The Royal Oak Pub, Shottermill

Everest Trek for British Heart Foundation

Customer Pete Callender is planning to trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp in early 2007, in support of the British Heart Foundation.

Heart disease is the UK's biggest killer, with four out of ten people dying from related illnesses. The BHF pioneers research, education and patient care.

If you would like to support Pete's quest, please contact John at the Royal Oak, and/or come to our Charity BBQ & Raffle on Sunday 3rd September, 3 - 6pm (Tickets from the Royal Oak, Ł10 adult, Ł5 kids - all proceeds to the BHF).

Click the BHF logo for more information on the British Heart Foundation.

On Sunday 3rs September, the Royal Oak will be hosting a fundraising event for all the family - for full details click HERE and HERE.

Rugby Match To Support C.R.Y. Charity

Simon Halliday, former England winger, is to organise a reunion of the 1991 England grand-slam winning side in support of CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young). When 15-year-old Sebastian English, aged 15, died in February 2004 while playing for Haslemere Rugby Club, the tragedy almost exactly mirrored the fate of his father Howard a decade earlier, when an apparently fit 32-year-old.

Iceland Trek - 8th to 14th September 2005

"Firstly, I would like to say a huge thank you to all those who have supported me and the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

I had a few words with John one evening to say that I would like to participate in a Charity Trek across Iceland and, being partially sighted, the RNIB seemed the obvious cause. Well, no sooner had I got the words out, John had agreed to hold a Fun Day at the Royal Oak. Together with the very kind help of the Royal Oak locals, John arranged a jazz band, a raffle and a barbeque. I had to raise a minimum of Ł1,900 and on that day alone we collected Ł1,000, which put me well on my way - the rest of the money came from donations over the following two months.

The trek took place on 8th September and lasted for five days and although apprehensive, there was no going back. There were 20 participants and all had their own special reason for supporting this particular charity.

Iceland is an amazing place, with only 290,000 population and 1% pollution, everything is biodegradable, and extremely expensive. I'll never moan at the price of a bottle of red wine again! The scenery is stunning and, in some places, just like being on the moon.

We trekked for five days for an average of 8 hours and covered around 75km, had severe weather warnings and slept in tents for two nights, without being able to wash or use a proper toilet - we just kept on putting on more layers of clothing on top of the old to keep warm, we got drenched with rain and whipped by the hail whilst climbing the glacier - that was really scary! Sore feet, blisters and leg aches were the main talking point of our day but somehow we were all in good spirits when we arrived at a campsite in the middle of nowhere and had to erect our own tents (shock, horror)! After my second night in the tent I felt like I had joined the Royal Marines on one of their manoeuvres!

But nothing could take away the magnificent sense of achievement when the Trek came to an end. We were all exhilerated from the experience. I made some great friends and we all learnt to support each other through, for what the majority of the group felt pushed us all to our limits.

I managed to raise Ł2000 and after all expenses were accounted for the RNIB managed to raise Ł50,000 from the event, which was brilliant.

Thank you to all of those who made this Trek possible."

You can browse Debbie's excellent photographs HERE.

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