Wedge Card

Thank you to everyone who bought a Wedge card for use in London and chose the Wilderness Foundation UK to benefit from the scheme.

We are sorry to say that despite the success of Wedge, the operators are changing the model to fund just one charity per month and because WFUK is based outside of London, we will no longer be eligible to benefit from the scheme. We are sad about this, but understand why the operators are changing the terms of the scheme.

Of course you can continue to support WFUK and we need your support now as much as ever. The threats to the worlds last remaining wilderness areas have never been so great.

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/wildernessfoundation

Thank you!

An Appeal for the TurnAround Project

“I’m so lucky to have had this chance. If I was the Genie of the lamp, then I’d grant everyone the opportunity to go to the bush” – Wilderness Trail Participant 2007

As a supporter of the Wilderness Foundation UK, you will know the value of wilderness and the impact that exposure to this precious environment can make on the life of a young person. Since 1976 we have been working to inspire and educate the next generation – our children and grandchildren who will go on to shape our communities in the future. It has become more and more apparent to us as an organisation that in order to raise the value of wilderness for society, we need to show how exposure to it has a positive effect.

Recently, press attention has been very much focused on a trend of youth crime that is impacting into the heart of our communities. At the Foundation we are very much aware that we all must take responsibility for the impact of youth crime and we want to take positive steps to reverse this trend. That is why we have created The TurnAround Project.

Working with representatives from the Police, Connexions, Youth Offending Team and experienced Psychologists, Counsellors, Therapists and Educational Specialists, we have developed a nine month programme that will give young people the chance to break away from their troubled background and acquire the skills they need to make better choices for the future. The programme is built around wilderness trails, environmental and community workshops and one-to-one sessions with volunteer life coaches drawn from our local community. We aim to support them into work or further education at the end of the project and our vision is to enable them to peer mentor the next group of young people who come through the project.

If a young person reaches the stage where they are sentenced and detained, the average cost to the UK Tax Payer is £40,000 per annum. A nine-month placement on Turn Around will cost just £5,000 – and make a positive impact on the life of a young person at a most crucial time.

We have raised a significant amount of funding for the first year of Turn Around, through the generosity of the livery companies, financial institutions and individual fundraising efforts. However, we need to raise a further £25,000 for the pilot project. Please would you support us in our aims, by making a donation to the Wilderness Foundation UK? It has become a cliché, but however large or small the amount you can afford to give, it really will make a lasting difference and change not only the life of the participant, but benefit each and every one of us. The re-offending rate among those detained for youth crimes is 89%. We want to stop young people ever getting that far. Our project is modelled on a programme that has already proven successful in South Africa, with an 85% reduction in re-offending rates.

Please take a moment to think about how your positive action now, in supporting the Wilderness Foundation UK, will help to address something that concerns us all and affects our futures.

It’s easy to make a difference – send cheques made payable to “Wilderness Foundation UK” to:

The Appeal Coordinator
Wilderness Foundation UK
47-49 Main Road
Broomfield
CHELMSFORD
Essex
CM1 7BU

or alternatively you can donate online using any major debit or credit card by visiting:

http://www.justgiving.com/turnaround2007

If you are a UK tax payer you can make your donation go even further by completing the Gift Aid declaration below and returning it with your cheque.

We really do appreciate your continued support.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely




Jo Roberts

Director - WFUK

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GIFT AID DECLARATION


Name………………………………………………………………………………………

Address……………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

I am a UK Taxpayer: [ ]
I want the Wilderness Foundation UK to reclaim
tax on my donation: [ ]

Value of your donation:__________

Treking to the South Pole of Inaccessibility

Wednesday 7th November Troubadour Club London 7pm

£40 including supper

Join explorer Henry Cookson a member of the first British/Canadian expedition to reach the rarely conquered Pole of Inaccessibility. This is the furthest point from the southern oceans in Antarctica. They are the first team to achieve this without mechanical aid. Learn about their experience man hauling and kite skiing essential equipment across 1,700km of wilderness at altitudes of up to 3500m and coping with temperatures of up to -50 centigrade. The Troubadour Club (on Old Brompton Road)has an excellent culinary reputation. Places are limited so book early!

Booking essential -

Contact Jackie - 01245 443073 - Email: jackie@wildernessfoundation.org.uk

Fundraising Quiz Night

Friday 12th October Widford Lodge School - Chelmsford 7.30pm

£10 Including Supper

Join us for a fun evening of supper and a quiz in aid of Mabandla village school. This school, in dire need of rebuilding, is part of the Zulu community visited by many of our UK trailists who spend up to a week as part of a cultural and environmental experience. Future groups (adults and students) will be involved in the rebuilding programme as part of their volunteer commitments.

For further information contact Jackie by email or alternatively call the office on 01245 443073.

We look forward to seeing you.

Red List longer than ever

IUCN - The World Conservation Union, which we normally talk about in conjunction with the Wilderness Task Force, has recently released the 2007 Red List:

"There are now 41,415 species on the IUCN Red List and 16,306 of them are threatened with extinction, up from 16,118 last year. The total number of extinct species has reached 785 and a further 65 are only found in captivity or in cultivation."

Now The Economist pointed to 'species inflation' in an article back in May saying:

"As new areas are explored, the number of species naturally increases (see article).
For example, the number of species of monkey, ape and lemur gradually increased until the mid-1960s, when it levelled off. In the mid-1980s, however, it started rising again. Today there are twice as many primate species as there were then.
That is not because a new wave of primatologists has emerged, pith-helmeted, from the jungle with hitherto unknown specimens. It is because a lot of established subspecies have been reclassified as species." - Full article

OK, so the total list of species is longer than ever ... But expressed differently:

"One in four mammals, one in eight birds, one third of all amphibians and 70% of the world’s assessed plants on the 2007 IUCN Red List are in jeopardy."
- http://www.iucn.org/redlist

That should make anybody sit up. But what to do about it?

- In addition to strongly supporting the IUCN, we develop tomorrow's environmentally aware leaders through our school, cadet and social programmes. If you'd like to help more young people go through our training, get in touch or consider making a donation or raise some funds today.

Forthcoming Events Autumn 2007

Our newsletter with forthcoming events has hit in-boxes around the world - to make sure you don't miss out on our mailings, do sign up. To book any of the events - Get in touch.

Climate Change and Essex - Winner or Loser?
Wednesday 12th September - Little Baddow Memorial Hall - Doors open 7.30pm

Two charities, Wilderness Foundation UK and Little Baddow Conservation Society invite you to join us for an evening with Graham Game - "One of Britain's most experienced Environmentalists" to discover the implications for climate change here in Essex. Graham - a professional environmentalist for 30 years has worked on a wide range of campaigns for organizations such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth - promises to give a forthright and controversial analysis of the problems and solutions.
Wilderness Foundation Members £2 Non members £5 include wine


Fundraising Quiz Night Friday 12th October
Widford Lodge School Chelmsford - 7.30pm

Join us for a fun evening of supper and a quiz in aid of Mabandla Village School, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. This school, in dire need of reconstruction, is part of the Zulu community visited by many of our UK trail participants who spend up to a week as part of a cultural and environmental experience. Future groups (students and adults) will be involved in the rebuilding programme as part of their volunteer commitments.
£10 including supper


Trekking to the South Pole of Inaccessibility
Wednesday 7th November - Troubadour Club London - 7pm

An evening with explorer Henry Cookson, a member of the first British/Canadian expedition to reach the rarely conquered Pole of Inaccessibility, the furthest point from the southern oceans in Antarctica. They are the first team to achieve this without mechanical aid. Learn about their experience man hauling and kite skiing their essential equipment across 1,7000km of wilderness at altitudes of up to 3500m, coping with temperatures of up to -50 centigrade. £40 including supper. The Troubadour Club has an excellent culinary reputation. Places are very limited so book early!

African adventure for Norwich city schoolgirl

In today's Norwich Evening News:

"A Norwich school pupil will be swapping textbooks for trekking in the African wilderness and playing football with Zulus.

Army cadet Lauren McKenna is off to South Africa in the autumn to learn about other cultures and raise money for a charity in the process."

The article continues:

"The teenager, who has been in the Army Cadet Force since she was 14, has raised £1,700 towards the trip, through sponsored walks, bag packing at supermarkets and washing cars.

Of that amount, £500 will go towards flights and the remaining £1,200 will go to the Wilderness Foundation charity in South Africa, which aims to preserve the country's natural wilderness.

Lauren said: “The money it makes from these trips goes to help young children who have lost parents to HIV/Aids and allows them to go to school and it also helps farmers get a fair income from their efforts.”

Full article: African adventure for city schoolgirl

Award Opportunity for Social Change

We keep an eye out for award and funding opportunities for the alumni of the Wilderness Leadership School to help them put the skills gained to make an impact for the environment.

Here's one just in - (we heard about it through the London Social Enterprise Network) and added a few highlights:

The Be Cause Awards (UK)

UnLtd, the charity which supports social entrepreneurs has announced that it has launched a new award scheme in partnership with Bebo, a social networking website. The “Be Cause Awards” is a new scheme to inspire people to make a difference in their community. Using the Be Cause toolkit, applicants can put together a robust plan for a social action or social enterprise project and then enter it for a monthly Be Cause Award. If your idea meets Be Cause criteria, applicants can be in the running for a £1,000 award to help get a project off the ground. Applicants can nominate their project for an award, or if other in the Bebo community can enter it if they think it's a good idea.

Every month a panel of experts from UnLtd and Bebo will select five projects from all those nominated that have the potential to make a positive impact on society. The whole Bebo community will then be asked to vote for the best project over a two-week period. The project which receives the most votes will be awarded the £1,000 award, as well as receiving ongoing support and advice from UnLtd in order to maximise the potential of the project. Every year a Judges Choice Award of £5,000 will be given to the project with the best ongoing potential. In addition, everyone who takes part in the Be Cause Awards will be eligible for further support and funding from UnLtd if the projects show enough promise to be expanded and developed.

For more information, go to: http://becauseuk.bebo.com/

We hope alumni and others will go for it!

Ride Earth : Belgium and Beyond

A news update from Tom and Andy, the Ride Earth team navigating the globe on mountain bikes for the journey of a lifetime and to raise money for WFUK:

We quit our jobs. We sold our clothes, posessions, computers and stereos. We shaved our heads, said goodbye to friends and families, got on our bikes and cycled off one Sunday afternoon with the mother of all hangovers.

We left everything we take for granted behind in pursuit of some endless quest for intrigue and adventure, some kind of idealistic mission to find meaning in the world. Now, 2 weeks after we left, how does reality stand up to the idea we spent so long preparing for?

To find out the answer to Tom's question read their full blog entry here.

Tom, Andy (and Mark who is currently riding with them) have taken on a huge challenge - they are aiming to raise £10,000 for the Wilderness Foundation UK. A couple of weeks into their challenge they have reached 1% of their target. Please give them and WFUK a big boost by sponsoring them on their journey - they have taken on the greatest Wilderness Trail of them all.

Sponsor Ride Earth online safely and securely at: http://www.justgiving.com/rideearth or alternatively send a cheque or postal order made payable to "Wilderness Foundation UK" to:

Ride Earth
The Wilderness Foundation UK
47-49 Main Road
Broomfield
CHELMSFORD
Essex
CM1 7BU

Thank you.

British London 10k Run

Jo and Richard made their way into the heart of London yesterday (Sunday) to cheer on the WF-UK team taking part in this year's British London 10k Run. Undeterred by the rain, they set up their pitch on Westminster Bridge, proudly holding aloft the WF-UK banner and calling out encouragement to the 20,000 people who ran past them during the event.

Congratulations and thanks to Eddie, Maureen, Jamie and Helen who ran for the Foundation, setting an excellent pace and a time to be challenged by the team we enter next year.

Funds raised by the WF-UK team will be directed towards our social programme, Turn Around - the pilot of which is being run in Essex this year. This wilderness-based project will help young people who are seeking to make a positive change in their lives, by undertaking new challenges, learning new skills and making a difference to themselves and the world around them.

For further information about Turn Around contact Eddie Charles at the Foundation or visit our website: http://www.wildernessfoundation.org.uk/turnaround

Ride Earth have left the country!

Regular readers of the WFUK blog will by now be familiar with "Ride Earth" - two intrepid young mountain-bikers, Tom and Andy, who have set themselves the goal of biking around the Earth, off-road, raising funds for the Wilderness Foundation UK along the way.

Joined by friend and fellow-cyclist Mark Maultby, the guys set off on their adventure on Sunday 17th June, departing from their homes in Market Harborough with the Port of Harwich set firmly in their sites. Latest news from the team is that they departed the British Isles safely on Thursday 21st June and if all goes to plan, it will be three years before they set foot (or wheel) back on their home turf.

By Friday evening they had arrived in Amsterdam, having covered the 80km from the Hook in one day. At that point they decided a rest-day was in order and deservedly so.

Congratulations to Tom, Andy and Mark on their achievements so far. We will bring you more news as it reaches us.

Ride Earth have chosen to support WFUK by biking around the world. Please take a moment to sponsor them, safely and securely online through the dedicated fundraising webpage: http://www.justgiving.com/rideearth Alternatively, you can mail a sterling cheque directly to the Foundation, made payable to "The Wilderness Foundation UK" at the following address:

The Wilderness Foundation UK
47-49 Main Road
Broomfield
CHELMSFORD
Essex
CM1 7BU
England

Please mark the envelope "Ride Earth".

Thank you for supporting us and them. The threat to wilderness has never been greater and every penny donated will help us to make a difference.

Ride Earth in Lutterworth Mail

Tom and Andrew are in the news again!
- This time the Lutterworth Mail. Go here to read the full article, and here to read all our previous coverage of the Ride Earth fundraising effort.

Walk for Life 2007

Richard Corby from the WFUK office and Chris Eppinger, long-time friend to the Foundation and Kilimanjaro veteran from 2006, represented WFUK and WFSA at this year's Crusaid "Walk for Life", which took place in London yesterday (Sunday 10th June 2007).

Richard and Chris both report aching limbs this morning, but were delighted to undertake the 10k walk around London in a bid to raise funds for the Wilderness Foundation's Umzi Wethu programme, working with HIV and Aids affected orphans and other vulnerable young people in South Africa.

"It was a great day," Richard said. "There was an amazing atmosphere at Hyde Park both before and after the event and in fact all the way along the 10k course. The weather was kind to us, although a light breeze would have helped. I had a thoroughly great time - Crusaid had done a fantastic job of organising the event - we were given bottled water at regular stages and the event after care was first class. Both Chris and I were chuffed to be presented with our medals as we crossed the finish line. Can't wait until next year - hope to see you there!"

Between them Richard and Chris have raised £340 to date. 25% of this will be retained by Crusaid, to help fund their own HIV and Aids projects. The balance will come to WFUK. This year we have decided to support Umzi Wethu. We have raised enough to sponsor two learners at the academy on a four day wilderness trail, with the balance being spent on clothing for them.

It's not too late to sponsor Richard and Chris - their fundraising page is still online at:

http://www.walkforlife.co.uk/wildernessfoundationuk

Or you can send a cheque made payable to "Wilderness Foundation UK" to our normal posting address:

The Wilderness Foundation UK
47-49 Main Road
Broomfield
Essex
CM1 7BU

A donation of just £10 will buy clothes for an academy learner. £100 pays for a four day wilderness experience for a learner. £1000 will sponsor a learner for a whole year at the academy £5000 will sponsor a learner through the entire programme and secure them employment.


Your donation, however large or small, will make a difference to a young person's life. Thank you.

Ride Earth featured on BBC Leicester

Tom Allen and Andy Welch aka "Ride Earth" will shortly be departing our shores to embark upon their round-the-world bike ride, through which they will be raising valuable funding for the Wilderness Foundation UK.

Media coverage of the expedition is gathering pace and after Jo's recent appearance on the BBC Radio 4 show "Excess Baggage" (link), Tom and Andy were hot on her heels with her an interview by BBC Leicester.

You can read the interview on the BBC Leicester website (here) or listen to the interview conducted by Julie Mayer here.

It's not too late to sponsor Tom and Andy - all funds raised come directly to the Wilderness Foundation and enable us to continue or valuable work, promoting the value of and protecting the world's last remaining wilderness areas. Visit http://www.justgiving.com/rideearth

World Environment Day Concert

As a beneficiary of the WED Trust "World Environment Day Concert" being held on 5th June 2007 in London, we are delighted to announce that tickets for the event are now on sale.

WEDT 2007 is being organised by our Kenya Projects Director, Rona Birnie and Life Member and celebrated fundraiser Henry Fletcher.

The inaugural concert will be hosted by comedian Phil Kay at Koko. Featured bands performing include Guillemots, RGB's, Pull Tiger Tail, Sam Duckworth DJ plus there will be Guest Appearances from actors and natural world personalities.

For tickets please follow the link: www.ticketweb.co.uk/wedconcert

To find our more about the World Environment Day Trust visit their website: http://www.wed-trust.org

Janet's Marathon Effort for Wilderness

Volunteer Janet Hill is running in the Flora London Marathon to raise funds for WFUK. The annual event this year takes place on Sunday 22nd April 2007.

If you would like to support Janet in the form of sponsorship and in turn support the work of the Wilderness Foundation, you can send a cheque to our registered office address:

London Marathon 2007
The Wilderness Foundation UK
47-49 Main Road
Broomfield
CHELMSFORD
Essex
CM1 7BU

Alternatively, you can quickly make a safe secure online donation using a debit or credit card by visiting the following webpage:

http://www.justgiving.com/wfukmarathon

Everyone at WFUK would like to thank Janet for taking on this challenge and we wish her well for the race this coming Sunday.

Get a Wedge!

New! You can now support us by using The Wedge Card

The Wedge Card aims to revitalise local communities by offering great discounts to customers using local shops and services. It also supports charities and if you buy a card using the weblink below we will receive £10 out of the £20 cost of the card.

http://www.ncvo.biz/wedgecard/individuals.asp?RO=WFUK07

Initially launched in Central London, Wedge is spreading across the capital and out into other cities rapidly, and you'll find a range of fantastic deals exclusive to Wedge Card holders in your local shops. Whether you are buying clothes, books, getting your hair cut or simply eating out, using a Wedge Card you'll be helping us and also helping local businesses to prosper.

Wedge Cards costs just £20 and are valid for one year. Most card holders find that they recoup the initial cost in just a few purchases. Visit www.wedgecard.co.uk to find out which traders have signed up to the scheme.

Remember, for every card purchased using our link, WFUK will receive £10. We can use that donation to contibute to our ongoing work to preserve and promote wilderness.

Investing in Remarkable Youths

On Sunday 10th June 2007 walkers representing The Wilderness Foundations from the UK and South Africa will be taking part in this years "Walk for Life" - organised by Crusaid. We will be raising money to support the Umzi Wethu programme in South Africa.

The money we raise will help to sustain and strengthen the remarkable courage of a group of young people orphaned by HIV/Aids or other causes but determined not to be defined by it.

Umzi Wethu places sixteen young people - vulnerable without parents and fragile without income - in touch with experienced mentors, the healing power of nature, accredited training and successful employment.

At present statistics there are over 800,000 orphans and vulnerable youth in South Africa, including 88,000 child-headed households. Young people facing hardship through force of circumstance not lack of talent or ingenuity.

Please consider sponsoring our team so that this successful programme can continue to invest in remarkable youths. You can visit our online donations page to contribute:

http://www.walkforlife.co.uk/wildernessfoundationuk

By investing in Umzi Wethu you make it possible to focus on sixteen talented young people; you inspire the success of another sixteen; you motivate, in time, another industry; you inspire another community; you inspire another future.

Thank you.

Run for Wilderness

Enjoy a challenge?

Run for Wilderness

The Wilderness Foundation has purchased a number of places for this years British 10k London Run. The race commences at Hyde Park Corner on Sunday 1st July and finishes at Whitehall.

Runners are accompanied by inspirational music such as "Chariots of Fire", "World in Union" and "Land of Hope and Glory" along the historic route. If you would like to support the foundation and are up for a challenge why not sign up?

Participants are asked to raise a minimum of £300 in sponsorship.

Please contact jackie@wildernessfoundation.org.uk for further details.

Ride Earth

The Wilderness Foundation UK takes great pleasure in bringing you news of an ambitious fundraising project which will see two British men, Andrew Welch and Tom Allen, circumnavigate the world, predominantly off-road, by mountain bike. WF-UK has been chosen as one of the beneficiaries for funds raised by this epic challenge. In the coming months we will bring you all the latest news from the guys including regularly progress reports.

"This quest has developed over many years out of our individual desires to face up to the physical and mental challenge of undertaking a journey of great duration and distance, to educate others as to how one can live a meaningful and sustainable life with a minimal ecological footprint, and our passion for mountain-biking and adventure. We will use the expedition as a fund-raising vehicle, supporting charities whose work aims to help create a sustainable and environmentally-stable future for the planet and the human race.

Our broad itinerary covers over 50 countries, through Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Eastern Asia, Australasia, South America, the USA, and Canada. Of the proposed route, we have so far established off-road routes through the entirety of Europe and North America. Elsewhere in the world, topographical mapping, agricultural & trade routes and current knowledge will be our main sources of off-road routes."

Tom and Andy are due to depart from the UK in May/June 2007. To find out more about them take a look at their website: http://www.ride-earth.org.uk