Prostate Trek NZ 09

Expert Charity.com!

2009-04-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Apparently we are now advertising on an expert charity website.

Big brother is watching us!

They know who we are but we have no idea, scary!

http://www.expertcharity.com/latest-news/1351/physiotherapists-to-trek-86km-for-prostate-cancer-charity.htm

XXX

EVENT 5: RSL Steepers

2009-04-26T05:40:00.001-07:00

Fri 24th April 2009

EVENT 4: Cake and Coffee Morning at Lauras Mums

2009-04-26T05:39:00.002-07:00

Mon 20th April 2009

EVENT 3: Easter Raffle at The Bingley Arms

2009-04-26T05:39:00.001-07:00

Thurs 9th April 2009

Training No 1: Ingleborough

2009-04-13T06:58:00.003-07:00

Sat 4th April 2009

The Full Monty: The Commercial

2009-04-13T06:58:00.001-07:00

Fri 3rd April 2009

Newspaper Article 4: Morley Observer

2009-04-13T06:57:00.001-07:00

Wed 1st April 2009

Today we appeared in the Morley Observer.

At present we do not have a website address but we will post a link asap.

XXX

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

2009-04-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Mon 3oth March 2009

Today Gemma discussed advertising in the trust news with Suzanne Breen.

There are no plans arranged yet but watch this space.

XXX

Newpaper Article 2, 3 & 4: The Wetherby News, The Harrogate Advertiser & News for Scarcroft!

2009-04-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Fri 27th March 2009

Today we featured in the Wetherby News, the Harrogate Advertiser and in the 'whats on for news' in Scarcroft!.

To view the article please use the links below.

http://www.wetherbynews.co.uk/wetherby/Physiotherapists-aiming-high-for-prostate.5113927.jp

http://www.harrogateadvertiser.net/wetherbynews/Physiotherapists-aiming-high-for-prostate.5113927.jp

http://www2.harrogatetoday.co.uk/comnews/news.asp?ReporterID=43

XXX

EVENT 2: PROSPER Night

2009-04-13T06:51:00.002-07:00

Thurs 26th March 2009

Tonight Richard and Gemma attended the Prostate Cancer Support Group at Harrogate who meet every month.

The group is often joined by health professionals to discuss different aspects of the disease from the initial signs and symptoms, diagnosis and the numerous treatment options.

Merchandise sales raised £35-00

Thank you

XXX

Street Lane Dental Centre

2009-04-13T06:51:00.001-07:00

Thurs 26th March 2009

Today Gemma met with Jane McElroy at Street Lane Dental Practice to discuss the possiblility of our merchandise being sold in Reception along with a collection tin and literature in the waiting area.

Plans were also put in place for an Easter Raffle at the Bingley Arms, Bardsey.

XXX

Advertising at the post box!

2009-04-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Wed 25th March 2009

Got a letter to post?

Even you wont escape our campaign!

XXX

EVENT 1: Harrogate Hospital Awareness Day

2009-04-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

Tues 24th March 2009

Today we held and awareness day at Harrogate Hospital in the Herriotts Restaurant.

We had numerous leaflets, posters, and booklets to provide the public with information on:

What is the prostate gland?
What changes you should look out for?
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BHP)?
Prostatitis?
Prostate Cancer?
What to expect at the doctors?
How Prostate Cancer is diagnosed?
What happens next?
Diet and Prostate Cancer?
Medical words?
The Prostate Cancer Charity?
Support Groups?

We also sold The Prostate Cancer merchanise and provided people with information on our challenge.

The aim of the day was to raise public awareness of the disease.

We also managed to raise £40.00

XXX

Cars ready to go!

2009-04-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

Tues 24th March 2009

Is there anywhere they wont advertise?

If you have an idea, why dont you cahllenge us?

XXX

The Prostate Cancer Merchandise Arrives!

2009-04-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Mon 23rd March 2009

The first of many deliveries from The Prostate Cancer Charity.

It was like Christmas all over again.

XXX

Trip No: 3 to the GP

2009-04-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Mon 23rd March 2009

Finally an enjoyable trip to the GP...no injections : )
The doctors at Church View Surgery, Collingham have been the Plowrights family GPs for many years.

After discussions with Lee (Surgery Manager) it was agreed that they would support this challenge by creating a display board in the practice, sell our merchandise and also put an article in the surgery news letter April - June.

Maybe doctors arent all that bad after all!

XXX

Harrogate Hospital

2009-04-13T05:17:00.000-07:00

It was back in 2005 whilst working at Harrogate & Distriact Foundation NHS Trust that we first met.

Laura had just started her Junior rotations and Gemma was based in the Child Development Centre.

It was their common dislike of musculoskeletal injuries and fear of outpatients that brought us together!

Several coffees, dinners and nights out trying to forget the sprained ankles and bad backs and we were great friends.

Who would have known that a few years later we would be travelling to the other side of the world together.

Whilst working at Harrogate we both met lots of amazing people.

Its here where we must give a special thank you to Malcolm Taylor!
If it wasnt for you, most newly qualified staff would probably leave!
You showed us both the ropes and also which direction to go in!
(For those of you that dont know us that well we will explain a little more)
When lost or generally just going about life I (Gemma) will always turn right.
This provided Malcolm with an extra task of always making sure i was ok making my way around the hospital. For a good 2 years it was a standing joke on me that no-one else seemed to understand....that was until Laura turned up...given the choice Laura turns left!

So after years of standing by my side Malcolm had to learn to stop Laura going the other way.

So lets hope we can make the 2 mountain climbs in a straight line together!

Other great friends made whilst at Harrogate, you know who you are.

Hilary Levitt is one and has proven to be a fantastic contact.
Today (20/03/09) Gemma met with Hilary to arrange the awareness day, links to the hospital intranet and an article in the trust news.

XXX

Blackburn Aircrafts...and Newspaper Article 1: Bradfords Telegraph and Argus!

2009-04-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

Thurs 19th March 2009

Blackburn Aircrafts? I hear you say! What have they got to do with trekking?

Well my dad (Richard Plowright) had a watercolour painting of a Blackburn Aircraft from 1915 and it turns out that Robert Blackburn, founder of the Blackburn Aircraft Co., bought the land on which Scarcroft Golf Club now stands in 1937. We had heard that Scarcoft Golf Club had several painings of these aircrafts therefore we set up a meeting with Mike Gallagher at Scarcoft Golf Club.

It was agreed that in return for donating the painting to the club, they would sell our merchandise and also hold a golfing day later in the year, with a target of fundraising £1,000.

We also appeared in the Bradfords Telegraph and Argus Newspaper.

To view the article please use the link below.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/search/4217598.Pair_trek_in_honour_of_dad/

XXX

The very 1st photo shoot!

2009-04-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

Tues 17th March 2009

Cameras - Ready, Set, Shoot!

Today the 3 of us (Richard, Laura and Gemma) all treked (ok walked) to the park in Morley to meet the camera man from the Morley Observer to take some pictures for our 1st newspaper article.

Everybody smile for the camera.

XXX

The night of the Prostate Man!

2009-04-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

Fri 13th March 2009 - A very different friday night in!

Rebecca Thomas and Victoria Maude both very good friends had arranged to spend a girly night in at Gemmas with food, drinks and movie...or so they thought!

What actually happened was very different.

Several hours later after Gemma had drawn The Prostate Cancer Charity logo (a little blue man)out on card...to an enlarged scale of 16x...bloody perfectionist!

Vicky was asleep on the sofa and Becca was assigned to cutting, sticking and of course having a little fun!

We hope you enjoy the photos as much as we did :)

List Making Begins!

2009-04-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

Thurs 12th March 2009

A night of 'To Do Lists'

1) Draft template letters for corporate links, family, friends, sports clubs, supermarkets, large
stores etc etc - Laura

2) Buy large diary for event planning! - Gemma

3) Stressed already...arrange the next night to meet! - Gemma & Laura

4) Join a gym...yep you've guessed it - Gemma!

5) Arrange training programme - Laura

6) Stop stressing about having to join a gym - Gemma

7) Inform The Prostate Cancer Charity that we have chosen to support their work - Gemma

8) Speak to local GP Practices about supporting us by holding displays, selling merchandise and
allowing us to feature in their news bulletins - Gemma & Laura

9) Contact Morley Observer for 1st press release - Laura

10) Contact Fountain Medical Centre about photo shoot - Laura

...and this was only the beginning!

XXX

Registartion Forms

2009-04-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

Tues 10th March 2009

Registration fees of £550 each sent with application packs.

Theres no turning back now!

XXX

Trip No: 2 to the GP

2009-04-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Injection time : (

Now you would think it wouldnt be such an issue with us both being physio's and having worked in acute hospital settings for a number of years...but oh no...Gemma dislikes needles!

Now how many times has she fainted?...and where was it last time?

Whilst she was invited into theatre you say?...and she was still in the anaesthetic room...yeah thats her alright!

What can you say except the girl likes drama!

But we both made it in and out the surgery standing :)

Gems just thankful we didnt decide on climbing Kilimanjaro in Tanzania because that would have required a few more jabs!

XXX

Trip No:1 to the GP

2009-04-11T02:58:00.000-07:00

They certainly make you think twice before registaring!

Once we had taken the plunge and agreed to complete the application forms there was a small section which needed to be signed by a family doctor...

"The person named overleaf will be participating in a charity fundraising trek of 12 days duration, during which time they will be subject to long flights, and basic camping and living conditions. The demands in more detail will involve trekking for 8 hours per day for 6 days over rough terrain and will involve extremes of temperatures and climate. Participants will be staying in basic accomodation with possible long drop toilets and primitive washing facilities.
Food will be cooked on gas burners. Discover Adventure will provide a first aid trained leader (or doctor depending on group size) for each trip to give immediate first aid and ensure high hygiene standards are taught and maintained. The event maybe a considerable distance from any hospital backup."

So basically are you sure...are you really sure you want to do this!

xxx

The Very Beginning!

2009-04-11T02:33:00.000-07:00

Sat 28th March 2009

"Lets start at the very beginning, its a very good place to start!"

It was on this night that Laura and I got together over dinner to discuss an idea of mine...yes I know...I can hear you saying...thats always dangerous!

I had been wanting to do something different for while but had been struggling to put my name to anything. It was then with my dad (Richard Plowright) being diagnosed last year with Prostate Cancer that really inspired me to do something that would make a difference.

Having thought about signing up for a fundraising challenge for only a couple of weeks I ordered some information over the internet and waited to see what came...

...Discover Adventure.

So there I was contemplating the challenges infront of me,
Hadrian's wall weekend trek...no
London to Paris bike ride...no
Great wall of China trek...no
Cuba cycle challenge...no
and then there it was...on the very last page
Abel Tasman beach and mountain trek.

That was it I'd found something that would keep me busy and hopefully out of trouble!

All I needed now was a very good friend!

Now finding a good friend wasnt going to be hard, but finding one willing to fundraise for 7 months, stick to an extreme training programme and then climb 2 mountains was going to be a little more tricky!

However, there was no need to panic.
The offer of dinner on more than one occassion, serveral nights out, fancy dress pub crawls, sampling chocolates and cakes for raffles and holding a glam charity auction night and she had accepted the challenge!

So thank you Laura.

Without you I would not have signed that form so readily!

Heres to great friends, great fundraising, and a great adventure enabling us to raise the profile of Prostate Cancer.

XXX

Welcome

2009-04-11T02:09:00.000-07:00

Hello and thank you for visiting our blogspot.

This is where you will be able to follow the footsteps of our challenge.

We will be posting information on all the fundraising events weve done and we will be able to keep you informed of the ones still to come...and of course not forgetting the trek in November once weve completed it.

We hope you enjoy our updates and come back to visit us again.

Love

Gem & Loz