Debbie Cameron, Manager of the Kent Branch of the Institute of Directors, will be flying the flag for Kent Science Park in June, when she climbs Mount Elgon in Africa to raise money for charity. Once she reaches the summit, she will be planting a Kent Science Park flag at the top of the mountain for all to see!
Debbie is offering a “flag package” to companies across Kent, where for £250 sponsorship, she will take their flag to the top of Mount Elgon and photograph it there. She came up with the flag idea as a way to help her to reach her target of £5,000 for charity Fields of Life, which is developing infrastructure in Kenya by developing wells for communities and schools to educate children. Debbie commented:
“I’ve been to Kenya twice now and have seen the incredible work that Fields of Life do there. For £3,600 they will develop a well for a village that is guaranteed to give them clean water for ten years. Each £250 will plant an acre of maize out there, so companies that sponsor me will be making a real difference to the communities out there. If they plant ten acres, they can feed a school for a year, as well as replant, making it sustainable.
“Fields of Life are still relatively small within the UK, but that means that they invest more into the projects they are undertaking. For example, for every £1 only 7p is spent on admin, whereas the UK charity average is 12p.”
Mount Elgon is over 14,000 ft high and sits on the border of both Kenya and Uganda. The trip to the top will take ten days, a daunting prospect for a first time climber like Debbie. She spoke about her preparation for the climb:
“I’ve never done any climbing before, so am a little nervous. I’m not even a camper so this is really out of my comfort zone. I’ve had to get things like a backpack and a sleeping bag – I was completely unprepared! In terms of getting myself physically ready for it, I have been going for three-mile runs most mornings and I try to swim at lunchtimes. I’m also doing my first half-marathon in May, and have been going to spinning and boot camp to enhance my endurance levels. If I’m honest, I think the thing I am most worried about is the lack of showers or toilets for the whole ten days!”
James Speck, Site Director for Kent Science Park commented on Debbie’s climb and why the Park had sponsored her:
“There is a lot of fundraising work organised by staff based on Kent Science Park, and where possible we try to support our tenants in their charitable endeavours. Debbie has been working incredibly hard to reach her £5,000 target, and is already halfway there. Asking companies throughout Kent to sponsor a flag was a brilliant idea, as it creates an interesting talking point for the company, as well as being an amount that will have a tangible impact on communities in Kenya.”
If you would like to sponsor Debbie for her climb, you can do so by visiting URL. If your company would like to have your flag planted at the top of Mount Elgon, email Debbie on iod.kent@iod.com in the first instance.