Do you fancy taking a 4 day bike ride from London to Paris in aid of the Merlin charity between 27 June – 1st July 2012? The journey is designed for people of average fitness, though some training is definitely advisable to prepare for riding on 4 consecutive days.

During the course of the trip you will travel around 300 miles the heart of Paris in 4 days, via the beautiful countryside of Northern France, through the Champs Elysees and finishing at the Eiffel Tower! As part of your trip you will receive -

• One way ferry crossing from Dover to Calais
• One way Eurostar ticket from Paris to London
• All meals during the challenge
• All accommodation
• Cycle guides and mechanics

You will also receive two free Merlin T-shirts or vests along with your fundraising pack which included stickers, balloons, and a collection tin! Plus you will begiven handy training advice to ensure you don’t jump in at the deep end and do yourself a mischief!

Please email challengingyou@merlin.org.uk for more information or call 0207 014 1707.

Minimum sponsorship pledge £1650 with a registration fee of £149. 80% of your sponsorship needs to be in by Friday 4th May 2012, so you’ve got exactly a month to get the initial funds together.

So why not take the plunge and join this amazing 4 day cycle to Paris, and help raise much needed funds to aid Marlin’s continued lifesaving work across the globe.

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The Journal has just voted the Merlin charity into their top 25 in the world! This amazing recognition saw the magazine assess different charities on their -

• Innovation
• Effectiveness
• Impact
• Efficiency
• Transparency
• Accountability
• Sustainability

alongside their financial and strategic management. To be voted into the top 25 charities in the world is some feat, something Merlin officials are over the moon about.

Merlin Chief Executive, Carolyn Miller, said -

I’ve been Chief Executive of Merlin for seven years and I’m immensely proud to see that Merlin has been named in the top 25 charities in the world by Global Journal. For a lesser known charity like Merlin to receive such recognition is high praise. Many of the other organisations on the list are far better-known or bigger, so for our achievements to be in the spotlight is great to see.

Merlin is not one of the best known charities, but their life saving work across the globe is just as important as the tasks carried out by their more esteemed colleagues. Their medical teams work in some of the most poverty stricken countries in the world and treat around 9.5 million people each year.

Currently working in 15 countries, plans to increase this number will see Merlin’s front line workers treat up to 15 million people by 2015, quite an astounding figure! Congratulations to them and all their staff in receiving this amazing honour and long may their work continue in helping those most in need get back on their feet.

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The Merlin charity has recently opened four new maternity waiting homes across the Kweke district of Zimbabwe. These homes are perfect for pregnant women to stay in before they give birth as they are only minutes away from trained health workers. With up to eight women dying every day due to complications during birth, these maternity homes will not only provide shelter, but also save lives.

With Zimbabwe witnessing a dramatic decline in health service delivery over the last 10 years, Merlin is now working with the internal Ministry of Health to try and help increase survival rates during childbirth. The harsh reality is that without these homes, pregnant women will have to travel miles on foot to reach a health facility before going into labour, putting extra strain on both mother and child.

Merlin’s Director of Health and Policy, Linda Doull, said -

These waiting homes provide a crucial safety net for women who would have otherwise given birth at home, often alone or with an untrained birth attendant. They will help to lower both child and maternal mortality.

Each maternity waiting home can accommodate up to eight women, and has bedrooms, cooking and laundry facilities, plus a toilet and shower. The waiting homes were also created using contractors from the local community, and built with locally sourced materials. More of these homes are being planned to help prevent unnecessary maternal deaths, so if you would like to make a donation to help fund this amazing project, simply click on the link below to make a pledge.

> > Click here to make a donation to Merlin

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Merlin charity officials are continuing their hard work in East Africa as the food crisis continues to claim thousands of lives. Take for example little Amaret, who was brought to Ladwar hospital when he was only 18 months old and weighing just 12 pounds. His mother Amekwi had already lost two children from disease and feared she may be about to lose her third as Amaret was severely ill.

Amaret was immediately given antibiotics and placed on a high nutrient and calorie diet to increase his weight. Within one week Amaret’s main symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting had stopped and within another seven days he was able to play with his mother and feed himself. His mother only earns £2 a month so she would never have been able to pay for the medicine, but staff at the Hospital had pooled their resources to ensure he receives continued treatment as Amaret still remains severely malnourished.

Amerat’s mother, Amekwi, said -

If Maureen and Echapan were not here, my child would not be alive. I see them pay so much attention to my child, now I have hope that he can survive.

Merlin charity workers are now teaching Amekwi on correct feeding practices as well as helping to enrol Amaret at the Outpatient Therapeutic Programme in the closest health facility to their home. Here Amaret’s condition will be closely monitored to ensure he grows to be the correct weight for his age.

Merlin is the UK’s leading charity in sending doctors and nurses to global emergencies and help save the lives of people effected by war, floods and earthquakes. You can help Merlin stop needless deaths across the globe by making a donation and giving the gift of life to children like Amerat.

> > Click here to make a donation to Merlin

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