Fancy abseiling for the CF Trust?

We have three different abseils happening in the UK this spring and we'd love you to join us for one of them - it's a great adrenaline rush and a fantastic challenge.

Invest NI, Belfast, 13 March - 160ft abseil down this most impressive building

Manchester United FC, 28 March - 140ft free air abseil from the roof of the North Stand

Celtic Football Club, 2 & 3 April - 100ft free air abseil from the South Stand

If you're interested visit www.cftrust.org.uk for more details or contact our Events Team on 0300 373 1100 or events@cftrust.org.uk

Does my bum look big in this?!

In more unusual fundraising news 16 year old Kristian Long organised a Sumo Wrestling Competition for his teachers. The students of Plume School, Maldon Essex had to pay to watch the teaching staff compete against each other and the event raised over £240 for the CF Trust. Well done Kristian...and the teachers for taking part in less than flattering outfits!

Max and his mankini

We had to blog about one of our very special fundraisers - 16 year old Max Richardson who spent Sunday walking up Southend High Street in a very fetching lime green mankini to raise money for us. Well done Max!

http://www.justgiving.com/maxmankini

Oxygen on flights

Many of you will be turning your mind to planning your summer holiday, in an attempt to get away from this winter gloom. We often see the topic of troublesome travel insurance discussed, with those with CF often dreading the prospect of hours on the phone to travel insurance companies facing hefty premiums and multiple refusals; but have you thought about whether you’re going to need supplementary oxygen when jetting off to sunnier climes?

A proportion of people with Cystic Fibrosis need supplementary oxygen when flying, due to the oxygen levels in the cabin dropping at high altitude. Charges for what is an essential for many, vary greatly, with some airlines such as BA, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Thomson and Virgin all supplying free oxygen on the advice of a doctor; but others enforcing hefty charges of up to £500 per trip. A quarter of all airlines recently contacted by PHA-UK * do not supply supplementary oxygen at all.

Having done a spot of our own ‘secret shopper research’ we were disappointed not just with the costs some airlines enforce, but at the attitudes of airline employees when trying to arrange the oxygen. Extended periods of time were spent on hold, and some airlines claimed to simply ‘not know’ what to do about getting supplementary oxygen on a flight!

Together with the PHA-UK and the British Lung Foundation, we are working to change this situation. To help, please sign this petition.

*PHA-UK stands for Pulmonary Hypertension Association-UK

4 Peaks 4 Bikes 4 People

A team of four people from Basingstoke Bluefins Swimming Club are taking part in a charity bike ride and climb for the CF Trust and Bluefins Club. Andrew Cackett, Gareth Waller, Oliver McSoley and Gregory Thomas plan to conquer the four highest peaks in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and hope to raise £10,000.

They begin their challenge on 10th August in Basingstoke and estimate the challenge will take between 10-14 days. They cycle to Snowdon and will complete their first climb (3560ft) before crossing to Northern Ireland to climb Slieve Donard. From there they will cycle to Scotland to climb the highest of the four peaks, Ben Nevis at 4480ft. The final climb is England's highest Scafell Pike before cycling home. In total the ride should cover an approx 1250 miles and a total climb of 4,256 metres.

For more info go to http://www.mycharitypage.com/cackett or www.4peaks4bikes.co.uk

Join Team CF this January!

Whether you've over-indulged this festive season or are always fit as a flea, join Team CF and Make a Difference!

We have the world's biggest and best running events here in the UK and, with your help, we'd like to make sure that in 2010, we have our biggest and best running team...

Over 35,000 people will take to the streets on 16 May for the fantastic Great Manchester Run 10k.

Entries open at 8.30am on Thursday 7 January and will fill in literally 3 or 4 days - the last 10,000 applications will go into a ballot this year so get your place confirmed early.

The Great North Run half-marathon on 19 September will see 54,000 runners head into South Shields.

The ballot for entries opens at 8.30am this Saturday, 9 January until 8 February so please apply now. Up to 8 January you can also enter the Daily Mirrors draw for a place too.

Please use your place to run with us and help to see off CF!

Want to book some great entertainment for your fundraising event?

A fantastic group of singers from Eton College are offering their services to CF Trust fundraisers.

The Incognitos are a close harmony group made up of 9 singers. The group is entirely organised and rehearsed by students, who practise together for over 6 hours each week. This year they are performing on various occasions, from a tour of Japan, to corporate drinks parties around London. The music they perform is often tailored to suit a particular event but they are renowned for their ambitious and imaginative arrangements of pop songs such as Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’ or Take That’s ‘Patience’. This year they are giving all money raised from their concerts and events to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

They are available to sing at any event, please contact d.leigh@etoncollege.org.uk for more information.