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Sewa International, FREEPOST LE 6407, 46-48 Loughborough Road, Leicester, LE4 5LD, UK

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The UKs first structured volunteering scheme to target the Indian diaspora was launched today in North West London with the support of Cricketing hero Monty Panesar.
The 1.3 million Indian community in Britain is recognised to be charitable and supportive of causes internationally and in Britain, often repatriating huge sums of money to causes in India and elsewhere. However, this new initiative seeks to take advantage of their interest in volunteering by making it easier for them to find local groups and charities, which can make good use of their time, skills, and experiences.


SEWA VOLUNTEERS is a flagship initiative of leading British charity – Sewa International. Whilst it is aimed at promoting volunteering to the Indian diaspora, it is not restricted to the community and interest from people of all backgrounds is welcome.

In the first phase, the scheme is to be implemented in North West London, which is home to a large Indian population. It is envisaged that this scheme will be rolled out in other cities and towns with significant Indian populations.

The first set of partner charities are:

• Harrow Mencap – works with people with learning difficulties
• Middlesex Association for the Blind – help the visually impaired
• Age Concern Harrow – lend a hand to the elderly
• Sansaar – teach Gujarati through pantomime and music

The Fryent Country Park (Barn Hill) Conservation Project – protect the natural environment

This is the FIRST scheme targeted at the Indian Diaspora which:

• Provides volunteers for a number of local causes.
• Actively monitors & manages the ‘volunteer experience’.
• Transcends all affiliations to temples, faith groups, youth groups, regional groups, caste associations, companies and businesses etc.

By promoting volunteering, Sewa International aims to:

• Engage people from all backgrounds with local projects that deliver services to disadvantaged communities. By doing so, providing our partner charities with much needed skills and experiences that enable their success in dealing with tough social issues.
  
  
• Build awareness of social & cultural issues challenging local communities in Britain.
  
  
• Raise the profile and virtue of public service. The Indian diaspora is renowned for its philanthropy and financial support for causes. This initiative aims to promote the need to provide ‘time’.

How to register as a SewaVolunteer:

• On-line – www.sewavolunteers.org
• Paper registration forms can be provided by calling: 020 7193 7108
• A team of volunteers will be attending key events & festivals to recruit volunteers

Arup Ganguly, President of Sewa International (North London), said:

“The most valuable commodity that people can donate to charity, in this relentless world, is their time. I find the willingness of our community to give up their leisure time to help the needy, quite frankly, humbling.”

Due diligence: “We’ve conducted interviews and assessments of the charities in order to satisfy ourselves that those who register with this scheme will be managed properly and will receive guidance and support throughout their association with a particular charity.”

On volunteers: “We value the time that people want to give. To ensure that they receive appropriate advice, we will brief each volunteer individually with the aim of understanding their background and motivation in coming forward so that we are able to pair them with a local group where we believe a ‘fit’ exists.”

Future plan: “We envisage this scheme expanding to include other towns, cities, and we will also focus on developing relationships with companies who encourage volunteering as part of their training & development programmes. Eventually, we’d like to promote volunteering as a tool to encourage development internationally by providing opportunities overseas.”



VOLUNTEERING - KEY FACTS:

Source: ‘Helping Out: A national survey of volunteering and charitable giving’ – Cabinet Office, 5th Sept 2007:

2,705 people in England were interviewed for ‘Helping Out: A national survey of volunteering and charitable giving’. More than half (58 per cent) had both volunteered and donated to charity in the last 12 months, and most (81 per cent) had given to a charity within the last four weeks.

The most common reasons for volunteering were ‘to improve things or help people’ (53 per cent), ‘because the cause was important’ (41 per cent) or ‘because they had spare time’ (41 per cent).

59 per cent had volunteered in the last year (39 per cent had done so at least monthly), and 69 per cent in the last five years, with an estimated economic value of £38.9 billion;

On average, volunteers had given 11 hours over the last four weeks;

Positive feelings were expressed on the experience of volunteering – nearly all (95 per cent) of regular volunteers said their efforts were appreciated and nine in 10 had the chance to do activities they liked;

Cited benefits of volunteering included satisfaction from seeing the results, a sense of personal achievement, and the opportunity to meet people and make new friends;

Those in the 34-44 and 55-64 age brackets, women, the employed and people of religious faith were more likely to volunteer than other social groups;

There is room for improvement in organisation (31 per cent said their volunteering could be better organised) and in reducing bureaucracy (mentioned by 28 per cent).

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

NOTES:

1.    SEWA INTERNATIONAL.

2.    HARROW MENCAP
Doreen Luff, 020 8423 7382, www.harrowmencap.org.uk

3.    SANSAAR
Shandip Shah, 07780 690432, www.sansaar.org

4.    MIDDX ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND
David Pearce, 020 8423 5141, www.aftb.org.uk

5.    AGE CONCERN HARROW
Jackie Butler, 020 8861 7997, www.acharrow.org.uk

6.    BARN HILL CONSERVATION GROUP
Cathy Northcroft, 020 8206 0589, www.bhcg.ik.com


For further details about Sewa International UK contact: Sanjay Jagatia, Public Relations Coordinator

 

REPORT By: Satish Shah Sewa International Trek Coordinator

Our group consisted of 24 people, including 10 females (between the ages of
17-59). The 8-day high altitude trek started with a drive from Leh to
Choksi. On the 3rd Day we crossed Kang La pass at 5260m and carried on to
Palam Peak 5360m. This was an achievement for most people who had no
previous high altitude trek experience. On Day 4 we encountered snow and
mist as we made our way to the eco friendly village of Rumbak, where there
is no electricity and running water and where all waste is recycled.

Day 5: We crossed Stok La pass, 4900m, having seen distinct rock formations.
The next day we made it to Stok Kangri base camp, 4800m. On Day 7, we left
our camp at 1am with torches, in freezing conditions. At around 4am we put
on ice crampons and started the ascent of Stok Kangri, 6114m. The snow
covered steep ascent was very difficult though the views were breath taking.
13 successfully completed the 8 day trek which was very demanding but
fulfilling.

Ladakh has a magic charm however life can be tough for the local residents.

The last day in Delhi was spent visiting various Sewa projects in the city
slums. This was a real eye opener. A total of £42,541 has been raised.

Comments from participants:

The trek was very well organised and afforded complete participation. The
awareness of these activities should be well publicised and therefore allow
a lot of notices to start challenging their own abilities and perceptions. I
thoroughly recommend interested people to make contact and find out
more............

Raju Shah - Luton

The Ladakh trek was another personal achievement after completing the
Kilimanjaro trek in 2006 and previously in 2004. Having personally raised
almost £10,000, The fundraising was put into perspective when I saw the
actual complete devotion of SEWA work being carried out in Delhi. The
dedication of the volunteers in schools, orphanages and medical facilities
shows what can be achieved with a few funds. It is a triumph that SEWA
International has virtually no overhead and administration costs compared to
other charities, which makes me want to donate and fundraise again and again
knowing that every penny goes where it counts.

Professor Janesh Gupta - Birmingham

It was an honour to take part in the tough trek and see Ladakh Himalayan
mountain range and raise funds for those less fortunate. So much more we can
do.

Dinesh Shah - Bradford

Arise awake and take up the challenge.

Shaila Gosrani - Bradford

The Kilimanjaro Trek held in 2006 raised £61,800.

Ladakh Trek 2008 is scheduled for the first two weeks in September 2008.


 

 

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation will organise a global campaign to mobilise young people, across religious divides, to work together towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Tony Blair said that the Millennium Development Goals are “the litmus test” of the world’s values.

Tony Blair said:

“The Millennium Development Goals are stark in their ambition and necessity. We are falling short as a world in meeting them. It would be a great example of faith in action to try to bridge the gap and awaken the world’s conscience.”

Kisumu:
 
Two officials of Hindu Council of Kenya (HCK) visited Kisumu to get a first hand report of the damage and looting in Kisumu.  They were there for two days – 9th and 10th January 2008.

Shantibhai Shah of HCK said “The situation during those days was not settled.  President Kibaki had announced his cabinet and there was a lot of unease in Kisumu.  Hon. Kilonzo Musyoka of ODM-Kenya was appointed Vice President and Minister of Home Affairs.  There were some skirmishes between the tribe of Hon. Raila Odinga and that of Hon. Kilonzo Musyoka in Kisumu.  In spite of such tension, the officials continued with their visit.”
 
On arrival at the airport of Kisumu, the two officials – Mr M L Pindolia and Mr. P D Pattni, both Trustees of Hindu Council of Kenya – were received by the officials there and then taken to Sanatan Mandir there the meeting between the people of Kisumu and the trustees was held.  It was a very charged meeting.  Lots of different issues were discussed.  The main ones are summarised hereunder:
 

Shantibhai Shah continued “HCK officials held another meeting with the personnel of the Suraksha Seva Programme.  They gave advice on some of the practical aspects of continuing the programme.  The meeting came up with a form for assessing the loss and damage within the community.  This form was distributed to all affected people.  Later, HCK circulated the form to all those affected throughout the country. 

The looting and stealing has not stopped yet.  Small things are still being taken from the already burnt out and looted properties.   
 
Quite a lot of people have lost their jobs.  Prices of essential goods have gone up quite considerably.  People have resorted to trying to sell looted goods at very little prices for lack of money but no buyers are available.
 
Some places were saved by paying protection money.  In one place, money was collected from a group of people to see that they were not attacked”. 

 

 
Mombasa:
 
There were demonstrations in Mombasa.  These were broken up by government and there followed a lot of disturbances.  The authorities tried to limit the disturbances by sealing off all the roads leading to the centre of the city.  Fortunately there was not so much looting or damage in Mombasa.
 
Eldoret:
 
Eldoret was burning.  More than a quarter million people were displaced due to burning and looting in areas around the town.  A church was set on fire and 40 women and children were burnt to death.  No one could leave or enter the town.  It was completely sealed off for a while.  The chaos somehow did not reach the town itself and most businesses and homes were spared.
 
Kakamega:
 
Kakamega had disturbances but again mostly were kept out of town.  However, there were many disturbances and it took its toll.  Businesses in smaller towns were affected – some were looted completely.
 
Sanjay Jagatia, spokesperson for Sewa International UK said “we are all very concerned about the situation in Kenya and is praying for the safety of all the people there. We have all seen the TV news coverage of the situation and find the events distressing and we know that this must be anxious moments for everyone. However, we are sure that with everyone’s mutual support the people of Kenya can overcome the hard times together”.
 
Mr Jagatia continued “Sewa International UK has immediately dispatched £5,000 to be remitted for Emergency Relief Aid Work in Kenya to assist in the present programmes.

In addition we will continue to work with our partner NGOs in Kenya-Hindu Council of Kenya & Bharatiya Swayamsevak Sangh Kenya and monitor the need to provide medium and long term assistance to the innocent victims who have suffered due to this crisis”.

KETAN PATEL - BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF 'THE MASTER STRATEGIST':

London, UK: On Sunday, 2nd December 2007, Ketan Patel, renowned investment banker, strategist, and best-selling author delivered the keynote address at an inaugural event titled 'The 2007 Indus Insight' organised by leading British Charity - Sewa International.

As a result of his time at leading investment bank, Goldman Sachs, Patel cultivated a powerful network of substantive authorities in various fields of work. This unique access to people in high places gave him the
opportunity to discuss fundamental questions facing us, in particular, the strategies for creating peace, prosperity and freedom.

"The presence of the world's richest, such as Gates and Buffett, willing to donate their billions to solve the world's most important issues combined with the breakthroughs in medicine, electronics and materials gives us the opportunity to make a historic shift in seemingly structural poverty. However, this will not happen unless we have master strategists to change minds and behaviours and re-architect our values" said Patel

He added: "The most lasting legacy of history's great strategic minds is to teach us how to strive for power so that our countries, businesses, communities and leaders can win. It has not taught us how to instil peace, prosperity and freedom.

On behalf of Sewa International, Mr. Abhay Chopada said: "We agree with his analysis that if we are to address the key challenges facing the world or even in our very own local communities, we will need to bring a paradigm shift in the way we view the world. In particular, we believe that a shift in values will only take place if we rise above our individual aspirations to take into account what's good for our society as a whole. On this count alone, we consider Sewa International's emphasis on collective and selfless action as an excellent example of a group re-architecting the values and DNA of our society."

Mr. Chopada added: "Sewa International's guiding principle of 'serving humanity' takes into consideration that along with our individual rights, we also have societal responsibilities. From a strategy perspective, we believe that civic, charitable, and other such organisations have a crucial and strategic role in delivering this change, which will eventually benefit humanity."

Ketan Patel spoke of the need for charities like Sewa International to embrace an agenda that promotes a fundamental change in values by saying: "The rate of growth of our need to consume everything the world has can only lead to a deadly conflict for resources. All our measures of prosperity and progress demand that we keep consuming. Historically this was called "greed". Today we use words such as "consumer society". Science may make the breakthroughs that enable us to continue this pattern of behaviour by creating plenty. Only a fundamental change in values can really save us."

Sewa International is a national British - Indian charity which came into prominence in the 90's and through the support of the Indian community & a strong volunteer network has raised substantial funds for its international appeals and campaigns.

The event was attended by 150 captains of Industry, prominent members of the Indian community, leading politicians, and other substantive persons.

NOTES:

For further information please contact: Sanjay Jagatia, Tel: 0780 5054776
Sewa International UK, 46-48 Loughborough Road, Leicester LE4 5LD



Photo 1 - Ketan Patel delivering the keynote address



Photo 2 - (from left to right) - Vikas Pota, Arup Ganguly, Arshna Sanghrajka, Ketan Patel, Abhay Chopada

1.    SEWA INTERNATIONAL - www.sewainternational.com

In the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, Sewa means Service. In line with this definition, Sewa International is committed to working with local causes and charities by motivating a volunteer network to provide their selfless service and providing their know-how, expertise, money and most importantly - by giving their time.

Sewa International is a charity of Indian origin that came into prominence in the 90s when huge natural disasters affected India. Working in partnership with business leaders, politicians, civic society and local communities, Sewa International has raised substantial funds for various calamities internationally.

We are proud to have the support of people of all backgrounds for our campaigns, appeals and volunteering projects. We are a non-sectarian and non-governmental voluntary organisation regulated & supervised by the
Charity Commission for England & Wales.

Sewa International is a service project of HSS (UK) which is a registered charity (no: 267309)

2.    KETAN PATEL

PROFILE OF CHIEF GUEST - KETAN PATEL

Previously a Managing Director in the Investment Banking division at Goldman Sachs, where he founded the Goldman Sachs Strategic Group, a think tank at Goldman Sachs. Ketan was based in London and New York and also worked extensively in Asia, including Japan and China, with corporate, investing and government institutions. His previous experience includes board membership as a partner at KPMG, strategy consulting and implementation and working at Hewlett Packard. He is the author of 'The Master Strategist'.

Book Description:
"Provides an extraordinary framework to assess ourselves. More than just a book on strategy, it is a book on life itself." - Nandan Nilekani, CEO, Infosys
"This intellectually exciting book will serve as the reference work of strategy for many years to come." - Nobuyuki Idei, Former CEO, Sony Corporation

Book Overview:
In the same way that Machiavelli, and Sun Tzu before him, exploded all existing ideas about strategy in The Prince and The Art of War, The Master Strategist cuts across politics, economics and business to set out a new and compelling way to think about strategy for a peaceful, prosperous and more free future.

We stand at a point in history where we can have almost anything we desire. Our ability to compute the underlying equations of everything - our genetic code, the structure of matter, the nature of time and space - promises to enable us to enter a new era of miracles. The ability to create new weapons that can reach any enemy promises to enable us to wage any war. Learning how to harness and direct this capability is now critical if we are to forge a better future.

It is in Man's nature to dream and aspire and then to endeavour, deceive and fight to achieve his dreams and aspirations. Strategy is merely the word we give to the thought that goes into determining how we will prevail.
Ketan Patel, founder and head of the Strategic Group at Goldman Sachs, meets with leaders in international business, investing and government policy every week. This unique access to people at this level has given him the opportunity of discussing with them some of the most fundamental questions facing us, in particular, the strategies for creating peace, prosperity and freedom.

The Master Strategist explains why our current approaches to strategy are failing to create a world where power, purpose and principle are exercised to produce global peace, prosperity and freedom. It sets out the agenda for a new approach to strategy that will be compelling for strategists from the White House to Wall Street to the streets of London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai and beyond.
 

 

 

To view more photos go to

 

http://swani.smugmug.com/Events

 

and click on Sewa Charity 02/12/07. You will need a password which is  - sewa

 

London, UK: On 7th November 2007, leading British

UK Charity

- Sewa International pledged £35,000* to Macmillan Cancer Support & Refuge. 35 volunteers participated in a charity skydive to raise funds for these two causes.

Mr. Arup Ganguly, spokesman for the 'Sewa Skydive' said: "We are delighted to have raised such a large amount of money for these two causes. We are grateful to the 35 participants for their fundraising efforts and hope that the two beneficiaries are able to maintain the high level of services that they are associated with."
 
On the strength of SewaVolunteers - a network of volunteers cultivated by Sewa International, he added:

 

"We recognised that by developing a volunteer network, we would be in a far stronger position and be able to make a meaningful contribution to the quality of lives of those who are less fortunate. The mobilisation of funds through the SewaVolunteers network serves to emphasise that a charitable organisation, dependent wholly on volunteers can contribute in a significant manner. We have many opportunities and would welcome others to join hands with us."

 
 
ON REFUGE:
 
Ms. Sandra Horley, OBE, Chief Executive of Refuge said: "Domestic violence is a serious crime that destroys lives. One woman in four experience domestic violence at some point in their life and two women are killed every week in England and Wales.  Sewa International's amazing physical and fundraising efforts will help support Refuge's life saving and life changing work."
 
She added: "We're honoured to be one of the first charities Sewa International has chosen to support in the UK - their support will make an immeasurable difference to women and children fleeing terrible violence in their own homes."
 
Ganguly added: "By supporting Refuge, we want to send a clear message that domestic violence is unacceptable. This money will help Refuge to reach out to the women who are living with domestic violence, or the fear of violence, and enable them to access help. This is an incredible important area to support and it's gratifying to know that this money raised by Sewa International will help in saving lives."
 
 

ON MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT:
 
Mr. Ciaran Devane, CEO of Macmillan Cancer Support said: "I am delighted that the staff of Sewa International have chosen to improve the lives of people affected by cancer by donating this fantastic amount of money - £20,000* - that they have raised to Macmillan Cancer Support. This will go towards a specialist Macmillan Pharmacist at the North West London Hospitals Trust. The pharmacist will make a real difference to the lives of cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy treatment by ensuring that patients' vital chemotherapy drugs are available when they need them, they are up to date, and they are effective. And the Pharmacist will provide reliable support and information about the medication and any side-effects patients might experience.

On Macmillan Cancer Support, Ganguly said: "Sewa International's contribution towards the provision of a specialist pharmacist in North West London will ensure that chemotherapy drugs are available when cancer sufferers need them and that those provided are the most up to date and effective. Moreover, they will enable patients to have high quality information about their medication and any side effects they might experience"
 
NOTES:
 
For media bids, please contact Arup Ganguly on +44 (0)7788 598723.
 
1.    * - £35,000 has been pledged by the participants of the skydive. The funds will be disbursed on a 60/40 basis in favour of Macmillan Cancer Support
 
2.    Macmillan Cancer Support - http://www.macmillan.org.uk. Charity no: 261017
 
3.    Refuge - http://www.refuge.org.uk. Charity no: 277424
 
4.    Photo 1 caption - Participants of the 'Sewa Skydive'
 
5.    Photo 2 caption - Sewa Skydive Spokesman - Arup Ganguly - doing the skydive
 
6.    SEWA INTERNATIONAL - http://www.sewainternational.com
 
In the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, Sewa means Service. In line with this definition, Sewa International is committed to working with local causes and charities by motivating a volunteer network to provide their selfless service and providing their know-how, expertise, money and most importantly - by giving their time.
 
Sewa International is a charity of Indian origin that came into prominence in the 90s when huge natural disasters affected India. Working in partnership with business leaders, politicians, civic society and local communities, Sewa International has raised substantial funds for various calamities internationally.
 
We are proud to have the support of people of all backgrounds for our campaigns, appeals and volunteering projects. We are a non-sectarian and non-governmental voluntary organisation regulated & supervised by the Charity Commission for England & Wales.
 

On the 21st September 2007, Nayan Mistry, Kedar Shukla, Tejas Mistry and Ash Mohamed (aka the Sagdiyev Brothers - named after the Kazakhstani legend Borat Sagdiyev) embarked on the the roadtrip of a lifetime.

We took part in the Home2Rome banger rally, a 1500 mile, four day drive from Calais in Northern France to Rome the capital of Italy. The catch was that our mode of transport was to be a car bought for no more than £100... they dont call it a banger rally for nothing. Our aim was to make it to the finish line in one piece and to raise money for Sewa International UK. The fun started a day before the event as we drove our 1987 Mercedes 190 (198,000 miles on the clock, a little but of rust, but otherwise a fine example of German engineering) to Dover to catch our ferry to Calais. We registered by the midnight deadline in Calais, signed our away our rights to sue the organisors in the event of crashing/dying/hurting ourselves/ending up in jail etc and tried to get some sleep before the mammoth journey ahead!

We arrived at the starting line to be met by an awe inspiring sight: 200 cars of varying levels of roadworthiness, revving up huge plumes of oil filled smoke. We were taken aback by the efforts of the other teams to decorate their cars - volvo's painted like New York taxi cabs, a Sierra painted like a cow, a BMW covered in laminate wood flooring and many others covered in graffiti and spray paint. Our effort was looking a little bland in comparison (i.e. nothing but the red paint it came with) but thanks to some last minute ingenuity and some strips of speed tape we managed to enhance our vehicle with go-faster stripes over the bonnet and boot-lid. We were ready to go! Day one was a long motorway slog through much of France. We headed initially towards Reims and then turned south towards Dijon. The organisers had set challenges for each day, the idea being to gain points, with a prize for the team with the most points at the end. Our first challenge was number plate scrabble, i.e. take pictures of French number plates and use the letters on a scrabble board to make words for points. We soon realised that the challenges were a great way to keep the boredom of non-stop driving at bay. Another less successful way was to take shortcuts - we tried some smaller roads through Champagne country towards Dijon, but ended up wasting time through small French villages. From Dijon we hit the motorway again towards Lyon but got stuck in a major traffic jam due to an accident which required a large detour off our route towards Grenoble and the edge of the Alps. Eventually we reached the first checkpoint in Montelimar at around 10pm, after 590 miles and 12 hours of driving!

 

 

Today was all about pure driving pleasure. We were heading off the beaten track and taking some of the best driving roads in Europe, culminating in the Gorge du Verdon - the mountain road you may have seen in Top Gear, where Jeremy Clarkson raced a mountain climber (unsuccessfully) in an Audi RS4. The challenge for today was simple - get your car to the end! Half of the challenge was to navigate successfully through the small winding roads, no small feat considering that our large scale maps didnt show sufficient detail or name the smaller roads. We had decided against Sat Nav and had opted for the cheaper and more challenging Prat-Nav (i.e. us!). The initial going was good through the beautiful countryside, but it soon got tough as we started long, arduous climbs which were a real strain on the engine. However, the Merc just kept on going up without a hint of protest and we began to realise how lucky we were to get such a solid car. We got a little lost at one point, but a local French farmer with a sheep in the back of his car (dont ask) helped us out and we eventually reached the Gorge. It had taken hours to cover barely a hundred miles but the fun had only just begun. The drive through the gorge was truely awesome. The road wound around the edge of the mountains with a sheer drop on the other side into a beautiful canyon filled with trees and rapids. Whilst going up was hard on the engine and clutch, we soon found that going down was even harder on the brakes which were starting to fade from overheating. Just when it seemed the winding moutain passes would go on forever, we eventually hit something resembling a main highway and picked up signs towards Nice and the famous Cote d'Azur. A quick cruise through the streets of Nice to show off our banger to the rich and famous and we headed along the coast to our stop for the night in Villefranche-Sur-Mer.

Day Three - Villefranche to Sottomarina

Today we were back onto the main motorways, but these were far more interesting than the M1 or M4, these wound around the south coast and through tunnels in the mountains. Before long we had crossed the border into Italy where sil vous plait's and merci's became prego's and grazi's. We headed east towards Genoa, then north to Brescia before heading east again to Venice. The challenge today was a little more interesting. We had to take the spare tyre of our car to a central square in Venice, Piazza St Marco, and take a picture with the whole team and the tyre. Venice is of course famous for its canals and we therefore needed to park the car and take the tyre by boat to the square. Today was also fancy dress day which this year was to dress up as St Triannians girls. Unfortunately we had found out about the fancy dress too late to get costumes - what a shame! We still did the challenge and were faced with dragging a heavy and dirty sapre tyre through the thousands of tourists in Venice. Its fair to say we caused quite a stir and the St Trinnians outfits of the other teams was a particular favourite of the Japanese tourists taking our photos. One piece of advice if you're going to Venice - dont take a spare tyre if you're trying to get a meal at a restaurant, for some reason they wont let you in! With the challenge complete, we rolled the tyre back to the boat for a romantic cruise through Venice by night and returned to the car. We headed south to our next stop point, Sottomarina.

Day Four - Sottomarina to Rome... the final day!!

The final day started with open warfare. We met up with the sister rally of Home2Rome, Staples2Naples, in Sottomarina where there was to be a water pistol fight on the beach between the two rally's. The organisers had produced a list of rules for the fight (do not spray the organisers, no re-fills allowed, use tapwater only etc) and once underway, all the rules were duly ignored. After discovering the pain of saltwater in the eyes, we cleaned up and headed out for the final day of the rally. Despite being the final stretch we were soon reminded we could take nothing for granted. We passed a car just out of Sottomarina which had suffered a broken drive shaft and had to pull out of the rally. Worse still we came across a serious accident on the autostrada involving cars from the rally and a lorry. Thankfully no one was hurt, but it served a timely reminder of the dangers of driving on foreign roads. Italians have a reputation for their flamboyant driving style and we can confirm that this reputation is well deserved.

Nevertheless, after 4 days, 1500 miles, a few minor arguments, a Frenchman and his sheep, the best views in Europe, one broken pipe in the engine, a few quarts of oil and lots and lots of laughs we finally made it to Rome. Unfortunately we couldnt bring the car back so she has been sent to the big garage in the sky at a scrapyard in Rome, but we are forever grateful for the the great drive and realiability she gave us. We would highly recommend this sort of event for any group looking to raise money for Sewa and for the adventure of a lifetime.