Community project update

The whole point of me climbing Everest this year is to fundraise for some major projects for theMoving Mountains charity which I started back in 2001 ...

In Nepal we are building a hydroelectric project for a village called Bumburi - 65 houses - at a cost of £26,000. Also in Nepal we are finishing off the renovation of the monastery in Bupsa with the complete painting by a special Lama who leaves for the village on 28th January. This process of painting is highly skilled and is the climax to two years of work renovating the sacred 700 year old Buddhist place of worship for well over 40 villages.

In addition we are also helping the renovation and supply of the hospital in Khari Khola which has a catchment area of around 35 villages. Currently people need to walk often for 3 days to reach the nearest hospital in Paphlu but this one in Khari Khola would change all of that.

We have a great team of people coming to Base Camp in April with me and many of them are staying on to work in the village and help with the work on the hydro scheme, as well as teaching in the local schools and helping with the harvest. It will be great for me to walk in to Everest with all these people who are linked to the projects and therefore linked to my climb of Everest.

In Kenya the main project is the building of a new wing to the Ushirika clinic in Kibera which will include: an HIV clinic for children; an immunisation hall; a general ward.

The work for this will be carried out by a group of very enthusiastic students from Skerries Community College near Dublin under the overall leadership of Brendan Guildea. It's going to be a very busy summer! Also in Kenya an orphanage is to be built, hopefully up in western Kenya, and we will be running more rehabilitation camps for street kids and looking after more children and their families who are in need of support.

Moving Mountains is all about giving that long term support, something that really is more than just money over a very long period of time. Helping families, communities and children. We are doing it so well now, with so much success, that there is a great future ahead - and I want my climb of Everest to guarantee that future.

All the projects are going ahead very well, but we need your support to help make it happen and to build that future.

You can sponsor my climb of Everest directly by going to www.justgiving.com and donating directly to the Everest page, or by sending a cheque (sterling or Euro) to the office in Belfast.

Please help me achieve the aims of Moving Mountains by sponsoring me to climb Everest.

All donated money goes towards the beneficiaries - we have virtually no administrative overheads because Adventure Alternative covers it. The climb of Everest is not being paid by the charity, and neither does the charity pay for air fares or Trustee expenses.