'£1000 in a Month!' was supposed to be an entirely unrealistic challenge to set everybody (and myself) to motivate them to donate and me to actually do some proper work.

This didn't go to plan; everybody was wonderfully generous and I raised more than £1000 in my first month!

THEN YOU WENT AND DID IT AGAIN!

Four whole days before my fundraising half-way deadline, my total amounted to £1,544.95. I've past my target. I can relax.

I can then put your donations together and use them to go volunteering in Tamil Nadu, southern India, with Restless Development and ICS.

Once there, I'll be working with in-country volunteers on a programme to improve peoples’ health and livelihoods in rural communities though workshops on everything from hygiene to CV writing.

Yes, it is probably one of the least imaginative things I could choose to do on my gap year, but I still think it's a good thing to do.

For more details, updates and pretentious twaddle, by blog is where it always is: apatheticteapot.blogspot.com

If you feel moved to give anything, please leave a small contribution in unmarked, used notes in a dark holdall in the History section of Beckenham Library. If that is not so much your style, you can donate here.