RWD progress & 'Unplaned' launch!

Just a quick entry to update our supporters on recent progress, and also to point you in the direction of 'Unplaned', a fantastic project launching on Monday.

At the moment we continue to work tirelessly on all things RWD. Our focus is continuously shifting, in what can be optimistically described as organised chaos, and progress is slow but sure. We continue to seek partner charities in our 5 remaining countries, and have some exciting developments in both Slovenia, and Bosnia. We are still in the process of confirming our charity status, and more excitingly preparing for our first fundraising event, the 'Real Way to get Down'- a sixties night organised by my Parents, to be held on the 9th April at Warwick Sports Club.

Our fundraising push is on, and our target of £18,500 is at the end of what I hope is an approximately 8 month long tunnel! Our major focus in this respect is our schools approach. We are calling all teachers to get their schools involved in the project, and indeed our future work at 'Patchwork World', by holding fundraising events and sponsoring a patch on our route. It is a great way to introduce and involve kids in charitable work across the globe, and we will be working tirelessly to maintain a lasting relationship and help further the next generations understanding on many key issues.

We are also beginning to think about our vehicle, and this throws up a number of choices and decisions, which we may be forced to make sooner rather than later. After extensive, and near obsessive research, I have decided that our vehicle of choice should be a Land Rover Defender 110 or 130 2.8, possibly a G4 model. If our fundraising advances well, or if we receive some sponsorship in regards to the vehicle we may also take a Landcruiser as a secondary vehicle, I am almost certain, however, we will stick to one vehicle.

The idea will be to continue to approach car companies to seek sponsorship, and indeed to speak to as many people as possible in a bid to somehow obtain a vehicle. The vehicle will now be donated to the 'Tusk Trust' on the conclusion of our project in South Africa, and thus any sponsor won't just be supporting the Real Way Down' for 19 weeks, but also the 'Tusk Trust' long into the future. If we fail to obtain a vehicle in this fashion, however, we will have to swallow the pill of shelling out approximately £3000 on a base vehicle and then seek sponsorship to prep it to expedition standard. This will be one of biggest costs, but one we may however have to face.

On the more light hearted side of things, we are currently working on 'Patchwork World' and 'Real Way Down' merchandise, and will have tshirst, posters, postcards, and badges available in the coming weeks. We will be selling these online, at all future events, and at fantastic new shop 'Field' (http://www.enterthefield.org/archives/category/news), located in Brixton Indoor Market, props to Anna on the launch.

Now, onto 'Unplaned'. Through a random sequence of events, we recently linked up with Uk spoken word, hip hop, punk, theatre guru 'Dizraeli', formally of 'Bad Science'. We have collectively been fans of Dizraeli's work, and have performed with him with 'Queens English' on more than one occasion, and have now discovered that we are performing a similar style on a more global plain.

After recently giving up flying on social and moral grounds, Dizraeli got booked for a gig/performance in Cairo, and had a tricky decision to make, to fly or not to fly? He decided that the booking was too much of an opportunity to turn down, and he simply had to do it. His moral fabric, however, would remain uncompromised and in a truly inspired gesture, chose instead to make the entire trip on public transport. Moreso than this, he will document the entire project in a bid to raise awareness of climate change, cultural and social understanding, and simply the presence of choice.

Follow his journey on www.unplaned.com

Out for now,

Peace