Massive boost for my Project Namibia fundraising drive

I had an exciting call from an organisation in Downham Market yesterday about a large donation towards my fundraising pot for the Bobby Moore Fund's Project Namibia. The call came completely out of the blue and has really lifted my spirits.

I mentioned last week that I was hoping to build on my early momentum and push hard towards the £4,000 I need to raise to go out to Africa in June to revamp a small village school whilst also raising money for the Bobby Moore Fund but I was not expecting the phonecall from this organisation at around 3pm yesterday. 

I have decided not to name the organisation just yet because previous experience has taught me that until you have a cheque in your hand, nothing is for certain but I hope to be given a cheque for a substantial amount from this organisation shortly. On putting down the phone from a member of this organisation, I was delighted and it was obvious to everyone in the office that I had been given good news as I was grinning like a Chesire cat! It is moments like this that really gives me a buzz and motivates me to push as hard as I can so that I can reach my fundraising target.

You can help me raise money for bowel cancer research and also help children in Namibia have a better life by visiting www.justgiving.com/davidblackmore4 and donating as much as you can. If you have any fundraising ideas or are a business and could sponsor me feel free to e-mail me on davidblackmore@hotmail.co.uk

For more information about the Bobby Moore Fund click here

Project Namibia: Day 7 of my fundraising drive

So it has been a week since I launched my fundraising drive to raise £4,000 for the Bobby Moore Fund's Project Namibia and I have been overwhelmed by the positive response and £300 I have had so far from friends, family, colleagues and businesses. Long may this continue.


It is obviously really important for me to maintain my early momentum as I push to raise the remaining £3,700 I need to go out to Africa in June to revamp a school and also help the Bobby Moore Fund in it's great work into bowel cancer research.

As many of you already know this isn't the first international project I have been on with the Bobby Moore Fund as I went out to South Africa last March to revamp a small village school in Sandberg - which is a three hour drive north of Cape Town. On travelling out there I can remember being nervous because I really didn't know what to expect and it soon became clear how much work was needed to be done when we arrived at Sandberg Primary School.



But in just over ten days we completely overhauled the school and left an education facility where I hope the children will flourish and aspire to be whatever they want to be. For me, the best thing about the project was getting to meet these children, teaching them playground games and seeing the smiles on their faces everyday. I just hope they will always remember us, were inspired by us and always know they can achieve anything they want to if they work hard enough.

It was the legacy we left behind in South Africa and how much we improved those children's lives which really inspired me to sign up for Project Namibia. Now that I've been on an international project I know roughly what I will be faced with and the challenge that lies ahead really excites me. I know I can make such a huge difference out in Namibia so I am very focused on raising the money I need and making sure that in June I am on that plane!

You can help me raise money for bowel cancer research and also help children in Namibia have a better life by visiting www.justgiving.com/davidblackmore4

If you have any fundraising ideas or are a business and could sponsor me feel free to e-mail me on davidblackmore@hotmail.co.uk

For more information about the Bobby Moore Fund visit www.cancerresearchuk.org/bobbymoorefund/

My day at the House of Commons

I was very lucky on Tuesday to have been able to spend the day at the House of Commons and shadow my local MP Elizabeth Truss. The South West Norfolk MP invited me down from Norfolk for the day in my role as reporter at the EDP to get a taste of a day in the life of a MP and I had an excellent day.


My day started after arriving at London Waterloo at around 10.10 and embarking on a lovely stroll on a glorious day along the Thames, past the London Eye, over the bridge and onto Portcullis House. After going through security, I was greeted by one of Ms Truss' aides who led me to the Justice Select Committee, which Ms Truss has been a part of for a couple of months, and where the main item up for discussion was government proposals to cut the amount spent on legal aid by a quarter.


By the time I arrived at 10.30am the meeting was well under way but I did still manage to follow quite a bit of what was said and was quite impressed by Ms Truss who asked several questions at the panel of lawyers. Overall I thought it was a very interesting debate with the Law Society claiming the cuts will mean fewer people will be able to bring cases to court and that the cuts do not address the rest cost drivers in the present system.


The meeting was still going on, albeit winding down, at 11.40am when Ms Truss got off her seat and walked towards the door, which prompted me to do the same. As we walked to the Conservative MPs next meeting at 12pm she informed me she had already been to a breakfast meeting this morning at around 8.30am - I had only just finished eating my breakfast at that time!


The next meeting I was taken to was about the future of FM radio stations which saw Ms Truss join a small group of MPs to put forward their concerns to Broadcast Minister Ed Vaizey about the government's plan for a national switchover from FM to DAB. Ms Truss was there to show her support for West Norfolk radio station KLFM which fears the switchover to digital could spell the end of the station which is yet to migrate onto a digital platform.


Ms Truss told the minister of her concerns if the West Norfolk radio station were to be turned off. The government minister then surprised most in the room by declaring that he feels FM radio stations are "not under threat". He also said the target date for the switchover was 2015 but that it was not set in stone.


Again both Ms Truss and I left the meeting early as the MP had another meeting to attend to but this time I wasn't allowed to sit in on it so I decided it was the right time to have some lunch and with that I contacted the EDP's main man at the House of Commons Chris Fisher who took me around the historic site before showing me around the press gallery and then taking me for a spot of lunch.


It was great to be able to hear stories from Chris about the 30 years he has been based at the House of Commons and I was surprised to discover Chris knew a lot about my old paper Dorking Advertiser and the town it covers.


At around 2pm I was picked up another of Ms Truss' aides from the very nice media restaurant where I had just eaten a Cumberland sausage with potato and we were off again on another long walk to meet with Ms Truss ahead of Treasury Questions at 2.30pm.


I was really looking forward to Treasury Questions as it would be the first time newly-appointed shadow chancellor Ed Balls would go up against Chancellor George Osbourne and there was obvious excitement ahead of this clash around the building. As Ms Truss took up her seat a couple of rows behind Mr Osbourne, I took mine up in the public gallery and was very excited about what I was about to see and it was a great experience to watch Treasury Questions even though quite a lot of what was spoken went straight over my head. The clash between Osbourne and Balls was, however, quite entertaining with Ed saying: "Perhaps the chancellor should have spent less time on the ski slopes of Switzerland and more time in the conference halls of Davos."


On leaving the public gallery at 3.30pm, I was reunited with Ms Truss before going on another long walk back to her office - the first time she was able to visit her office during the day. I was first of all very surprised to see how cramped her office was with four people in there and the views out of the window were rubbish but I guess as a new MP she could hardly expect an office large enough to swing a cat - I wonder if Osbourne or Balls swing cats in their large offices?


After half an hour of talking to me and organising herself, Ms Truss then headed back to the House of Commons again to take up her seat for another debate and it was time for me to call an end to my day at the House of Commons. It was still a lovely day as I walked back to Waterloo and the walk gave me a little time to reflect on my day and what I had learnt from following Ms Truss around for the day.


I concluded that:

• New MPs have tiny offices that are a long walk from anywhere they need to be on a regular basis.

• Having to embark on such long walks must help improve the fitness levels of new MPs like Ms Truss.

• MPs & their aides must be quick walkers and great navigators to get around the House of Commons as their schedules can be very tight and change at the drop of a hat.

• MPs like Elizabeth Truss have very little time during the day to eat, drink or rest but have to be at the top of their game throughout the day - something which must be really tiring and result in a lot of coffee being consumed!

• The food is very good at the House of Commons but not as expensive as you might think.

• George Osbourne likes to ski in Switzerland - apparently!

• Finally don't joke in front of national newspaper journalists that you can find yourself out of the House of Commons alone because "what's the worst that can happen? I get shot?"

As an added bonus here is how I tweeted about my day at the House of Commons:

Tweet Feed excerpts:

On the train heading for a day at the House of Commons with South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss - lots of the agenda for today #TrussDay

There is justice select committee, treasury questions and Liz Truss lending her support to KLFM in a meeting with minister Ed Vaizey at 12 #TrussDay

Beautiful day in the capital this morning as I stroll across the Thames heading towards the House of Commons #TrussDay

Lovely view of Big Ben this morning in glorious sunshine & clear blue skies #TrussDay

Very interesting debate in the justice select committee hearing about proposed cuts on legal aid Liz Truss MP leading questions #TrussDay

Ms Truss had been grilling the law society about what savings it thinks can be made from MoJ budget if not legal aid #TrussDay

Interesting meeting about the future of FM radio. Liz Truss put a strong case for KLFM - read about it tomorrow's EDP #TrussDay

Just had lunch with the legend that is Chris Fisher who took me on a quick tour around HoC & Press Gallery #TrussDay

Some cracking stories from EDP's Chris Fisher over a Cumberland sausage and mash potato lunch. What a legend #TrussDay

Thought Ed Balls would've gone at George Osbourne a bit more but I enjoyed my first live Commons debate #TrussDay

Just back at Ms Truss' office. Very cramped for four people & not very exciting views of London but it's a start I guess #TrussDay

Liz Truss has now left me to go back into the House of Commons & I'm now sitting opposite the Sun's Tom Newton Dunn - great! #TrussDay

After having a mini-rant at the computer I was given in the press room I've left the HoC in a search of WiFi so I can file copy #TrussDay

I've seen the Balls V Osbourne clash is everywhere "spending less time skiing on the slopes in Switzerland" was the best quote #TrussDay

Phew! Copy from today's visit to HoC has been sent to the Newsdesk. Not sure if it'll be used **crosses fingers** #TrussDay

I'm so close to getting home (Just pulling out of Cambridge now) it's been a long day but I've loved every minute of it :) #TrussDay

Tweet Feed ends

Project Namibia: The hard work starts here...

Today I am launching a fundraising drive to raise £4,000 so that I can take part in the Bobby Moore Fund's Project Namibia in June.

The project will see a group of volunteers travel to the Tubusis settlement in the Damaraland region of Namibia and spend 10 days giving Tubusis Primary School a much-needed facelift.

The school consists of eight classrooms plus a library and although the school buildings are in reasonably good shape structurally, they are in need of general repairs to walls, paint work, doors, ceilings and windows. The building that houses the library, however, is in a really bad condition and requires a major revamp including the installation of new floors and proper furniture, the conversion of part of the library into a computer room and the provision of books to stock the library.

There will also be the chance for the project team to create a football pitch on the school grounds - something we are take for granted here. I am really looking forward to travelling out to Africa later this year and hopefully making a huge difference to the lives of all the pupils at Tubusis Primary School.

In order to confirm my place on the project, I need to raise £4,000 and I will be using my blog over the next couple of months to update you on the ups and downs of my fundraising drive.

The easiest way for you to help me is to visit www.justgiving.com/davidblackmore4 and donate as much as you can. You can also press the "like" button on my fundraising page which will alert all your Facebook friends to my fundraising efforts.

Wish me luck!