BRIT Challenge 2012

Rarely a week goes by without someone asking me when I’m going to do my next challenge. There have been many reasons why I haven’t embarked on another challenge and this blog is to explain why and to announce that 2012 is the year for the first BRIT Challenge.


At the summit of Scafell Pike
before the weather closed

The BRIT 2012 Challenge is going to be different from my previous challenges as this is not about me tackling a physical feat or using a challenge to prove something to others or myself. Instead, I am challenging young people across Great Britain to join me in:

·         A challenge that does not cost anything;
·         Is open to all that want to participate; and
·         Is about raising the profile of BRIT.


 

Al and I rowing the Channel

on the 14th February 2009

Before I explain more about the challenge, I want to tell you why. To me, BRIT is all about our young people facing adversity. In order to build the BRIT Centre of Inspirational Excellence I have to raise a staggering amount of money. In all honesty, I thought people would understand the value of BRIT and be lining up to donate, but corporations are different from thepublic. They take a little more time to convince, especially when you are asking them to donate significant funds. Additionally, one of my strongest principles when it comes to fundraising is not to ask the public for donations.

Sir Clive, Sir Steve Kate Silverton
& I climbing for Sport Relief

My vision has always been about BRIT being a conduit charity and it has taken time to position BRIT in this way and to run BRIT with minimal overheads.  BRIT employs Sally and no other employed staff; we may have been further down the road by now with more staff, but that would have come at a cost running into hundreds of thousands of pounds and I would have had to fundraise for running costs and that’s never been something I have believed in.




Climbing El Capitan

One other reason is that BRIT needs a national profile and I have used 2011 to prepare for this; to have over 40 charity CEOs supporting BRIT as Advisors and believing in the need for the BRIT Centre of Inspiration is justification in itself and I take great strength in knowing they support our principles, our vision and our strategy. 2012 will be the year where BRIT raises its profile and engaging with the 2012 Businesses and Corporations we need to partner with to build the Centre with their BRIT Capital and Equipment Pledges. Unfortunately my public profile is both a good and a bad thing. It definitely opens doors for me, but sometimes people are more interested in the physical challenges I completed than they are hearing about BRIT. So, after some careful consideration I’ve decided that I need to show people what BRIT is about, by raising  the BRIT profile.  Hence the BRIT 2012 Challenge. I want this challenge to not be about me, but about BRIT, therefore anyone in Great Britain can join in and it will not cost them anything. People can participate as much or as little as they want. 



Receiving my medal after the
London Marathon



Stay tuned to my blog for more updates about BRIT Challenge 2012.  I’ll be giving you more information in the weeks to come

Phil.