From climbing Snowdon, training sessions, and altitude chambers; your experience seems to have started off great and it is only going to get better!

We have just returned from Kilimanjaro and we had a truly amazing, unforgettable, and fun experience. We wanted to wish you all the best with your training and even more luck for your actual climbs!

Starting the climb

We don’t want to give the whole game away but we have a few things we would like to share with you.

Undoubtedly, Kili was both a challenge and a delight. The first time you spot the summit (for us, it was from around 10,000ft), it really brings home how far you have come to get there. It will be your constant goal. It will be all you will talk about. Whether you reach the top or not is irrelevant. Enjoy each day as it comes and be mindful of what you are achieving, as it is something really special.

A few bits you don’t read in the guidebooks:

• “Surely it’s time for a water break?” Drinking water seems so simple – but when it feels like we were trying to neck down more than an average Friday night things must be getting serious.

• “This food is manna from heaven” Now whether it is because you have been walking for six hours surviving on a Nile’s worth of water and protein bars, or whether the chefs seem to be undiscovered Michelle Roux’s – one thing was unanimous amongst our group – the food you get on Kili is fantastic!

• “I haven’t gone in 24 hours” We don’t want to explain what this refers to right now, as this is one experience which will cause you to laugh and cry. Sharing everything with the group, or in this case, perhaps a small group is part and parcel of experiences like this, and we would hate to spoil the surprise! 

Above the clouds

We are both around for all your questions, large or small. Please don’t hesitate to ask. You can contact us via email: reena.mehta@boots.co.uk or justine.farrar@boots.co.uk and we will be only too happy to help. We will try to attend some of your fitness and training events too so you can catch us there!

Keep training, and we’ll see you soon". 

Reena Mehta & Justine Farrar

200 days and £92,000!

It's July 2013, the weather is warming up nicely, and sub-zero temperatures on Kilimanjaro seem a long way off.  However, we have recently passed the 200 day mark and the next few months are likely to fly by as our January departure dates loom large.

Our latest fundraising figures show that across both groups, we have already raised £92,000 for Macmillan. Wow!

Our team of Boots UK store colleagues has raised £44K, and the Nottingham group has reached £48K.

Well done everyone. Keep up the fantastic fundraising work.

Neil Jones

Me and my pink exercise bike...

A few tips for fundraising and training from June, one of our Nottingham team...

“I am sure most fellow Kilimanjaro climbers will agree that although tackling a 19,000ft mountain will no doubt be tough, our fundraising target is also a big challenge! After setting up a Just Giving webpage, it quickly became apparent that this alone would not be enough to help me reach my target. So, I started looking on the Be.Macmillan website for fundraising ideas, and came across lots of make-your-own fundraising materials which were fantastic and gave me lots of inspiration.

One of the pre-made posters was designed for a pottery event, with the slogan “We’re Potty About Raising Money”. Inspired by this, I organised a fundraiser at Creations Pottery Cafe in Loughborough at the end of May (to coincide with half-term), where people came along for pottery painting, face-painting and a toy tombola. The owner kindly donated a proportion of sales to Macmillan. There was a lot of mess but a lot of fun, and kids and adults alike had a great time “going potty for Macmillan”. A few customers shared their stories about the great work that Macmillan nurses have done for them, which made me even more proud to be part of a great cause.

That same weekend I roped in some friends to don green wigs and help out with a cycling challenge in our Loughborough Boots store, as well as helping me run the raffle/tombola stand I set up. With help from the store, I took along a (pink!) exercise bike which I placed at the entrance with a couple of collection buckets.


June and friends during their Loughborough fundraising

We each did 10 kilometre stints, and altogether we covered 110km. All whilst enjoying the lovely aromas coming from a nearby fish market van! And we also managed to get into the local newspaper.


Coverage in the Shepshed Echo newspaper

Overall so far I have raised around £2,000.

It still feels like I have a long way to go so I have a couple more cycling events planned with bigger Boots stores over the summer as I really think it’s a great way to train and raise money at the same time. From experience, I think that the sillier, sweatier and more tired you look, the more willing people are to donate!

I hope everyone’s training and fundraising is going well and I look forward to reading about it on this blog”.

Taking training to another level



Katy with Snowdon behind

The sun has been shining, and that seems to have been inspiring trekkers to up their training over the past few days. Not content with climbing one of the national three peaks, Katy Barley tackled both Snowdon and Scafell Pike. Here is her report...

"On Thursday I went up Snowdon with my uncle, we went up the Miners Path which is the route I normally take. However this time it was so misty it seemed like a completely different climb! It was very challenging, as you could not see exactly where you were going, but we made it to the top – slightly disappointed that it was so cloudy you could not see the normal magnificent view – especially as it was my uncle’s first time. But after a tea break we were about to set off down and the clouds amazingly disappeared, so quickly, revealing my favourite view! We then came back down the Pyg Track. Very happy with our successful day!


Top of Scafell Pike

Mission accomplished

48 hours later my friends and I decided to take a road trip to the Lake District, and we climbed Scafell Pike on Saturday. The weather was amazing, so sunny! The climb was much harder than I expected, as I thought it would be similar to Snowdon, but I found it much more challenging. We made it to the top in just over two hours, which was a great feeling. We decided to walk from our hostel so the whole walk ended up being over 15 miles long.

We were three very tired people at the end … and slightly sunburnt!

The feeling of completing both walks was amazing. I am getting extremely excited for Kilimanjaro!! I am also really looking forward to our training weekend in the Peak District and meeting everyone! 

I hope everyone’s training is going well, Katy"

Neil Jones
Julie Lawrence

 

Anyone for Miles for Macmillan 2013?

Many of us have participated in, or helped at, Miles for Macmillan events over the past few years. All contributing to Boots colleagues completing 290,000 miles since we started working with Macmillan. [290,000 sadly represents the number of people diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK].

This year's programme is in place and people are starting to gear up for Miles for Macmillan 2013. Including our Kilimanjaro trekkers who are building this year's nine big walks into their training schedules.

There are many opportunities to walk or volunteer as a Milesmaker at Macmillan events across the UK.

Why not check out the Miles for Macmillan webpages to find out more?

The video about Miles for Macmillan 2012 is definitely worth watching as well.

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Fundraising/Walkingevents/MilesforMacmillan.aspx

Neil Jones
Julie Lawrence

Store colleagues setting the pace

Katy Barley: fitness training and fundraising for Macmillan.
Part of a local press article, Chester

We are hearing some fantastic stories of store colleagues who are embracing the challenge. Here is an update from Katy Barley...

"Once I found out that I had secured my place on the Boots Kilimanjaro Hiking Challenge, I was SO EXCITED!

First of all I absolutely love anything to do with the outdoors and will take on any challenge, and secondly and more importantly, it is for a charity very close to my heart. Macmillan Cancer Support really do help those who suffer from cancer. 

So far I have raised almost £1,000 through family and friends’ sponsorship, car boot sales and sponsored cycles. I recently completed 75km on an exercise bike in Boots Plas Coch, Wrexham. This is the store I currently work at, everyone has been so supportive! I also have two more sponsored cycles at local stores coming up in the next month, all organised by getting in touch with store managers and finding out when they are holding Macmillan events. Upcoming events also include a raffle that I am holding, and a cake sale at my university.

In terms of training, I am lucky enough to live only an hour from Snowdon, so have dragged my friends up there a couple of times! I have also got a trip planned up Ben Nevis at the end of June with my uncle. It is all very exciting! 

I can’t wait to meet all the other members of Team Boots Kilimanjaro!"

...brilliant work Katy, and well done for getting some local press coverage too. See image above.

Neil Jones
Julie Lawrence

More fundraising successes

Brook’s colleagues have really been getting behind his fundraising. Their first baking challenge happened in the D90 building last week, raising £180. Brook commented, “This is a brilliant success and a great way for our newly extended team to come together. Over the rest of the year there are three more rounds and a Christmas final. We have people doing sponsored weight loss, gardeners selling plants, and ‘Big Night In’ events. All helping to hit the target. The team in D90 have set the target of £1,000 and are already well on the way with £480! With all the activity so far, the fundraising stands at £3,640 which is an impressive amount – and not possible from me on my own. It has been through the help and support of the wider team that this is possible. I might be the one walking up the mountain, but the team are the ones getting me to the start!”

In terms of fitness training, last weekend Brook completed the Clarendon Way challenge, walking between the cathedrals in Winchester and Salisbury. 30 miles over two days. 

Brook is now focused on an assault course challenge at the beginning of July. Although this does not raise money for Macmillan, he is using this as a key part of his training programme. He is also increasing his running distances so he can complete the half marathon in Nottingham and has signed up to some smaller running events closer to home. He said, “my personal trainer Lawrence keeps me on track and stops me just short of collapsing…most days!”

Morag has also shared an effective fundraising idea. At a recent work team building event she saw an opportunity and went for it: a quiz and a collection bucket resulted in £108 from the 29 people who were there! The prize was a box of chocolates which did not cost a lot.

Morag is happy to share the quiz with fellow trekkers.
 

Morag's quiz participants. £108 raised

Well done to everyone who has been fundraising recently. Keep up the good work.

We would like to share more ideas like these, so please get in touch.

Neil Jones
Julie Lawrence

Claire summarises her fundraising progress

Claire & Morag's fundraising event

Claire Nevinson recaps on an excellent fundraiser for Macmillan, with more to come...

Once I found out I had secured a place on the Kili Expedition my main fear was not the training but the mammoth task of raising a lot of money! However I continue to be amazed and touched at the generosity of local businesses, schools, artists, family and friends and am now thoroughly enjoying organising and hosting some fab charity events! 

Morag and I held a great charity dinner and auction, raising £3000. The trick with this was to keep it local, and involve local people including musicians, artists, and businesses who want to support Macmillan at the same time as well as promoting themselves.

Our next event is a cookery demo featuring seasonal berries and champagne and tickets are selling fast! I have also arranged a series of events at our village primary school in Wymeswold.  They have chosen Macmillan as their charity for this coming year!  We’re having a kids sponsored “Mile for Macmillan” followed by a Campout in the village field complete with BBQ, tuck shop and bar! They’re then taking part in the national Macmillan Dress up and Dance day. 

It’s worth looking at the national Macmillan events and seeing if your local school/village hall are willing to support you in this way. Not much organisation involved yet a good return! Another good idea is to contact Macmillan about local speakers who can help by holding an assembly at school for example. Closer to work, we are looking forward to our monthly cake sale and a few other things too.  Watch this space...!

Countrywide challenge

UK locations of all the Boots trekkers

This map shows the hometown locations of all our trekkers - north, south, east and west.

From Dundee to Devon, East Anglia to Cardiff, this really is a UK-wide exercise.

The Support Office group are naturally from the Nottingham area, but our store colleagues are spread throughout the country.

With fundraising for Macmillan and fitness training already in full swing, I wonder what proportion of the country will see our Boots/Macmillan t-shirts out and about by the time we set off in January?

Hopefully we will all get a chance to meet up before the trip. The training weekend in October being the best opportunity.

Neil Jones

Stepping up our fitness



Katie putting us through our paces

The sun was shining for our first outdoor group training session yesterday. Fitness instructor Katie Cook, ably assisted by Mel, took us through 90 minutes of cardio and core exercises. Plus there was a test half way through.

The boxing routine was a firm favourite with a couple of the group. They took to it very well and definitely punched above their weight. Hopefully no repeats of this on the mountain though!

Despite a few aches and pains this morning, we are all looking forward to the next session, and we will be encouraging the whole Nottingham Kilimanjaro group (and hopefully lots of other Boots colleagues) to join us.

And not forgetting that we have been left with a set of exercises to continue as 'homework'. Twice a week for the next month we will be working through the list below.

We'll all be fighting fit before we know it...

Neil Jones

Good news comes in threes

First Nottingham fitness session.
We fear that Kilimanjaro will be tougher than this!

Another key day in our build up for three main reasons:

1) The first fitness session for the Nottingham Team took place today:
Twenty of us had an excellent session with Rachel and Jo from Intelligent Training Systems. They took us through a series of stretches and exercises to get us moving freely, and we heard how their online fitness tool could really help us. This was a great start to our fitness programme and should make our training even more effective in the weeks and months to come.

2) Hearing about fantastic fundraising activities:
Morag and Claire seem to be blazing a trail with their fundraising for Macmillan. They ran an evening dinner event on Monday that raised £3,000. Wow!
We are hearing about other great individual and team activities that are raising crucial funds for Macmillan. Including how colleagues from across the country are making great strides with their fundraising.
We will share more examples, and hints and tips, on a regular basis.

3) Our first PR coverage:
A Nottingham website features a summary of last Friday's activities to celebrate some of our achievements so far with Macmillan. Read the report here.
Our Kilimanjaro challenge gets a mention too.
This is hopefully the first of many pieces of coverage that we will get as our challenge gets closer.

We look forward to hearing more stories from teammates across the country, and sharing them via this blog.

Neil Jones
Boots UK

Brook’s first thoughts

Having received my launch pack, it all became very real! I moved through a ton of emotions, starting with fear, but quickly moving to pride, and quiet reflection on my reasons for participating in the challenge.

Being part of the team to climb Kilimanjaro has already meant changes to my life, beginning with Personal Training sessions and long countryside walks. I have found myself really gripped with a new healthier lifestyle, so much so, that I have signed up to ‘Toughmudder’ (a 12 mile special forces assault course) in June, and the Robin Hood Half Marathon in September. My mindset has been, if I can climb Kilimanjaro, then why not a half marathon!

What has inspired me the most, is how the team at Boots has really supported me, and Macmillan. The team I work in, have donated money, time, baked (and eaten) cakes, set up mini project teams to continue to raise awareness and funding. I really am privileged to work with such great people.

I am delighted to have received pledges and donations totalling £2,850 with my family, friends, Anytime Fitness Gym, and walking group all getting involved. Whilst most fundraising has been achieved by donations and pledges, I have planned several 'big nights in' along with picnics, a Miles for Macmillan walk, a half marathon, and am keen to work with my local Boots shops in Basingstoke to raise awareness and further sponsorship. I have set up a Facebook group to keep people informed of progress and future events, along with a newsletter for members of the family, who are less technology minded. It already feels like we have many more people walking beside us, as we climb, and as we raise our much needed sponsorship!

Brook Edmunds

Boots UK Space, Locations, Layout and Property Programme

A few steps closer…

Three weeks have passed since our first post. But activity has been ramping up.

Hopefully all our trekkers have received their Macmillan welcome packs over the past few days.

The packs look great, and contain a raft of information about preparation and the trip itself. Fundraising and training can really now start in earnest. The information from Macmillan is also a reminder of why we are all doing this – to support such an important charity – one that resonates strongly with many of us.

In terms of fundraising, the Nottingham group held a first meeting last week. Ideas mentioned during the meeting included:

·         Summer social events for colleagues, friends and family.

·         Linking fitness events to fundraising. For example, organising evening and weekend walks.

·         Really getting behind the Macmillan Coffee Morning on 27^th September 2013.

·         Engaging with shops and sports events for possible bucket collections.

We have also heard of people organising their own fundraising events, getting involved in Macmillan’s ‘Big Night In’ on 26^th April and even printing business cards and flyers for family and friends so they can learn more about the challenge.

Trekkers have been getting active too. Trips to local gyms seem to have increased, people have been walking and running at weekends, and a couple of the Nottingham group have been going to gruelling circuit sessions.

The wintery weather does not seem to have put anyone off starting their training. In fact, the snow and ice is probably good preparation for what we are likely to face as we climb Kilimanjaro. 

A full training programme for those based in Nottingham is taking shape too.

We know this is not so relevant for Store colleagues who are based a long way from Nottingham, but we will endeavour to summarise the training programme on a regular basis so progress can be followed via this blog.

We would like to hear how all our trekkers are getting on. Feel free to drop us a line, or better still email us your own blog comments. We will upload your thoughts here so they can be shared with everyone.

In addition to this blog, a Facebook group has been set up for participants. Hopefully many of our trekkers will start sharing their thoughts and tips via Facebook as the countdown to January 2014 continues.

Neil Jones, Julie Lawrence

Boots UK community team

Our ‘Team Boots’ Kilimanjaro adventure for Macmillan Cancer Support starts now!

This seems like a pretty momentous day in our Kilimanjaro preparations. Thursday 7^th March 2013.

It's a key time for people to pay their personal contributions and ‘sign on the dotted line’. And today we are getting most of the Support Office group together for the first “get to know you meeting” and idea sharing session.

We are looking forward to getting to know a lot of new faces, today, over the coming months, and during the trip itself.

Since the challenge was launched in January there has been a lot of reading of blogs, watching of online videos, and generally comparing thoughts on the task ahead of us.

To be honest, despite this research we are not sure how this compares to other Kilimanjaro expeditions. But our aim of getting 60+ Boots colleagues from across the UK to Tanzania, to the foot of the mountain, and ready for the biggest physical challenge most will ever experience, does feel pretty big.

It does all seem a bit daunting at this stage. Kilimanjaro is a colossal 5,895m (19,341ft). Africa’s highest peak and one of the world’s highest mountains. Plus, we have started to learn about the affects of altitude sickness, not to mention the very basic camping arrangements in sub zero temperatures. It all sounds a bit severe! Hopefully we will all get on okay.

However, despite all these slightly nervous thoughts, there is still a real sense of excitement and enthusiasm.

Back on 23rd January several of us remarked on the significance of the date. In exactly twelve months time our group of store colleagues will have completed their adventure and it should be summit day for the Support Office contingent.

We can’t wait for January 2014, but we know we have a lot to do between now and then, including a huge amount of fundraising and training. Each of us has committed to raising £4,450 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

We are already grateful for the support of family, friends, and colleagues, and know that this will spur us on.

We also know that many people have been driven to sign up because of the work that Boots UK has been doing with Macmillan over the past three years. The partnership has already had some impressive successes, and we look forward to contributing a bit more ourselves.

Many of us have very strong personal reasons for supporting our work with Macmillan. We are sure that this ethos will drive us forward even when things get a bit tough over the coming months. Our Macmillan colleagues are certainly proud of what we are doing and very grateful for our efforts and commitment.

Some Boots participants have got off to a great start. We are already hearing some impressive stories of early fundraising. And a few people have already started their training programme. No pressure for the rest of us! 

Overall, it really feels like ‘Team Boots’ and the ‘Kilimanjaro Challenge 2014’ all starts now.

We look forward to posting our thoughts on this blog and sharing some key information about our challenge. Please check back for updates.

We would welcome contributions from colleagues taking part in the challenge. Please contact the Boots UK Community Team by email or phone for further information.

So, roll on January 2014! It really feels like the journey and the adventures start now.

Bring it on!

Neil Jones, Julie Lawrence

Boots UK community team

Meet Gareth Lloyd

Name: Gareth Lloyd

Department: Loyalty Marketing

What are you reasons for doing this challenge? I enjoy a challenge and challenges don’t come much bigger than this! Having lost both my mother and my father in law to cancer with the last 7 years, I am very keen to support Macmillan and to raise awareness for the fantastic support that they give.

Do you have any Top Tips (e.g. fundraising, training)?

Fund-raising   - re-acquaint yourself with lots of old friends and relatives!

Meet Daniel Le-Hane

Name: Daniel Le-Hane

Store location: Sheffield Crystal Peaks

What are you reasons for doing this challenge? To help support a great charity, many people suffer from or help support somebody fighting cancer and the thought that I can be a part of this charity and people get help or inspiration from the hard work I am putting in fundraising and training makes it all worthwhile for me.

Do you have any Top Tips (e.g. fundraising, training)?

Fundraising ideas so far,

*Car boot sale, get rid of all that old tat!

*Fancy dress

*Charity walk/bike ride

*Coffee afternoon

*Exercise bike in store and encourage donations in return for your distance travelled

*Raffle for food hamper, ask for food donations from friends/family/colleagues and make a hamper out of it then raffle of the hamper

*Bag packing at local supermarket

*Pub quiz evening

*Share on social networking sites as much as you can