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| With our BRIT Mentors, Dee Caffari MBE, Geoff Holt MBE and Iwan Thomas MBE |
Today marks the first full week of walking and we had a great interview on Meridian Tonight this evening; http://www.itv.com/meridian-west/fullprogramme/. The support from the BRIT Team has been tremendous; I would be absolutely lost without support and it’s important to say that everyone is gifting or volunteering support to make this happen and to assist Sally, our BRIT Coordinator and only employed member of staff. It’s the support I receive and the way it is given with such selflessness that really gives me hope that we’ll grow stronger and stronger.
I had a fantastic welcome today from Hampshire Cricket Club and all the staff at The Rose Bowl. I’m sincerely grateful to Rod Bransgrove, Chairman and Chief Executive, for the opportunity to use The Rose Bowl as a BRIT 2012 Challenge venue and to David for hosting me today and to Simon for the article on their website; http://www.rosebowlplc.com/news/the-rose-bowl-involved-in-inspirational-walk/
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| With the Rose Road Children's Appeal |
I was joined on a very cold morning by members of the Hampshire First Cricket Team and Disability Cricketers from the local area. The Rose Bowl team had figured out the 10 mile route for the day which consisted of 24 laps around the “berm” area that supports the playing field. The Hampshire Fire Services kept up the perfect record of attendance and before I started, presented me with the Hampshire Fire Service Badge to be sewn onto the Fire Service Tunic that will carry badges from all the Fire Service Counties as I continue my walk.
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| With the Rose Road Children's Appeal |
Also today, students from the Polygon Special Needs School came out to walk with me and I was joined by Wessex Cancer Trust http://www.wessexcancer.org , the Rainbow Centre in Fareham (who support children with Cerebral Palsy and adults with a stroke, MS and Parkinson’s disease and their families) http://www.rainbowcentre.org and Rose Road Children’s Trust http://www.roseroad.org.uk/. What a great group of young people and charities! It was a pleasure to meet everyone.
Another super bonus to the day was that I was joined by three of our incredible BRIT Mentors who are gifting 24hrs a year when I build the BRIT Centre of Excellence: Dee Caffari MBE, Jeff Holt MBE and Iwan Thomas MBE. They are such inspirational individuals and everyone had a great time meeting them.
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| With BRIT Mentors, Hampshire Fire Service & students from Plygon Special Needs School |
In the meantime I did want to reply to a question I’ve been getting quite a lot. People are a little confused about my not asking the public for donations. One of the founding principles of BRIT is to support other charities by working with them, not against them. In that spirit I do not directly ask the public to donate to BRIT as I do not want to take that money away from charities they may already be supporting. I do acknowledge that many members of the public do want to help BRIT and support our only one paid member of staff and website costs; I will look at this and find a way to provide this option on our website as soon as possible. My goal though is to get businesses in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to help fund the build and equipping of the Centre together by pledging their support; if you can help with those 2012 businesses stepping forward, I’d be delighted.
82 miles in 7 days and 1930 miles to go!
With my very best wishes,
Phil