the mountain within needs exposure to enable it to move mountains. Please help us to promote the climb and the film to the widest possible audience. A selection of press resources can be found below; we strongly encourage you to contact us to discuss how we can work together
contact
Jane Atkinson
+44 (0) 20 7289 1864
+44 (0) 78 0226 0865
BBC coverage
trailer
press release
press release 5 July 2008 (download Word version)
crew blogs
THE ENHAM KILIMANJARO CHALLENGE
On the 5th July 2008 a team of disabled and non-disabled people from Enham, the UK charity which gives disabled people opportunities to make real choices for a fulfilling and successful life., take off from Heathrow to take part in what is believed to be the first UK multi-disability team challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Organised and led by UK-based EPM Ltd, the expedition management company, in conjunction with Alpine Ascents, this unique challenge sees six disabled participants being supported by dedicated non-disabled ‘buddies’ who have trained together, raised sponsorship funds together and who will help each other to face the challenges of the mountain.
Enham Vice President, Herta von Stiegel, who first developed this idea over a year ago, is climbing as part of the team. She comments “I am very excited to see the results of all our plans come to fruition and to be climbing Kilimanjaro as part of the Enham team. It has evolved into a truly multi-cultural team with representatives from Europe, America, Australia and the Middle East, and we look forward to celebrating our diversity by achieving more together than any one of us could have done individually. We will raise awareness of the work of Enham in helping disabled people to realise their full potential in a modern 21st century society”.
Enham has commissioned FocusUp Media to produce a film of the whole project showing the participants in their daily environments as they prepare for the challenge and the unfolding story as they climb the mountain. Michael Price, one of the UK’s most sought after composers, will compose the score on a laptop as he ascends Kilimanjaro with the cast and the film crew.
Rod Chamberlain, Chairman of Enham, is very enthusiastic about the opportunities which the challenge presents for raising the awareness of Enham and the work that it does. “Enham is a very long established charity with a vision of a society where disabled people are valued as individuals and are enabled to achieve their full potential and independence. The Enham Kilimanjaro challenge will demonstrate the benefits of diversity within a team and that disabled and non-disabled adults can work together, to achieve a common objective – to climb this spectacular mountain”.
Accompanying the Enham team are two participants from the Help Centre in Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Sufian Afranji, a disabled athlete, and his trainer Ali Jaafer Jaafer. The Help Center is the first private philanthropic charity centre in Saudi Arabia to provide services to children with mental disabilities from birth to 18 years of age
The challenge has been sponsored by Camco, a leading climate change business. Part of their interest in the project has been to sponsor their own participant, Luke Purse who will be taking the opportunity of observing first-hand some of the effects of climate change on the mountain slopes. Blacks, one of the best names in outdoor clothing, have supplied much of the personal climbing kit. The Centre for Health and Human performance at 76 Harley Street, London has provided a programme of fitness assessments and advice to help the participants with their training schedule. Two doctors from The Centre for Health & Human Performance, Dr. Jack Kreindler and Dr. Laura Jackson will be accompanying the climb support team to advise on issues related to altitude sickness.
For the past year and during the climb each and every one of the Enham Kilimanjaro team will have tested their own abilities and the abilities and commitment of their buddies; they will have learnt about working together as a diverse set of people; they will have grown in confidence and have had the opportunity to marvel at an area of outstanding and magnificent beauty. When they return on the 19th July, their stories, and the story of the whole challenge will be a tribute to Enham who has made all this possible.
For further information please contact Jane Atkinson or Sue Hardwick
Atkinson Hardwick PR,
Telephone number 020 7289 1864
Mobile 07802 260865 Mobile 07710 260743
jane@atkinsonhardwickpr.com susan@atkinsonhardwickpr.com,
Note to Editors
More information, background briefing notes on participants and sponsors, photographs, daily pod casts, interviews and a daily diary blog of the climb are available from the on-line press office at www.themountainithin.com/press/
Background to Enham
Registered Charity: No.211235
Patron: HRH The Duchess of Gloucester, GCVO
Established in 1918, Enham is a national charity dedicated to providing services for people with disabilities, which are tailored to individual needs and abilities.
Enham’s ethos is to ensure that people living with disabilities can lead an independent life and it provides nearly 350 units of residential care and supported housing. There’s also a range of support programmes in place, aimed at helping people achieve their full potential.
1,500 disabled people every year gain access to employment through 7 government work-focused programmes. The charity also operates a number of commercial enterprises providing direct employment opportunities for disabled people and generating income to support its charitable objectives.
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