FUNDRAISING REACHES DIZZYING HEIGHTS
Dear Friends of Tanya,
I’d like to tell you that more than five thousand pounds for The Tanya Fund was raised on September 18, 2005.
Set up in memory of Tanya Bocking who died in an outdoor activity accident in December 2003, the fund aims to improve the level of qualifications and the representation of minorities amongst outdoor education professionals in Britain.
For the benefit of the BBC, Tanya’s partner Kim Foster and I had to abseil twice and 56 other people - aged from eight to sixty-eight - also took part. Many were first-timers overcoming their fears to descend the 120 foot sea cliffs at Peacehaven, East Sussex.
Coverage in the regional media has raised awareness of the opportunities provided by the Brighton-based outdoor education charity Adventure Unlimited which Tanya was the general manager of when she died.
Adventure Unlimited provided the facilities and personnel. Employees Emma Callar, Bob Swain, Olly Foolkes and Steve Mackenzie were aided by volunteers Malcolm Mackenzie, Bruce Finch and Martin Thomas. Without such dedicated people there would be far fewer opportunites for young people to develop self-confidence and self-reliance, a sense of achievement and responsibility, leadership skills and self-esteem in Brighton.
Many of the day’s bravest first-time abseilers were children who had known Tanya from participating in Adventure Unlimited’s ‘818’ youth club. Some had persuaded their parents to have a go as well. The value of outdoor education was expressed in the words of participant Kim Turner: “I am proud of my 11 year old daughter who persuaded me to do it with her! The instructor (Bob) who saw me over the top was absolutely brilliant at putting me at ease. ”
Kim Turner said she took part because “I wanted to give something back to Adventure Unlimited as my kids have had great times with them. They bring opportunities for loads of local children who would otherwise not be able to have these experiences for financial or other reasons.”
Event organiser Paul Jarvis announced that the total pledges received totalled £4,951 but with revenue from sales of photos still to be tallied, the grand total is set to exceed £5000. Well into the spirit of rising to a challenge was the outstanding example of sixteen year old Raffi DeLeon who individually raised over 400 pounds.
Education and Skills Minister Ruth Kelly said recently “The Government wants outdoor learning, including school visits, to be part of every pupil’s experience” as it prepares the Outdoor Education Manifesto following a critical report from a committee of MPs who blamed fear of “compensation culture” for a decline in the number of trips carried out by schools.
But a challenge facing outdoor education organisations in Britain is the retention of qualified instructors. A barrier to career advancement for many of them is the cost of training and qualification courses. The entry-level wages don’t support the indivdual’s cost of training and, in comparison to other fields, financial assistance is scarce.
Consequently (in a climate of safety concerns) there are fewer highly qualified instructors than the industry needs and too few women and ethnic minority instructors to reflect the diversity of society.
Tanya experienced this financial barrier herself and she had recognised a need for a greater diversity of role models for her clients. It was her ambition to do something about it. The Tanya Fund was conceived in the spirit of her personal philosophy: Do the most you can with whatever resources you have. Every person assisted by this fund may ultimately benefit thousands of others. Everyone who knew Tanya hopes the opportunities the fund will enable will be a fitting tribute to a remarkable person.
The Tanya Fund aims to raise £5,000 each year from gifts and donations and expects to make five or six awards every year up to £1,000 each - the actual amount depends on the quantity and quality of applications received. The fund will be administered by Adventure Unlimited with award decisions made by a panel of independent trustees, family members and friends of Tanya. The details of the application process are to be announced shortly.
If you pledged to sponsor anyone in the abseil, I thank you wholeheartedly and now ask that you now make out a cheque to Adventure Unlimited. If you are a taxpayer, please don’t forget to check the gift aid box on the form the abseiler gave you.
Kind regards,
Nat Bocking
