Fancy a cycling challenge? London-Paris bike ride.

AndyCAI

I know there is already an adverty posted up about a London -Paris bike ride but we really could use all the support we can get.

So if you fancy a cycling challenge? Join CAI (Childhealth Advocacy International) on a London to Paris bike ride this September 10-14th 2008 (dates in 2009 are also available) – one of Europe’s great cycling experiences. Ride through beautiful countryside including the small villages and medieval market towns of Northern France and pass through the famous battlefields of the Somme and Agincourt. £1,100 minimum sponsorship plus £99 registration fee – this includes hotels, ferry, food and Eurostar journey back.

CAI is a small UK-based international child and maternal healthcare charity. We work in seven countries improving the healthcare given to babies, children and pregnant women in hospital and in the community. 1 in 26 women die during childbirth in Africa. With the right training, care and equipment this could be changed. Please visit our website to find out more about the event and CAI: http://www.caiuk.org/fundraising/london ... e-ride.htm or contact Kelley at the CAI office to register your interest: 0115 950 6662 or email Kelley@caiuk.org.

The experience will see particpants ride through beautiful countryside including the small villages and medieval market towns of Northern France and pass through the famous battlefields of the Somme and Agincourt. £1,100 minimum sponsorship plus £99 registration fee – this includes hotels, ferry, food and Eurostar Amtrak-Problems journey back.

If you are interested or know anyone who would be keen then please let us know.

Thanks,

Andy Fryer

Childhealth Advocacy International

nickcuk

To be honest, I have never and will never respond to any charitable organisation that solicits involvement for a number of reasons and maybe you will respond:

a) there have been too many stories about rogue charities that pass on too little of their income to the final charity E.g. chuggers on the street
b) there is little independent evaluation of charitable claims
c) a few events go past the mark at which you question the participants motivation for taking part ( E.g. trek the Andes if I get my colleagues and friends to indirectly cover the costs - yes please ! )

I did a search on Childhealth Advocacy International and couldn't find any independent report on what you do / how much of the funds you raise is put to the stated use / what proportion of the money you receive is used in advertising, etc - so you won't be getting a slice of what I give to charity this year. That's not to say that your organisation may not be a worthy cause - but how can I tell ?

In fact, if the relevent links are posted here and check out, I will send £100 as a donation anyway.

AndyCAI

Hi NICKCUK,

Thank you for your response. I understand your queries in regards to your concerns in regards where exactly your money goes and whether you can trust that the income goes to the intended benficaires.

To answer the first two points to be a registered charity we have to give all relevant financial details to the, government run, charity commision whose website contains records of CAI's accounts (If you are ever suspicious of a bogus charity please use this method to find further information). Please find the CAI link below:

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/re ... no=1071486

We can send further information about how CAI's money is raised and spent and we are currently updating the website to make this clearer.

We are a very small charity we have used forums as it provides a free means for us to put our message across but we do not spend large amounts of money on advertising.

In regards to your final point we are currently fundraising through numerous means. Events are often organised in order to gain the attention of prospective fuindraisers and give them a focused target for which to aim for. In this repsect both CAI as a charity and the participants can benefit from a fundraising event.

Please feel free to contact our head of fundraising if you have any further questions on Kelley@caiuk.org. We will happily send your a news bulletin which explains in more depth how the projects work and includes further inofrmation about how CAI's money is raised and spent. Any donations would be greatly welcomed as would any particpants putting themselves forward to take part in the London - Pairs cycle ride.

Thanks,

Andrew Fryer

nickcuk

Andrew

Thanks for replying and thanks for taking my comments in the spirit in which they were intended.

I've checked out the link and I'll send £100 plus another £50. If the recipients want to send back any forms to reclaim under gift aid, I'll be pleased to complete them.

I'll not be signing up for the bike challenge though - it's still 'not my thing' to get my friends and colleagues to subsidise my hobby in the name of charity - but I promise that I've submitted CAI to my employers to consider for their £1000 a year donation to charity but it's an 'out-of-the-hat' lottery between 6 - 10 charities on average so I can't promise anything.

To anybody else thinking of joining the bike challenge - i am sorry if I put any doubt in your mind that this is a worthy cause