Step One Completed

Well I am officially broke, skint, poor, destitute, poverty stricken etc. The money that I have worked so many damn hours for, mostly standing on a poolside watching people swim up and down with infuriatingly bad stroke techniques, has been sent to the Global Volunteer Network and I have therefore paid the £1,700 programme cost. Such a huge amount of money has simply left my bank account, its crazy. I've never had that much money to lose before! At least its step one out of the way. Just need to confirm flights now. I've also booked in my evil vaccination appointment (I kinda missed the last one due to an alcohol induced slumber, but to be fair it was at 8:40am, a ridiculous time for a medical appointment) so that is something to look forward to on Friday. At 9:20am, please someone remind me?!

I've also been accepted onto a place at Nottingham University to study for a History PGCE in September of next year, so I have something to do when I get back from Uganda and hopefully the experience of teaching over there will give me some good pointers for when I return. Am very happy to have got this place but it is very much in the shadow of the trip at the moment. September 2008 seems a lifetime away at the moment.

Have also had trouble sleeping as the Uganda trip continues to draw closer. Am fully aware that time is running out and I still have so much to do, yet equally, I seem to have this dangerous belief that it'll all turn out ok in the end. Such a happy go lucky approach isn't ideal in this situation!

Robstock is progressing well and we now have three great local bands confirmed and the venue booked and paid for so hopefully, if people turn up (a genuine concern) it'll be a fantastic night for all those involved and those who are good enough to attend. Then just have the non-uniform day at my local primary school planned and then I'll be off. Time is flying by! Must now go and check flight prices and my PGCE application forms! Much love, Rob x

Robstock 2008!

Very exciting news! Robstock is taking off! On the 4th of January a group of mates and their bands have agreed to do a gig for me in Long Eaton to help me fundraise for the trip. We are aiming to have 3 bands playing the Silver Prize venue and they are going to be accompanied by a DJ set. None of this would have happened without Mike and Greg from work who have helped push this through and used Mike's contacts to help set up the bands and the venue. We are all really excited about the prospect of the night and hope its going to be a big success with as many people as possible coming along. We will be selling tickets in December and hope to pack the place out.

I'm yet to hear much more from George Spencer, my old secondary school, but I'm hopeful something can be arranged before the end of December in terms of fundraising. Other than that I've been burying myself at work and am finding West Park Leisure Centre a rather disturbing place to have as a second home. I've even started to count down the number of hours I have before I need to go back to work! On the plus side, the new swimming lesson classes that I have are absolutely brilliant and I love teaching them. My driving lessons are also coming along nicely, which I hope will mean I can pass before I head off to Uganda in Feb.

I'm slowly becoming more and more conscious about how big a challenge Uganda will be and whilst I'm naturally very excited about going, the pressures and organisational headaches are beginning to converge, which has added a degree of nervousness to the excitement too. I know I'll miss family and friends, and I'm also aware that I'll test myself in more ways than I realise. Not long to go now and a lot to do so I'll sign off and go get my hair cut!! Lol. xx

Good Progress...

Well hello! Its been ages since I've written anything of meaning and thats largely due to me pouring much of my life and waking hours into the Pleasuredome that is West Park Leisure Centre. I'm beginning to think of it as home, the Duty Managers as my parents and the public as strange squatters in my house. But despite the many hours spent on the dimly lit poolside, some progress has been made in my attempts to raise money for Uganda.

Firstly, the hours that I am putting into West Park are paying off in a very literal sense and taking away my fairly modest living expenditures I am beginning to get a decent pool of money that will hopefully be able to pay the first block of the Global Volunteer Network fee. This is the largest concern at the moment as there is not long left until that is due and I am certainly feeling the pressure. Still, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting clearer.

Secondly, my old primary school, Fairfield School, has agreed to put on a non-uniform day for me in January, which will hopefully raise a good amount of money for the trip. In return for this incredibly generous offer I will be holding several assemblies for the various age groups, which shall detail why I am going to Uganda, a little about the situation there and what I hope to achieve whilst I am out there. Thinking back to my primary school days I have absolutely no recollection of being aware of how fortunate I was and perhaps this is natural, but I hope that by giving these assemblies I will be able to shed some light on a distant part of the World and maybe, through this blog and contacts made out there, make some kind of connection between Fairfield and Mukono Town.

Thirdly, George Spencer School has also agreed to look into helping me raise some money and this has come as a real boost as I spent five great years at George Spencer and the school's support would mean a great deal. This is an ongoing project and I hope to make contact with the appropriate staff to see if something can be arranged.

In terms of the Uganda trip itself, I am aware that my going is gradually becoming a stark reality and not something that I am merely talking about. This is both exciting and terrifying as I begin to contemplate how I will handle myself. Those that know me will be aware how scatty I can be and how generally disorganised, which are two traits that need to be assessed before I go so I stand some chance of being ok! Also, the local wildlife is beginning to concern me as I don't deal well with things that have many legs or flutter or sting. Uganda is full of them! Still, I am getting excited and whilst the prospect of leaving family, friends and other special people is a daunting one, I know that the reasons for going are good and that I will be able to have some positive impact on the people I meet out there and I'll do all I can to get involved and help out.

Ok, I'll write more when news transpires. Anyone who does read this, thank you very much, it means a lot.

Robbie xxx

Poor spelling!

Apologies for the spelling of "plane", how shocking really. Anywho, a quick update. So, I've so far raised about £500, which should cover my flights. This really is a drop in the ocean however and its going to be a really tough few months to get the costs sorted. Still, wouldn't be worth it unless it was a challenge. I've sent off a lot of letters to old schools and local businesses but so far received no replies. Still, no news is good news. The postal strike probably isn't helping. I've found myself doing a ridiculous number of shifts at West Park Leisure Centre and the place is slowly draining my soul. Still, I can smile and put up with it as each malaria tablet is £2.20 and so an hour at work will pay for about three. So, its going ok but hoping to step up the fundraising soon so expect a few begging letters!! Will write again when there is more to say! Hope everyone is well. xxx

Bike ride?

Wow, signing in is hard when you have forgotten the username and password. Technology scores. So not really much more to tell. I've sent off a letter to my secondary school enquiring into the possibility of giving talks to the pupils in exchange for a non-uniform day with the proceeds hopefully going to the Uganda pot. Thanks to some very amusing and rather cruel friends the suggestion of a sponsored bike ride has also been mentioned, which would of course be a very good way of raising money if I could actually ride a bike. I knew this shortcoming would come back to haunt me at some point.

I'm also contemplating a charity poker night at Nottingham's new casino as well as staging a charity gig with a few local bands, but both of those ideas are a long way off as of yet. Still, good that ideas are buzzing around. Everytime I explain to someone what I'm intending to do in Uganda I get excited again but I don't think its really hit home that I'll be going fairly soon. Suppose it won't really sink in until I get off the plain in Entebbe. Well, there we go, news updated! Feel free to comment as long as its not abusive towards my bike riding skills!
Robbie

And in the Beginning

So I'm sitting here in my house in the glorious "St.Apleford" and with football cancelled and my little brother having moved back to Leeds Uni I'm left to begin planning my Uganda trip for February 2008. With Jamie T and +44 for company I'm writing as things come into my head. Obviously incredibly excited about going to Uganda, its somewhere I have studied in some depth at University and always captivated me as a complex country with a rich history. The trip will involve me teaching English and increasing awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention, as Uganda has been severely affected by the epidemic and anything that can be done to educate people must be a worthwhile task.

The challenge of fundraising isn't too scary as I think I'm fairly imaginative and am fortunate to have a strong family and good friends who can help. Its the experience when I'm there, in just over four months time that both excites and terrifies me as I know it'll be the biggest challenge I've ever faced and I'll be tested in just about every way I can think of.

Still, I am know that whatever I am able to do over there will have some significance for someone else and I think that that is the biggest goal and something that will keep me going. Also, the fact that my good mate Rich will be just the other side of Kampala will make the trip a slightly easier experience as we'll be able to meet up and just marvel at how far we've come!

So, my first blog! Those who know me may well be amazed that I've achieved this! Technology and I have never really gotten on but hopefully this is the first step! Will write again soon.

Rob