Latest News

Charity Challenge wins award for being the “Best Special/Challenge Event Partner”

January 25, 2013

We are very pround, and quite excited, to annoucne that Charity Challenge won the award for ‘Best /Special Challenge Event Partner’ in the Institute of Fundraising ‘Partners in Fundraising Awards’!

We had an amazing evening at the ceremony last night. And we’d like to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who voted for us.

We are delighted and very proud to have been able to support over 1369 different charities over the last 13yrs, helping them to fundraise over £35m for their causes all over the world! We always strive to offer the best level of support and resources possible for our charitable partners, particularly in this difficult economic climate. Some of these services include:

•    A huge range of overseas challenges including treks, bike rides, mountain climbs, skiing, dog sledding, sledge hauling, running, sky diving and community challenges.

•     Free marketing support (brochures, posters, newsletters, films, charity branded web pages, images, slide shows, presentations, webinars) and strategy workshops helping charities identify which audiences to target in this economic downturn.

•    Assured responsible travel, as we invest both in local community support projects (c.£20k in 2012 and offset the carbon emissions of our internaitonal flights (c.25k in 2012).

We work very hard to ensure that we provide the best possible experience for our charity partners and their supporters.To find out more about what Charity Challenge are all about, and how you can work with us, please visit our website at www.charitychallenge.com

Challenges, Inspiration

The BT Red Nose Challenge: Hell and High Water – team training day!

January 24, 2013

Last week, five members of The BT Red Nose Challenges: Hell and High Water team, Jack Dee, Dara O’Briain, Greg James, Chelsee Healey and Melanie C, all made a trip to Lee Valley White Water Rafting Centre for some last minute training on the water.

With regards to how it all went, he pictures tell a thousand words

If you’ve been inspired and want to take on your own experience of a lifetime, then check out our amazing and global range of treks, bike rides and mountain climbs here. You can even take part in our exclusive Zambezi challenge. Click here to receive details once the challenge is complete.

Inspiration, Latest News

Charity Challenge announced as the official organiser of the ‘BT Red Nose Challenge: Hell and High Water’ in aid of Comic Relief!

January 22, 2013

We are excited to once again be working with Comic Relief in putting together and project managing a jaw dropping challenge, aimed to take a team of celebrities out of their comfort zone to the extreme, and inspire millions of people to donate much needed funds to support the work of Comic Relief.

The Hell and High Water challenge will take place in Africa’s Zambezi River and see former Spice Girl and current solo artist Melanie Chisholm, Waterloo Road actress and Strictly Come Dancing runner up Chelsee Healey, Radio 1 DJ Greg James, Olympian Phillips Idowu and top comedians Dara O’Briain and Jack Dee battling the rapids and dodging the crocs and hippos as they canoe and white water raft over 100kms down Africa’s mighty Zambezi River … all in the name of raising vital funds and awareness for Comic Relief!

The team will be battling torrential downpours and negotiating white water sections of both the upper and lower Zambezi River, in parts facing up to Grade 5 rapids. By night they will be camping on remote islands in the river.

Dara O’Briain: “When I was first asked to do this challenge, I did a quick Google Search of Zambezi rafting, but after a tenth page of people being instantly flung into the water, I turned off the computer… But lives can be changed if people put their hands in their pockets in exchange for our misery so that sounds like a fair deal”.

The Hell and High Water challenge starts this on Monday when the intrepid team leave the relative comfort and luxury of the UK and begin their journey into deepest Africa. There is still quite a way to go, and we’ll be following the team every step of the way as they prepare for the experience of a lifetime!

To keep up to date on all things Hell and High water, you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to our Blog, YouTube account and mailing list. You can also find out all about the challenge and see the latest news here.

You can also listen out for live Radio 1 interviews with the celebs whilst out in Zambia, and watch the BBC documentary about the challenge being aired in March. We’ll keep you posted!

If you’ve been inspired and want to take on your own experience of a lifetime, then check out our amazing and global range of treks, bike rides and mountain climbs here. You can even take part in our exclusive Zambezi challenge. Click here to receive details once the challenge is complete.

Challenges, Inspiration

Charity Challenge Operations Manager Jo experiences India for the first time on our secluded ‘Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek’ challenge!

January 14, 2013

As the Operations Manager for India and Asia at Charity Challenge, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to venture into the Himalayas on trails only trodden by Charity Challenge trekkers and the local Tibetan Community. Being the Operations Manager of the Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek, I know that the Himalayas are a very sought after trekking destination, especially with the spiritual element of a visit to the home of the Dalai Lama. This popularity can sometimes make the Himalayas appear to be a crowded place, but many of our participants come back from the challenge and write to me saying how quiet and exclusive their trek was, and how much more they loved it for this reason! So I decided to head out to India and experience the tranquility for myself.

Those that don’t know much about India, apart from the overwhelming crowds of people, not to mention the usual clichés of, crazy roads  jam-packed with vehicles, tuc tucs, cows and dogs walking along the roads and pavements, and the sheer extremes of poverty and riches, may be surprised when I tell you that I felt free from the hustle and bustle of London and enveloped in the peace and tranquility of India!

I trekked our most exclusive and secluded challenge, the “Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek”, and whilst trekking in the shadows of the world’s highest peak I found myself stopping and listening to the silence and taking in the awe-inspiring scenery of alpine forests, beautiful meadows back-dropped with snow capped mountains, and small Tibetan villages hidden in the rolling hills.

If you are new to the life of Tibet and the movement into India following the Dalai Lama then you will find this challenge as fascinating as I did, as you start in Dharamsala with a ‘clockwise’ walk around the Dalai Lama’s Temple. You will learn about Tibetan Buddhism and the issues it faces today, and see how Tibet is preserved in India through the practicing of traditional Tibetan arts and crafts at the Norbulinka Institute.

I will have to apologise to you now, as after just a few days I have learnt so much and realised how little I knew about India, and I won’t feasibly be able to share with you all the amazing experiences and revelations I’ve had so far! However, I can say with certainty that if you want a challenge where you will trek the mountains with tribal Tibetan nomads and their goats, learn all about why cows are head of the household, be greeted by the friendly faces and smiles of the Tibetan/Indian people and see how you can help Charity Challenge give back to the communities of this area, then you should definitely check out our September and November 2013 departure dates for our Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek. Click here for all the info!

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Jo Warren