Ten years ago I had a small heart attack. With magnificent help from the NHS, I came through it. Five years ago, having just retired, I surprised myself by trekking to the top of Kilimanjaro. Since then, I have been trekking as much as I can, including over the 5200m Larkya Pass near Manaslu in Nepal (see photo). I mention this by way of encouragement to others who may be concerned about their health and fitness: you can often do more than you might imagine! A bit like Reaching The Unreached, which daily accomplishes a good deal with very modest resources.

I am now undertaking a trek to Everest Base Camp with a group of over 55s. It will take over two weeks and involves climbing to an altitude of over 5500 metres (higher than anything in Europe) to get a good view of Everest itself. It is a great chance to raise funds for RTU.

In Woolhampton Parish at Douai in West Berkshire, we are working together to raise £48,000 to enable RTU to build a hostel for about 50 teenage boys. Similar hostels for girls have already been built. It will mean that these boys can get a much better secondary education and can continue to live securely and healthily on the RTU campus, keeping in touch with the family groups that have nurtured them. We have all been greatly moved by getting to know the people and the work of RTU, seeing how much they can achieve with very little and how they transform lives by concentrating on what really matters.

Please join me in supporting this hostel, and donate whatever you can. I am seeking to raise £1500 (including gift aid). Your contribution will be very much appreciated, both by me and by the people of RTU. 

Peter Collins