NEWSLETTER – SUMMER SEASON 2009
MAIN EVENT
SOUTH-WEST PILGRIMAGE
FOR CHILDREN’S HOSPICE SOUTH WEST PRECIOUS LIVES APPEAL
1st September travel to Minehead by train. Walk commences on the 2nd September.
Porlock Weir
Lynton
Ilfracombe
Barnstaple
Westward Ho!
Bucks Mills/Clovelly
Morwenstow
Bude
Boscastle
Port Isaac
Padstow
Newquay
St Agnes
Hayle/St Ives
Zennor
St Just
Land’s End
Proceeds from the walk will help build ‘Little Harbour’ near St Austell, Cornwall’s first children’s hospice which will help provide care and support for life-limited children and their families across the South West. There are over 1000 children who need support from Children’s Hospice South West, yet at present the charity can only care for up to 400 families through its two hospices: Little Bridge House, in North Devon and Charlton Farm, in Somerset.
My aim will be to walk the southwest coast from Minehead to Land’s End raising awareness and funds for the cause, working where possible, with the media and local fundraising groups. There may also be an opportunity along the way to organise a few small events, and I am hoping to do one or two book signings if given the chance.
In addition to the mandatory supply of sponsor forms and collection boxes distributed among our local supporters, I will endeavour to post over 1000 leaflets/donation envelopes throughout the region.
This journey will celebrate 21,000 miles that I have walked for charity since 1992, and we hope to post the event to the Children’s Hospice South West website for online donations worldwide.
Please visit: www.chsw.org.uk
Or contact Community Fundraiser, Mary Murfin:
Tel:01872 261166
THE CORNISH PILGRIMAGE
SUPPORTING CORNWALL HOSPICE CARE
I am hoping to release THE CORNISH PILGRIMAGE BOOK in the autumn, though an online version is available from this website. As it was created in honour of Cornwall Hospice Care I would like to mark the occasion by walking a section of it.
The Cornish Pilgrimage Walk has been designed to help raise funds/fundraising opportunity for Cornwall Hospice Care which provides palliative care for adults in Cornwall. I would like to invite members of the public to join me on any chosen part of the journey and assist in delivering a batch of donation slips. The event will take place between St Austell and Hayle. Starting on Wednesday 23rd September, the first leg will commence along The Pentewan Tramroad (later use the coast path) to Mevagissey; Thursday's walk will follow The Cornish Way to the King Harry Ferry: thereafter we will follow the Portreath Tramroad to Carharrack. On Friday we will take the Carmarth Route into Redruth and follow TheCornish Way to Cambourne and Hayle.
LOCAL FUNDRAISING
Fundraising events and auctions have been arranged via the local communities of Carharrack and Lanner: we will also be looking for support in St Agnes, Comford and St Ives. The Carharrack Stars have again generously offered their support to the campaign and publicans John and Margaret will be treasurers with a pledge to raise funds for our children’s hospice. Margaret says she expects the pub to help raise £2000 towards the effort.
As well as local support I am hopeful the walk will serve as a voice beyond Cornwall itself. I feel recognition outside of our kingdom is one that could prove invaluable in the future.
ADDITIONAL FUNDRAISING CHALLENGES 2009
The Cornish Pilgrimage will also be a valuable future project aimed at attracting outdoor adventure tourists to the region. All money from the ‘passport to walk scheme’ will go to hospice care in Cornwall. We are now at the stage to negotiate support for this project from the council and wider sections of the community.
CANCER RESEARCH
A minimum sum of a thousand pounds has been pledged to Cancer Research UK by locals in Oundle: this amount will represent Robin Moore’s Summer challenge for the region in 2009. Any one wishing to make a donation towards Robin's efforts for Cancer Research UK, please contact Chloe Higgins, regional fundraising executive: chloe.higgins@cancer.org.uk
Otherwise donations can be made at The Norwich and Peterborough Building Society in Oundle. Sponsor forms will also be available at some of the local inns from August onwards.
AFRICA 2009/2010
There is a possibility of a challenge walk in South Africa later this year: it will co-inside with our Barmy Army Cricket tour of the country when England play the host nation in a four test series. We aim to raise funds to build a youth cricket school in a township in the Western Cape. Oundle Cricket Coach Merwe Genis, who is a founder of Youth cricket in Paarl, South Africa will spearhead the project. I hope to walk from Namibia to Cape Point (and then on to Newlands Cricket Ground) to raise £3,000 for cricket equipment/coaching.
BOOK TITLES 2009
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN MOORE
WALKING THE GARDEN ROUTE (South Africa)
THE ROBIN MOORE GREAT BRITAIN WALK (Vol 1.)
THE PORTUGUESE CAMINO
THE ROBIN MOORE BARMY ARMY WALK
THE ISLE OF MAN ON FOOT
A PILGRIM’S JOURNEY (Based on a Cornish Pilgrimage Walk)
THE CORNISH PILGRIMAGE WALK (A Hospice Care project)
BOOK SIGNINGS AT OUNDLE
A book-signing day, featuring the first 3 titles above took place at Oundle School Bookshop on Farmers' Market Day Saturday July 11th. Our next signing will be in October, featuring the epic Barmy Army Walk of 2008. Other pilgrimage adventures are to be released soon.
CORNWALL
These titles can also be purchased from the Country Store Health Foods in Redruth (Redruth Health Shop): they are available at Cornwall Education Library: other titles can be purchased from Redruth Indoor Market Army/Navy Store. The Cornish Pilgrimage could be available for the Southwest Walk, and we also hope to walk a section of it to fundraise for Cornwall Hospice Care towards the end of September.
The publication of last years BARMY ARMY walk will be on sale by October (end of my hospice walk).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to Paul Coles and Diane Kohn for their much-valued support: their hard work has ensured the success of these projects.
I would like to say a special thanks to Ann Newman whose handmade cards provide a valuable contribution towards our Cancer Research UK campaign.
TOPIC OF THE MONTH
POLITICS AND CHARITY
During my time on the road throughout this remarkable economic downturn, I have witnessed many difficulties faced by ordinary people whose voices of apathy echo throughout the land. We ourselves struggle to raise money to keep our smaller charities afloat. Without these charities the NHS would be under greater pressure to support the sick.
With all this borne in mind and the issue over MP’s expenses, I still can’t help but raise a bemused, yet hopeful smile. After all hope exists in the spirit of us all, and because it does, we can achieve our objectives despite the heavy odds stacked against us: often by those with greater power.
Throughout my campaign which first began in 1992 (the first 2 years of which I was at college), I have always seen the way clear to funding all my projects and pride myself on the fact that I’ve managed to do this on a very small income: sometimes less than £5,000 per year. Forty percent of my earnings in the nineties, when working in the shipping refit business, went towards financing my charity projects. All funds raised from the public went to the appropriate charity: this has been the most difficult part of my campaign: fearing I would not earn enough to pay for each walk.
It has been a bit tight at times to say the least, and I have appreciated any outside help from friends, family and local businesses who have supported the larger events that would not have happened otherwise. Since starting I have spent over £32,000 of my own income/savings funding all charity projects. One may almost make the analogy of 5 loaves and 3 fishes given my small income, which is food for thought as we all ponder over the many thousands of pounds squandered on the champagne lifestyles of our political rulers. Although I have struggled to fund larger events: I have been rewarded with the knowledge that I have helped national organisations worldwide raise millions of pounds (my own expenses/ efforts in fundraising run close to £100,000).
I believe we are all capable of following dreams or achieving our goals: it’s a crime simply to do nothing with the gift of life. If we all did just 2 hours a week for charity/helping another, then the world would eventually become a better place. We cannot expect people to adopt the virtues of altruism, but at the same time we should not blame our position in life as the reason for doing nothing. Yes of course there are those in high places who think they are entitled to use the tax- payers money as a ‘perk’. Some of these people have claimed more in expenses for one year than I could have earned in the last ten! I could say ‘I’m in the wrong job’, but I won’t. Instead I will end by saying how honoured I feel to represent these wonderful charities that were founded to help those less fortunate, and that every penny I have spent has merely enriched my life with a broader understanding of humanity as well as emboldening me with a sense of purpose. Maybe one day some of the kingdom’s heavy weights or so-called pillars of commerce may humble themselves enough to serve a little penance (free of expenses) for the good of humanity.
Mission Statement by Robin Moore:
‘As a proud representative of all endurance athletes, I will endeavour to fulfil each long distant walking challenge that may benefit a worthy cause associated with cancer care and research.’
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND ANY SUPPORT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO OUR LOCAL CHARITIES.
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