Calling All Ex-service Wheelchair Users

28th February 09

Call all ex-servce wheelchair users.

Hi again.

I have been thinking, always do my best thinking between 0600/1000 hrs.

We, that is myself, Handicare and the BNA members of the team, should be asking for the other team members we are seeking to be wheelchair users, both manual and power chair.

So if you want to join this epic challenge between 17th July /30 August 09, you are a wheelchair user, ex-services.

If you wish to drive a new, never to be seen until March, 10 mph power chair that rides just great, I have tried it, from Lands End 2 John O'Groats with a full support team in place, a distance of approx 1000 miles. We are staying in YHA's, Doormobiles and tents,

If you are willing to help raise moneys for the RBL and Poppy Appeal, then please contact me on mary.laver.e2e@googlemail.com

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Mary Laver (RAF)

Please make a donation the my charity

25th February 09

Please make a donation

You are visiting my blog at an average of 8 per day. If everyone who visited my page between now and the starting gun, by that token if you just donated £1 per visit, i will have raised £1144. So please click on the link on the Bmycharity link. Also please remember to spend a few minuites on the Free Rice link and help feed our brothers and sisters. www.bmycharity.com/V2/e2epowerchairchallenge and make your donation

Thank you.

Mary Laver

20th Feb

Fundraising

Hi and welcome to this blog

The reason this blog is been written is two fold. 1. For me to keep a record of the planning and executing of the Lands End to John O'Groats driving a power chair. To a lot of you this will not be your first visit nore will it be your last. The meter tells me when you visit , the words you use on the search engine to find me and where you are visiting from. It tells me no more. For what ever reason you are visiting this blog, hi and welcome. 2. To help fund raise for The Royal British Legion and The Poppy Appeal. You can you find out more detail about these charities, who, been in the Women's Royal Air Force myself, no the benefit they are to all ex service men and women. You can find out more about them and the work they do by visiting http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

Fundraising is what i have called this page, because that is what this E2E challenge hopes to do, get some much needed cash in to help our forces guys and girls when they need it most.

The legion has helped me in many ways, advice, provide me with some much needed cash to go to Lourdes, helped to buy the computer i am writing to you on; and put some money in the money pot to buy a better power chair than my standard DHSS, not that i am knocking my DHSS power chair, it serves me well, but does not have the comfort of my Balder. I think you are getting the drift of what i am saying.

So, here comes the punch line, can you please go to my fundraising page www.bmycharity.com/V2/e2epowerchairchallenge and make a donation. I have already done the first donation. Thank you.

I shall be back with you soon, as i am a great believer in Fair Trade, and we are looking at how we can support Fair Trade on this challenge by using, where possible, buying and using their produce. I am also a great believer of organic foods, eat them all the time, see logo. We are also looking at using organic foods to feed the team

That is the fundraisin pitch over with.

Just one last thing visit the Free Rice link on the left and spend some time testing your brains while feeding the hungry.

Speak again soon.

20th Feb 09

BNA Press Release


Lands End to John O'Groats Power Chair Challenge

The British Nursing Association, (BNA) are proud to be working in partnership with this British Record Attempt.

The BNA are the same age as Mary and have the equal determination to make sure we achieve this British Record attempt.

BNA have provided care to Mary for the last two years and we have built up a bond with her based on understanding her needs and providing a reliable, professional and friendly service.

When Mary approached us to assist in the challenge BNA were only too happy to be involved.

We have chosen specific staff who have the determination and resilience to ensure Mary is given the best possible opportunity to "live the dream".

I believe that the whole Team we have pulled together; Mary, Handicare (the suppliers of the power chair) and the BNA, along with Mary's chosen charities - The Royal British Legion and The Poppy Apeal, for whom we hope to raise funds on route. We believe we have the "Dream Team" to make the dream a reality.

Update

19th February 09

Update

I have been away from this blog now for sometime, that is because the new power chair i am making the next attempt on the E2E will not be launched until March

I will be at the Nidex Show, 28th, 29th 30th April in Birmingham on the manufacturers stand with power chair X.

I tried out the chair at Newcastle Airport prior to our meeting last Tuesday and i can assure you that my response was 'This is fabulous' The chair rides well, looks like a posh power chair, but with more speed, lovely suspension, and 100% comfort. There are so many adjustment you can make on it to suite ones personal requirements to enable anyone to feel comfortable. I did ask what it will retail at, i can assure you that the answer i got put this chair in at the bottom of the middle price range so should be available to every one. if you are looking to buy a power chair then my advice would be to hang fire until this power chair has been launched.

I shall be getting my power chair x in the very near future and i will be putting it through it paces in preparation for the E2E. including trying to do at least 30 miles in one day with a battery charge in between. I will report back to you via this blog my finding.

What i can tell you is that my support team is going to be provided by The British Nursing Assocation and at its team head is Alistair Legg from North Tyneside, thanks BNA, and i am getting a lot of support from my local British Legion and Poppy Appeal representatives. Thanks for that guys.

What i can tell you is that planning is well under way and we had our last meeting at Newcastle Airport on the 17th when we made a large step foreard in out planning and that our next meeting will be next month, again on the 17th March.

I can confirm that our chosen charity is going to be split between The Royal British Legion and The Poppy Appeal. We are looking for ex-service men and women to drive the other two power chairs. To qualify, you must be a power chair driver, physical fit enough to do part or the whole of the challenge, we are looking at having one of the chairs manned by a relay team. If you are intested in being part of the team in any capacity, power chair driver, cyclist, driver, general dogs body, then please email mary.laver.e2e@googlemail.com telling me what you wish to do and i will pass your details on.

Lastly, at our last meeting, as i am very keen on supporting organic foods and Fair Trade, i got the team members to taste the difference between organic fruit, veg, cheese and they were all amazed that the orgainc food was much more tasty than the none orgainc food.

Well that is my update.

New Tital, New Power Chair

5th February 09

British not World Record.

As readers to this blog, and there are, on average, 5 per day, will no that i have not been keeping you up to date on what is going on, there is a good reason.

I have been invited by a power chair company to be part of their team to drive 2 or 3 power chair on the E2E. The name of this company, will for the next two weeks, have to remain anonymous.

What i can tell you is that we shall be using one or more of the four Cycling Touring Clubs Routes. That the team will be about 12 to 15, and that this time, god willing and a good breeze, i will get to John O'Groats. So please keep watching this blog for updates.

We are also, because 'The Book' no longer recognises LETJOG as a world record, we are changing it to a British Record and i am going to look into registering it as so.

There we have it, an update. Speak again soon.