Sponsored by
Rift Valley trip a ‘life changer’
Michael Platt -
If you are in Longridge Booths this coming Friday or Saturday, you may well have your shopping packed into bags by the cheerful young man pictured on the right.
He is BT apprentice power technician Michael Platt who, in two months time, is off to Africa to help a small community surviving in one of the most remote areas of the Great Rift Valley.
Michael, who lives in Inglewhite Road, in Longridge, and is a former pupil at St Cecilia’s High School, sees the trip as a particularly large and life changing event.
He is to travel with 30 other BT employees and they will be carrying out development work in a greatly deprived area which. he says “lacks the very basics we all take for granted today”.
But to do this life-transforming work, he needs to raise a minimum of £3,500 before the team’s departure in early November, money which will go to help the work undertaken by the charity he’s going with, Challenge Worldwide: Training for Life.
Michael explains: “A donation of any size would be a terrific help, as it would contribute massively to the lives we are going to change with this big project.
“All money goes towards construction materials which will be used to renovate an existing school, build a water purification system, install further solar panels and building a medic bush clinic.
“Specialist transportations are also needed as the Makat village community has access to only one dilapidated Land Rover - when it works - which belongs to the school’s headmaster.”
Michael has raised £1,827 so far with lots of backing from family, friends, neighbours and by visiting neighbourng householders door-to-door to tell them about the project.
He added:“I’ve also raised quiet a chunk at St Wilfrid’s RC Church on Derby Road, where they have allowed £732 raised from two bake sales -one in the parish room and a larger one at the civic hall - to go directly to the charity, and a huger thank you for all that help.
“My friend Joseph Ashworth willingly allowed people to cut his hair at a party, so long as everyone chipped in some money to go towards the charity.That raised £71, while a doughnut sale and raffle at work in Preston Telephone House reeled in £110.”
His former school is planning a non-uniform day and Michael himself is currently organising an Eighties/Nineties Night at Longridge Cricket Club on Friday. September 14, starting at 7.30pm.
Tickets at £4 are available from him by phoning 01772 784784 or his mobile 07403695908 and at work 07407750692, and for donations e-mail: ChallengeWorldwide@gmail.com.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Longridge
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 6 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 29 mph
Wind direction: North east
