Our new fund raising event, the Hootenanny, which takes place on Saturday, September 25, has now been launched! We hope you can come and join us for a fun evening of food and dancing. Please encourage your friends and family to also come along as its sure to prove a great night for a good cause.

You would have to be crazy to cross the Himalayan Mountains on a bicycle. But to raise money for a worthy cause sometimes requires something out of the ordinary.

In September 2004, Ben Roache, Chris Harney and Andrew Puglia will attempt to do the seemingly impossible, To raise money for Udayan, and Indian bases charity for children with leprosy, they will cycle approximately 2300km, climb 30, 00ft of mountain ascents, cross 10 mountain passes, reach Mount Everest Base Camp, experience extremes in climatic conditions, cycle down one of the worlds longest downhill descents of 14,000ft and at times breath air will less than 50% oxygen than found at sea level. The trip will begin on the Tibetan Plateau and will finish at the home of Udayan in Kolkata ( Calcutta ). All of this will be achieved in 60 days, hopefully with the boys and bikes intact. The trip will be self funded, so every penny donated will go directly to Udayan.

Please help us to help the children and sponsor the *’Tour de Tibet’*. Cheques to be made payable to *’Friends of Udayan’* and sent to Coachman’s Cottage, Horsham Road, South Holmwood, Surrey, RH5 4LZ.

For more information, contact Chris Harney at tou_de_tibet@hotmail.com or Kathryn Spink at kathryn.spink@ukgateway.net