Category Archives: Charity & CSR

Charity & CSR, News

Bedfont takes to the Skies for Heart of Kent Hospice

Local company, Bedfont Scientific Ltd., fundraises and skydives to raise money for the Heart of Kent Hospice

On Sunday 13th June, a group of Bedfont employees daringly jumped from a plane in a bid to raise £3000 for local charity, Heart of Kent Hospice, who provides specialist palliative care, advice and clinical support for adults with life limiting illness and their families in Kent.

Each member of the Bedfont Family had their own personal reasons for supporting the charity and the Skydive was a new and brilliant adventure for them to undertake.

Jason Smith, Managing Director at Bedfont, commented, “We’re incredibly proud of the Katie, Amber, Amy, Ryan, Hannah, and Tom for taking on this challenge to fundraise for a great charity, and we’re very grateful to all our friends, family, co-workers and business partners who have donated to such a great cause. We’re still a few pounds away our fundraising goal of £3000 so if you would like to donate to a good cause, please visit our Just Giving page.”

To donate to the Heart of Kent Hospice, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bedfont-scientific

Charity & CSR, News

Christ College Brecon support former pupil’s 5 Peaks Challenge

LEADING Welsh independent school Christ College Brecon is, once again, supporting former pupil and father of one, Des Lally, as he takes on his next fundraising challenge; the British and Irish Peaks Five Mountains in Five Countries in Three Days (BIP553).

On 28 July Des will begin his journey across Britain and Ireland climbing the highest mountains in each country to raise funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK and Help for Heroes. The organisations are close to his heart with both of his parents fighting cancer during their lives and his father having a proud 26-year history in the Armed Forces.

Completing the whole feat in just three days, the challenge is renowned as the most iconic mountain event in the UK, covering 1000 miles of road travel, 5,300 metres of ascent and two Irish crossings. Des has never previously climbed any of the peaks involved.

Christ College Brecon, Des’ past school of seven years, is supporting him as he prepares to complete this arduous charity challenge.

In 2019 the school supported him as he climbed Pen Y Fan 365 times in 365 days, covering over 1500 miles, and held a celebration event upon the completion of his efforts that helped him raise over £61,000 and untold amounts of awareness for Cancer Research UK and Help for Heroes.

Des addressed the youngest pupils at Christ College during a recent assembly to give them an insight into his Five Peak  challenge which served to be an ideal introduction to their theme next term – rivers and mountains. His visit inspired the  pupils to help with Des’ fundraising so they set about arranging a Mexican themed fun day. Des was invited to the event where pupils presented him with a Good Luck card produced by the pupils and the monies raised by the event. Des also received a ‘Henry’ , the school’s mascot to accompany him on his trip.

Christ College Head, Gareth Pearson, said: “We feel very honoured to be able to support Des Lally once again as he prepares to undertake such a tough endeavour. Des’ determination and commitment to supporting both Cancer Research UK and Help for Heroes is amazing and incredibly admirable.

“As Head of Christ College, I feel very grateful to be able to support an Old Breconian. It really is great to see past pupils going on to do such amazing things. The whole school is behind him and we really wish him all the best. We will certainly be following his progress and cheering him on.”

Des Lally said: “Christ College provided me with the tools, building blocks and character to take on such challenges as these, and it’s great to have their support again.

“Although the fund raising allows these charities to continue their incredible work, the awareness that comes with it is as equally important, as the greater the awareness the greater the chance is of saving someone’s life.”

Set within the Brecon Beacons National Park, Christ College is an independent co-educational boarding and day school, with 380 pupils on roll between the ages of seven to 18.

To sponsor Des Lally, visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DesLally

Charity & CSR

Credit Style show support to local Sheffield foodbank

Employees at Credit Style, one of the UK’s leading players in debt recovery, based in Sheffield, have pledged support to S6 foodbank this month as part of an ongoing commitment to businesses, service providers, charities and the wider communities of South Yorkshire.

S6 Foodbank is based at St Thomas’ Church on Gilpin Street and is run in partnership with local churches, seeded by The Trussell Trust. The foodbank was originally a project founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in the local area. Between April 2020 and March 2021, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, over 37,000 local people found were fed through this food emergency project.

The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of over 1,200 food banks and provides emergency food and support to people locked in poverty. The charity campaigns for change to end the need for food banks in the UK. Donations made to the trust helps them offer a minimum of three days of nutritionally balanced emergency food to people who have been referred in crisis, as well as support to help people resolve the crises they face.

Credit Style has donated a large quantity of food from members of staff and has also committed to supporting collection activity at local supermarkets. The business is aiming to help raise awareness by sharing news and posts about S6 on social media profiles and is exploring other ways to assist with increasing donations to the project. Profits from an internal Euro 2020 football sweepstake are being put towards more food donations and wall charts outlining the international tournament have been provided as gifts for the children the charity supports.

S6 Foodbank Communications Lead, Alison Wise said, “It’s great for us at S6 Foodbank to have Credit Style on board as partners. They’ve volunteered to support our Tesco collection in July, have been sharing our messages online and have already arranged a donation drive for us – we know this is just the start! Having seen enormous growth in demand over the past year, and with numbers only predicted to rise further, the support of corporate partners like Credit Style, is vital to ensure we continue to support people in need in Sheffield.”

Credit Style is part of the Bristow & Sutor Group and is a credit management and debt recovery service. Last year members of the Bristow & Sutor Group, including those from Credit Style, donated to various local food banks and also contributed £5000 to The Trussell Trust to help serve those in need of emergency food services over the festive period.

Richard Martin, Operations Director at Credit Style said, “We are delighted to have been able to contribute both food and support to S6 Foodbank recently. Credit Style is proud to be a Sheffield based business and we remain committed to supporting the local community, whether that be secure job opportunities for young people, helping local businesses recover important funds or as in this case, donating to a very worthy cause.”

Charity & CSR, News

Warrington-based professional services company forms partnership with Cancer Research UK

A Warrington-based professional services group has announced a new partnership with one of the UK’s leading cancer support charities.

Optionis has chosen Cancer Research UK as its official charity partner for 2021 with a series of online fundraisers and events planned at its Centre Park Square headquarters, as well as its various offices around the UK. 

This latest collaboration follows previous partnerships, which saw the firm raise over £20,000 for children’s charities. The firm also promoted the importance of mental health awareness for all its employees in a joint initiative with the Samaritans in 2019/20.

Moving forward, Optionis will launch a new drive to raise funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK, which has been working to develop research and beat cancer for more than 100 years.

Sarah Edwards, Engagement and Communications Manager at Optionis, said: “When searching for a new official charity to support as a company, we knew it was important to give our backing to an organisation close to our employees’ hearts.

“Following discussions with all of our staff, Cancer Research UK was selected as our charity partner for 2021, and we can’t wait to begin raising funds for them. It will be slightly different to our previous campaigns, with some events taking place online, but we’re confident we can rise to the challenge and be a great supporter of the work they do.

“As a business we have a fantastic track record for supporting charities, both locally and nationally, and I’m proud to say the pandemic hasn’t stopped us with staff continuing to raise funds from their own homes over the past 12 months.”

Chris Doyle, Relationship Manager at Cancer Research UK said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone at the Optionis Group for their fantastic support and I am looking forward to seeing how the partnership develops over the coming year. Every pound they raise will help our brilliant scientists and their life-saving work.

“The truth is, COVID-19 has slowed us down and Cancer Research UK is predicting a staggering £300 million drop in income over the next three years which could put future medical breakthroughs at risk. But we will never stop. With over 40,000 people diagnosed with cancer each year in the North West, we are determined to continue to create better cancer treatments for tomorrow and, with the help of supporters like the Optionis Group, we believe that together we will still beat cancer.” 

Optionis Group encompasses seven brands including SJD Accountancy, ClearSky Accounting, Parasol, First Freelance, Nixon Williams, ClearSky Business and Brian Alfred.

Charity & CSR, Hospice News

Friends come together to support Forever Flowers

Friends Rachel Cable and Carly Murray have come together to support Forever Flowers and shared their experiences of hospice care as they remember their loved ones.

Forever Flowers is a new campaign by City Hospice, Cardiff’s local hospice, which invites supporters to purchase a limited-edition flower to celebrate the lives and remember much-loved family members, friends and loved ones. The unique tributes will feature in a special display in the grounds of Cardiff Castle from Saturday July 24 to Sunday August 8.

In recognition and appreciation of the care City Hospice provides to people in the capital, from specialist at-home care for patients to support services for families, Rachel and Carly are getting involved with Forever Flowers this summer.

Rachel said: “My father passed away last summer of cancer. I didn’t really know anything about hospice care before my dad became ill and suddenly, City Hospice popped up and were able to navigate all the services and care that he needed. They looked after him at home and looked after us, his family, as well.

“I’m really excited to support this campaign because it’s a lovely way of remembering my dad at a time where we can’t all get together, hug and do all the things we’d normally do when grieving.

“The exhibition at the castle actually starts on the day that my dad passed away so it will be a nice way to mark the anniversary and once the exhibition is finished, we’re going to place our flower with the apple tree that we planted for dad on the allotment.”

City Hospice is Cardiff’s local hospice and is the only provider of home-based specialist palliative care in the capital – providing care and compassion for 550 patients at any one time, in addition to bereavement counselling and support services for families.  The support is really valued and means a lot to grieving families going through a challenging time.

Carly explains: “My mum passed away from COPD in 2017 and we’ve had so much invaluable support from hospice care. I’m supporting Forever Flowers because it’s just a really special way to commemorate her.

“It’s something you can do with others as well and they are all going to be displayed together. It’s a nice idea, that you are part of a tribe of other people who have dealt with similar things as you have; everyone coming together to celebrate loved ones and create something that is going to be really beautiful.

“Our family will be going to the castle to see the display. We haven’t decided yet where our Forever Flower will go afterwards but I will be asking my daughter where she wants Nanny’s flower to go so that she can be part of putting it somewhere special.”

Through their shared experiences of loss and hospice care Rachel and Carly’s friendship of 13 years has grown stronger.

Rachel said: “Because dad passed away during the pandemic, we couldn’t do all the things we normally do to grieve. Having a friend like Carly texting and ringing me to see if I was OK meant an awful lot.

“When it’s Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas or big events, it can be really difficult. Unless you’ve lost someone you don’t necessarily understand quite how difficult those things can be so having a shared understanding and support is really valuable.”

Carly added: “With Rachel, I felt like I had got somebody very close and special as a friend in the way she supported me. When most people have moved on and are carrying on with their lives, Rachel was still checking on me, acknowledging my loss and it made a massive difference to me.”

Forever Flowers can be purchased by visiting cityhospice.org.uk/forever-flowers and cost £18 per flower.

Charity & CSR, News

Family members join skydive challenge in memory of Tunisia terror attack victims

Family members and friends of the 38 people who died in the Tunisia terrorist attack in 2015 will be jumping out of a plane to honour their memories and mark the sixth anniversary of the tragedy. 

The skydive will be held on July 3, just after the June 26 anniversary, and will raise money for Smile For Joel, the charity set up by Suzy Evans and her son Owen Richards who lost three loved ones in the attack. 

Suzy and Owen will be joined by family members of other victims from across the UK for the event.

Suzy, from Wednesbury in the West Midlands, lost her son Joel, 19, brother Adrian, 49, and father Patrick, 78. Owen was just 16 at the time and was on holiday with his brother, uncle and grandad. He survived the attack. 

Smile For Joel was created two years later in memory of Joel, Adrian and Patrick, to help other families torn apart by murder and violence. 

Suzy, Owen and Suzy’s cousin Claire Webb will be taking part in the skydive in memory of Joel, Adrian and Patrick. 

They will be joined by Lee Stocker, who is taking part in memory of his parents John and Janet Stocker from Morden, south London; Jordan Lovett, who is jumping in memory of her sister Carly Lovett from Gainsborough in Lincolnshire and Lewis Burbridge, who lost his grandma Lisa Burbridge, from Whickham, Gateshead, in the attack. 

Another 32 other friends and supporters will also be taking part to ensure each of the 38 victims is represented. 

Suzy, aged 52, said: “We have got Joel’s old teachers from Stuart Bathurst and Wood Green schools and a lecturer from Worcester University taking part. We have two police officers jumping, a representative from Victim Support and members of the public who have joined the team to support us. The response has been incredible. 

“I will be nervous on the day, but I am really excited for the event. It’s going to be the first time we have been able to do an event face-to-face for over 18 months. 

“It will be really special to see the other families. Some people are travelling quite a distance so it means to a lot to me that they are coming to the event. We didn’t want to do it on the actual anniversary, because people will have their own plans for that day to remember those who died, so we arranged it for a week later. 

“We are keeping our fingers crossed we get good weather on the day. The three of them will have the best seats in the house and I’m sure they will be watching with big smiles.” 

Owen, now 22, said he wanted to do the skydive because it had been on his brother’s bucket list. 

“He had spoken about wanting to do a skydive and that’s a big part of my motivation for doing this. I’m taking part knowing that Joel wanted to do it,” he said. 

Donations have topped £28,000 so far and more money is still coming in, which is great news for the charity after income was hit by the pandemic. The jump was due to take place last year on the fifth anniversary, but had to be postponed, along with a host of other fundraising events. 

The skydive will be held at Whitchurch Airfield, Whitchurch, Shropshire, from 8am on Saturday, July 3. 

To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/jumpforjoel 

To find out more about Smile For Joel, visit smile https://smileforjoel.com/

Picture caption: 

Suzy with Joel and Owen 

Charity & CSR, Climate, Education, Environment

Flying High for Climate Change – UK Education Programme Launched

“If Climate Change is the biggest issue facing us all, why is it so hard for teachers to find resources with UK examples and case studies?”

 The Round Britain Climate Challenge – an Expedition for Schools – world records and chats around the campfire

The Round Britain Climate Challenge is a hair raising expedition involving a circumnavigation of Britain in a specially adapted electric paramotor by Sacha Dench, Ambassador for the UN’s Convention on Migratory Species and Founder of Conservation Without Borders, also known as the Human Swan.

It’s a feat that has never been attempted before.

A new interactive education package, created by teachers for teachers, will allow students to join the expedition live from air, land and underwater and be part of breaking two new Guinness World Records

This 3000-plus mile expedition will launch on 18th June at the Glasgow Science Centre and travel anti-clockwise around Britain ending back in Glasgow around 6 weeks later. The journey is designed to inspire and excite the nation to get involved in tackling the climate crisis in the run up to COP26. The question the team want to get the whole country asking is ‘If Britain drove the Industrial Revolution, can we drive the Green Revolution too?’

On completion Sacha will set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest (and first) paramotor flight around Britain. It will also be a first long distance test of an electric paramotor ever attempted anywhere in the world.

Sacha will be landing frequently, talking with, filming, and gathering information from, industry, innovators and entrepreneurs, local heroes, communities, schools, farmers and individuals – anybody involved in addressing the effects of climate change in their areas. Supported by a ground crew with film specialists in four electric vehicles the team will be filming from the air, ground and underwater.

Sacha has partnered with Kate Stockings, blogger, campaigner and Head of Geography at a London school to bring to schools, teachers and educational organisations an exciting programme for teaching climate change.

Climate education is invariably taught from a global perspective – crucial – but often difficult for students to relate to and apply to their own existence and environment.

Kate Stockings says:

“I often struggle to find resources and case studies which sit closer to home, and I jumped at the chance to collaborate with this fantastic expedition. It’s totally unique and has so much potential as a tool with which to teach climate change. As the team travels around the UK, this journey provides an opportunity for teachers to get up-to-date, in-depth information about what the UK is doing to tackle climate change. For me, this is what makes it so exciting!”

A second world record attempt is a mass public call to get at least 140,000 people to sign up to Count Us In, a global carbon initiative, in a one month period starting from 18th June. On achieving this every participant will be able to download their own Guinness World Record certificate saying they were part of this world record. www.conservation-without-borders.org/education-platform

Aimed at 7-14 year olds, the free resources will be inclusive and accessible, offering relevant localised case studies to engage students with local climate related issues.

Included in the education programme will be:

  • Twice weekly video calls between Sacha and Kate will reveal details of the projects visited – pupils can ask Sacha a question via their teacher –  and videos will be easy to use in classes or assembly environments
  • Schools can visit the expedition team at campsites and follow on social media.
  • There will be a live expedition map hosted on the education platform to  track Sacha’s progress and get information about projects
  • A competition with winning entries taken to the UN COP 26 will ask the question “Britain drove the Industrial Revolution, how could the UK also lead the Green Revolution?” Entries can be anything from prose to paintings or sculptures. The more imaginative the better!
  • Everybody gets a chance to be part of breaking a Guinness World Record through the Count Us In initiative – and every participant will receive a badge recognising their contribution to the world record attempt

At the end of this spectacular journey the professional footage, incredible stories, and lessons learnt will be combined into a free set of resources to aid the teaching of climate change with home grown project examples, unsung heroes, and inspiring ideas on how to help battle climate change.

Sacha Dench concluded

“Young people in general have a good awareness of the issue of climate change but not necessarily what they can do as individuals to help. With this programme we want to show them the kinds of actions they can take, what career opportunities could exist in a greener economy – and present the challenge in a really exciting and visual way that makes them really want to get involved.”

 

 

Charity & CSR, ESG Investments, News

Simon Community Scotland receives £5m social investment from SASC to tackle homelessness in Edinburgh

Simon Community Scotland, an award-winning charity that helps people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Central Scotland has received £5m of social investment from Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC), from its Social and Sustainable Housing fund (SASH) to purchase homes to help vulnerable people move away from homelessness.

The charity supports people in Edinburgh through its Streetwork service. Streetwork delivers a range of help and support including responding to people in crisis via a 24-hour helpline, providing services at their Holyrood Hub and delivering outreach on the capital’s streets.

Using the SASH investment, which was partly funded by a £1 million commitment from The University of Edinburgh, the charity will expand its services and buy properties that will become permanent homes for up to 30 tenants, helping them transition from homelessness towards employment and a new life.

Lorraine McGrath, Chief Executive, Simon Community Scotland said, “Edinburgh has a major housing shortage, with a lack of affordable accommodation and social housing options. Around 500 people are currently living in temporary accommodation and each year, demand for homes exceeds the available properties.

“Our mission is to end rough sleeping and provide solutions for the many who are currently spending too long in temporary accommodation. The loan from SASC will be transformative for them. Over the next 18 months, we will purchase properties that will help people build new lives in high-quality, affordable tenancies, with access to the support they need.”

“Thanks to SASC we will increase the impact for people we support. If the model is successful, we hope to be an exemplar for other charities involved in housing to access social investment too.”

The University of Edinburgh is championing the SASH fund to support organisations in Edinburgh as part of its new ‘Social and Civic Responsibility Plan’ and in keeping with its track record of responsible investment locally to benefit society.  The University’s vision is to be recognised as the leading UK university for social enterprise and investments by the academic year 2023-24 and to date, it has allocated £8m to invest in socially positive activities.

Lesley McAra, Assistant Principal: Community Relations at The University of Edinburgh said, “We know that for homeless people in our society, specific service needs are not being met and there is a serious short-fall of available housing. We hope this initiative will be a blueprint for effectively lifting people out of homelessness for the long-term. Social and civic responsibility is a key focus for the University as described in our ‘Strategy 2030’, and so we are delighted to be committing £1m to SASC to support people experiencing homelessness in Scotland.”

Councillor Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener for City of Edinburgh Council said: “Streetwork are valuable partners who have been at the forefront of working with us to deliver important services, especially throughout the pandemic. Through this partnership, we have seen the number of people rough sleeping reduce significantly over the past year.

“This announcement is a fantastic step that will enable them to buy properties, providing safe, secure and settled homes for some of our most vulnerable residents. I hope this inspiring example of social investment can become a template for future initiatives.

“We’re committed to working with Streetwork, and all our partners in the third sector, to see continued investment in street-based outreach, improving temporary accommodation and support services as well as our own affordable house building programme to increase social housing across Edinburgh.”

Ben Rick, CEO, SASC said, “For almost 55 years, Simon Community Scotland has been supporting people experiencing homelessness in Scotland. Providing stable, permanent homes is the most tangible solution they can provide. Our investment will enable them to do this, and become more financially sustainable, increase their impact and reduce the number of homeless people in the city.”

“This is our fourth investment in Scotland, and we are pleased The University of Edinburgh is supporting us. We want to thank them for their investment in the SASH fund.”

This is SASC’s 9th investment from the SASH fund. SASH was co-designed with borrower charities whose work with vulnerable people was being hampered through lack of access to safe, stable, and appropriate homes.

For more information on SASC visit www.socialandsustainable.com

Charity & CSR, Finance and Banking

Sayer Vincent updates Made simple guides on key gift aid, tax and VAT issues

Sayer Vincent, the award-winning firm of charity auditors and advisers, has recently updated four of its Made Simple guides – Employee & volunteer taxation; Gift Aid; International aspects of VAT and Tax for charity fundraisers to reflect changes to rules and regulations.

Key updates include:

  • The new VAT rules that apply to cross border transactions with effect from 1 January 2021. The UK is no longer part of the EU’s VAT regime, except in respect of Northern Ireland. The International aspects of VAT guide offers guidance on the rules.
  • The new IR35 rules that came into effect from 6 April 2021. The Employee & volunteer guide covers what charities need to be aware of and the special rules for certain types of worker. This guide includes a section on the key employment and volunteer-related measures taken by the UK government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic too.
  • Up-to-date guidance from HMRC in relation to Gift aid and Tax and for charity fundraisers, including HMRC’s latest model wording for the tax to cover statement which they change from time to time, which changed in November 2020.

These free guides are designed for finance professionals, managers and Trustees in charities and provide practical guidance on different finance topics. There are 21 guides in total covering technical areas such as tax and VAT treatments as well as information management areas.

Jonathan Orchard, Partner at Sayer Vincent said, “We’re committed to sharing knowledge and learning and our easy to follow guides on all aspects of charity finance and management topics help charity trustees and staff find their way through the maze of legal and regulatory rule. We recommend charities download these latest versions to ensure they have the most up-to-date information.”

Sayer Vincent also offers a number of other useful resources on their web site including monthly newsletters covering topical issues, publications written by senior staff at Sayer Vincent and articles that has been printed in the media.

To download the 21 guides and see these other resources please visit www.sayervincent.co.uk

 

Charity & CSR, Climate, News

Countdown to the launch of the 1st Round Britain Climate Challenge by electric paramotor

The Round Britain Climate Challenge – the first circumnavigation of mainland Britain by Sacha Dench (UN Ambassador for Convention on Migratory Species, CMS and Founder of Conservation Without Borders ) with an electric paramotor – will be launched at an event at the Glasgow Science Centre on the 18th June 2021. This groundbreaking 3000 mile plus expedition will travel anti-clockwise around Britain, ending back in Glasgow around 6 weeks later.

Sacha will literally “take off” from the Glasgow area on the expedition during the week of 21st June.

The unique expedition is designed to inspire and excite the nation to get involved in tackling the climate crisis in the run up to COP26.

‘Human swan’ Sacha Dench, known for global expeditions with migratory species, has a string of awards to her credit including being the first woman to receive the prestigious Britannia Trophy in 50 years and the Woman of the Year 2017.  Sacha has noe turned her focus to climate change for this expedition after losing her family home in the Australian bushfires last year.

Sacha will be landing frequently, talking with, filming, and gathering information from industry, innovators and entrepreneurs, local heroes, communities, schools, farmers and individuals – anybody involved in addressing the effects of climate change in their areas. . A compilation of these stories will be presented at COP26 in Glasgow in November.

  • Sacha will set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest (and first) flight around Britain in a paramotor. It will also be a first for an electric paramotor.
  • A second world record attempt is a mass public call to get at least 140,000 people to sign up to CountUsIn, in a month during the expedition. On achieving this, every participant will be able to download their own Guinness World Record certificate saying they were part of this world record from Count Us in – one of the world’s fastest growing communities of people, organizations and platforms taking practical action on climate change.

Sacha says

“ Along with testing the capability of electric flight and challenging what we think is possible, I want to capture the imaginations of the young and old, rural and urban, and focus on answers to the climate crisis – not problems – and encourage everyone, to get involved.

“We’re trying to answer the question Britain drove the Industrial Revolution, can we drive the Green Revolution too?

“As well as investigating how climate change is affecting different regions of the country, we will be showing – in a visually stunning and exciting way – what is happing to help cut carbon and preserve and restore our environment. We’ll be finding the likely and unlikely heroes and discovering where and what works. “

The expedition and Sacha’s progress will be tracked online here once the expedition starts – and celebrities are expected to join here en route: www.climatechallenge.live