Farewell Fun and an Emotional Goodbye

With lots of chores to be done before the Venturers could depart, we organised a Tug of War Tournament for the winners to be able to choose which task they would complete.

Playing knock out rounds the final featured Echo Three and Tango Six. Each group was fit and strong from spending the last 19 days digging a trench for 7 hours a day and trekking and cycling 200k respectively.

Echo Three - "Heave!"

Tango Six - "Ho!"

Echo Three - "Heave!"

Tango Six - "Ho!"



Echo Three - "Heave!"


... and so it was with brute force and determination that Echo Three cinched it and dragged Tango Six across the line into the dust.



The moment Tango Six slipped over the line, crowning Echo Three the champions

The afternoon was then spent doing final reviews and then once the tasks had been completed it was time to celebrate as everyone donned their glad rags and made their way to Field base's transformed roof terrace for
The Golden Ganesh Awards.

The Awards recognised the varety of contributions Venturers and PMs have made to the Raleigh 10K exedition, from best sleeper, to biggest casanova, to Masterchef.

Additionally, there were two special awards voted for by the PMs for Most Outstanding Male and Female Venturers. With many amazing individuals amongst the Raleigh 10K group it was difficult to choose, but the well deserved winners were awarded the prestigous accolades for their consistent contribution, positivity and inspirational leadership.

Congratulations to:

Amy Gannon

Robbie Dwyer

&

After some emotional thank you speeches and Polly B's amazing expedition slideshow that reminded everyone on what an amazing journey Raleigh has been, the music was cranked up and we partied the night away.

Then far too soon, this morning it was time to say goodbye as we sent the Venturers on their way, back out into world. Some are heading up to Banglaore tonight to catch flights back to their homes while others are carrying on travelling.

We hope we've sent them on their way with amazing memories, of an incredible experience that will stay with them to motivate and inspire them to lead extradinory lives ...

All text by Polly Carpenter and photos by Polly Baldwin http://www.dynamicpictures.co.uk/ (unless stated otherwise).

The Venturers Return for the Raleigh 10K Finale

Christmas has engulfed Field base in celebration of the Venturers and PMs return this morning. With tinsel everywhere and the Christmas tunes blaring out, we were so excited to welcome them all back from their final phase.

It's a bitter sweet time though, as although we're all so excited to see everyone and catch up with their news, it's all tinged with the sad reality that the Raleigh 10K expedition is coming to a close. But not before we celebrate and party in style!

It's final skit night tonight where each group will entertain, amuse and most likely sing a theatrical account of their phase. Then tomorrow we're up at dawn for the Fun Run before a day of wash-up and reviews topped off with the big leaving party complete with Golden Ganesh Awards.

I'll be inviting some Guest Blogs from the PMs over the next few days to summarise their final phase and describe their achievements.

Thanks also to everyone who's sponsored the Fun Run, over £700 has been raised so far! All the money will go towards Raleigh projects in India like the ones the 10K expedition have been working on.  If you'd like to sponsor someone please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Raleigh-India-Fun-Run

Merry Christmas One and all!

Polly C x

Raleigh India 10K Fun Run!

During final wash up Field base will be organising a 5K and a 10K Fun Run for the Venturers and PMs to raise money for Raleigh India projects.

They will of had 9 weeks out on Phase to get fit. The Adventure Phase saw them tackling arduous treks, challenging cycle routes and extreme rafting. The Environmental Phase was hard core digging, giving them a full body work out. While the Community Phase involved hard manual labour carrying heavy bricks building up their muscles ... But now it's time to see what they're really made of.

So on Thursday 16th December it will be every man for himself, as we cast off the Raleigh ethos of team work and pit them head to head up against each other. Those signed up so far are:

5K

Caroline, Hannah W, Kat, Raghu, Natalie

10K

Olly, Dr Phil, Rach, Hannah L, George, Simon, Coen, Michiel, Iain, Erdinch, Jen, Anniek, Arthur, Kim, Jonny, Owen, Jack, Hubertus, David, Ryan, Sam, Olivia, Sarah, Polly C, Anna, Dr Josse

Importantly though, they will all be raising money for Raleigh India projects, so we're asking Venturer & PM friends and family to sponsor them at http://www.justgiving.com/raleigh-india-fun-run/.

Fundraising money from venturers to join a Raleigh expedition covers the cost of their experience and of running our permanent field bases. However, it only goes some of the way of covering the costs of building materials and local labour for our projects which support marginalised communities and environments in India.

India witnesses a huge disparity between the urbanised wealthy and the rural poor. Although government initiatives are targeting this and attempting to redress the balance; changing an embedded culture in a sub-continent as huge as India is not a fast process.

By partnering with both local grass roots NGOs, government agencies and international NGOs, Raleigh has been able to access and address some core issues here in India.

The Community projects focus on a targeted areas, building relationships, friendships and exchanging culture, educating them in the importance of education for their children, community health, and giving them the means to sustain a their livelihood in an environmentally friendly way.

Our Environmental projects in India focus on educating communities and youth in reducing the human impact upon habitats to preserve the natural biodiversity. The projects concentrate measures on reducing the interaction between wild animals and people and the resultant negative impact on people or their resources, or wild animals or their habitat.

To learn more about the Raleigh India community and environmental project strategies please link here http://www.raleighinternational.org/countries/india

Although Raleigh expeditions are relatively small groups, the message we send in our presence and activities here has a huge multiplying effect. Through concentrated and sustained efforts our project groups have begun to make a tangible difference in the areas Raleigh India has focused. But we always need more money, as there is so much more we can do. So please dig deep and donate now.

All text by Polly Carpenter and photos by Polly Baldwin http://www.dynamicpictures.co.uk/ (unless stated otherwise).

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

When an end is really a beginning...

(above: Sofia "Sofa" Maudslay is comforted by PM Liz Allen at the conclusion of Raleigh 09C.)

Hear that?

That silence is the vacuum created by 70 absent venturers, all of have fled field base for the next step of their adventures.

Now, before your Blog Boss waxes lyrical on the human condition and all things ending and beginning, let's put some minds at ease: The entire 09C cohort have left Raleigh safety after an amazing washup party and many (many) tearful farewells.

The BA 118 flight back to the UK carrying 13 venturers left from Bangalore airport on time (at something like 5am this morning. Ouch) and everyone else spent their first night unguarded by project managers in Mysore.

So with the knowledge that everyone left Raleigh safe and happy, read on!

(Below: Host country venturer Mani gets a bear hug from Emily Jenkinson)

Here's a quick analysis of the 09C expedition:

- 12,000km trekked in Kerala

- 45 eco-sanitation units built for every family in Kalaiahnahalla

- 14 homes built for those who previously did not have them in Kappikadu

- 800 residents in and around Anaikatty village protected by elephants

- And elephants in Bandipur national park protected from people with an anti-poaching camp!

- 500 copies of the expedition magazine printed

- 115,000 words written on the blog in 34 posts and 948 comments

- 6000 photographs taken (by the photographer and helpers)

- 113 rolls of zinc oxide tape were used, along with...

- 600 rolls of toilet paper!

- Four lost trangia handles

- 150 tins of tuna

- 100 destroyed tent pegs...

- And the sanity of one public relations officer.

Washup started with the venturers rolling in to field base on their buses from their respective camp sites after a string of inauguration ceremonies to officially open the work of Raleigh India.

On the first night, we watched a slide show of photographer Ann Taylor's beautiful images, which was carefully put together by host Country Venturer coordinator Vijay. The show was an emotional roller-coaster which captured the highs and (far less frequent) lows of expedition life, featuring everything from photographs of Holly Gottlieb's huge blisters during trek to Guna's spectacular dance moves.

On Saturday, the venturers cleaned themselves (we promise!), field base and their kit before gearing up for a fashion parade.

Each alpha group were asked to create costumes to fit three categories: work wear, traditional dress and formal wear...

...there are three billion words in the English language and quite frankly, I can't think of any to describe the fashion that went on show so instead, check out the pictures and let us know how you would describe it!

Alpha 1 represented by: William Jaggard, Leanne Moses, Claire de Vries, Eveline Bloemandal, Charlie Howell and Tom de Wilton

Alpha 2 represented by: Hobby, Rosanna Townsend, Anuta Pardeshi, Remi Bumstead, Tjebbe Lodeizen, Angel Jordan-Akiwumi and Parthi

Alpha 3, represented by Alex Langman, Tilly Wallace, Hamish Roberts, Ella Dryden, Becca Musgrave and Gavin Harrop

Alpha 4 represented by Mubarak, Sarah Khalil, Jo Morton, Ricardo Davis, Seb Bush-Hipwood, Alli Legge, James Windsor-Clive and Guna

The parade was ably compered by field base's most glamorous pairing, Deputy Programme Manager Danielle Esterhuysen and medic Andrew Cox who almost stole the show, if not for James Windsor-Clive's stunning catwalk entry, the pricefetched for auctioning Ricardo and Hamish's great attempt at being dapper.

A huge chicken barbecue was followed by an emotional round of speeches and thank yous, particularly for India Country Director Gavin Shelton, who announced that Raleigh 09C would be his last expedition.

(Above: Gavin addressing the 09C cohort for the last time.)

Gavin received a book of memories, photographs and notes from his friends, family, past and present venturers and volunteer managers, and was thanked with a standing ovation from the crowd.

(Below: Tjebbe Lodeizen, Zoe Hamersley, Jo Morton and Ed Kneale lead a standing ovation in recognition of Gavin's 18 months establishing and steering Raleigh India.)

The following day - Sunday - bought more emotion as the venturers packed their bags and prepared for life after Raleigh.

Our eight host country venturers were the first to wave goodbye and there were many tears as Guna spoke to the entire cohort, saying just how much he had gained from being part of Faleigh India.

(Below: Akhil, Mubarak, Sumith, Mani, Guna, Sreejith, Mukesh and Parthi loading up the Bravo vehicle to head home)

And before we knew it, it was time for everyone else to board the bus to Mysore or Bangalore in a ceremony that had a touch of finality about it as hugs were shared and tears were shed.

And that, in the words of Jim Morrison, is the end, my friend.

I've had a few comments wanting more photographs so I'm going to do the contemporary thing and suggest if you want more from Raleigh India, you can join the Facebook group. Search for "India 09C" and it should be pretty easy to find, you'll see lots of familiar faces in the members from the photographs on this blog and with luck everyone will start loading their photographs there over the coming weeks.

Tomorrow is the last day for the staff here at fieldbase. Tomorrow night the entire gang will board a train to Mangalore to unwind from 14 weeks of fieldbase and project.

And just to prove how much I don't really want this to end... expect the final post... tomorrow.