When looking for something fun to do this summer we came across the Rickshaw Run. This ridiculous adventure down a subcontinent, in a 7bhp tuk tuk, with no set route ticked all our boxes. We will be travelling from Shillong, in the North East, to Kochi, on the South West coast, in two weeks in August in what will be a remarkable month. And what better reason to do it than for charity? 

Our chosen charity is Cool Earth. Cool earth is a charity that works in partnership with indigenous communities to protect rainforests that, without immediate intervention, will be destroyed in the next 18 months. They do not create reserves, put up fences or buy land. They make a difference through forming partnerships with indigenous communities in which these communities lead the partnerships. Each partnership that is formed helps to create a shield to make the neighbouring forest inaccessible to loggers. The rainforest is a truly special place. Not only is it home to many indigenous people, but it also works wonders for our environment - one acre of rainforest traps the same amount of carbon dioxide as you would produce driving around the world 32 times! This is a brief overview of the charity but you can visit their website https://www.coolearth.org/ to read more about their work.

Now you're probably thinking, what does the rain forest have to do with India? Climate change is effecting the whole world. India is home to a third of the world's poorest people and it's these people who are hit the hardest by climate change. During our time in India we with there is no doubt that we will witness, first hand, the effects that unprecedented heat waves, cyclones and floods have had. The destruction caused by these weather patterns, caused by human actions on the planet, have displaced thousands of families in India. Without our rainforests the rate at which the planet is heating will increase dramatically. By supporting Cool Earth and protecting our rainforests, we save the livelihood of people who call the rainforest home and we help to protect and improve the lives of thousands of people, in India and around the world. 

Myself, Chris, Chris and Fraser thank you for visiting our just giving page and we hope that you will help our cause! 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.