Day Four Hundred and Three

Not much to report from work, sent out an email newsletter to 400 people, I've copied it below for posterity!

Dear Valued TRAILWALKER Sydney Volunteer

Wow! what a tremendous response from the people of Sydney and beyond in volunteering your time in August to support Oxfam TRAILWALKER. We’ve been amazed at the response so far with over 600 volunteers signed up to help make the TRAILWALKER event a success over the weekend of August 27^th to 29^th.

General information about volunteering for the Oxfam TRAILWALKER Sydney 2010 event can be found here. If you want to learn more about the overall event, please go to the TRAILWALKER Sydney website.

In this newsletter

- Where is my information pack?

- Confirming your shift

- Briefing sessions

- Second shifts

- Supporting our walkers on the trail

Where is my information pack?

We are busily packing your information packs and we be sending the first batch out shortly, keep an eye on those post boxes. Information packs contain all the information you will need to help you undertake your shift allocation during the weekend.

Confirming your shift

If you have not done so already, please reply to your shift offer email confirming if you are happy with the shift that has been offered to you and signing up for a briefing session.

Briefing sessions

We still have places available for volunteer briefing nights in August, these sessions last an hour or so and will provide you with more information on what is expected of you. Please mail us to book your place now. Sessions with space are as follows

Wednesday 11^th 6pm

Thursday 12^th 6pm

All briefings will be conducted at the Sydney office of Oxfam Australia

Second Shifts

Those people who very kindly offered to do a second shift for us will be contacted soon if you have not heard from us already, with such a good response from the volunteering community we are still filling places with new volunteers. We will very soon fill any remaining paces with second shift allocations so watch this space for more emails from us.

Supporting our walkers on the trail

This year more than ever we really want to ensure our volunteers really encourage the walkers on the trail, please cheer them on, giving them a friendly wave and words of encouragement. The power and effects of volunteers on our walkers cannot be underestimated. I asked Elly, a walker from last year to write a few words on the impact the volunteers of 2009 had on her, it’s an inspiring read copied below for you.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done”, explained an ex-marine we met during our fundraising sausage sizzle. “It’s not a physical challenge, it’s a mental one”, he went on to explain. And as first-time Trailwalkers in 2009, team 404 eventually learned exactly what that meant.

By the time Event Weekend dawns, you’ve trained your muscles, fine-tuned your nutrition and hydration, and packed clothing for every possible weather scenario. But what you’re not prepared for is the way you’ll feel out there on the trail as each of those increasingly challenging hours unfolds.

Because you’ve never actually walked the whole 100km, you can’t image how you’ll feel at 4am, when dawn is still too distant and so is the next checkpoint, but you’re willing yourself forward on the knowledge that one of them, eventually, must make an appearance. Or when you walk away from a checkpoint, leaving a precious team-member behind in the first aid tent, knowing they’ve given their all, but just can’t go another step. Or perhaps, worst of all, when you’ve got 80km behind you and the end is tantalisingly, mockingly close, but every step sends fire through your legs and your mind is repeating the mantra ‘I’m not going to make it, I’m not going to make it’.

These are the times when you dig into your deepest reserves and when a single word from a volunteer on the trail can suddenly lift you back up and make you believe: ‘Yes, I can do this’.

Every time we heard ‘keep going’, ‘you’re doing so well’, ‘not long to go’, our weary steps briefly became lighter, we gained a little more belief in ourselves and we were reminded of what an extraordinary thing we were doing.

So don’t underestimate the power of a smile to us lonely walkers. We may be surrounded by our faithful team mates, but we’re each fighting our own private battles in our minds and have lost the strength to encourage each other. We need your words and gestures as to help us raise our heads to the horizon, see the finish line and restore our belief in reaching it. We couldn’t do it without you.

Until next time....

So that’s it for this time but please watch out for another Volunteer Newsletter in your inbox in the next couple of weeks with further updates!

In the meantime if you need to contact us you can email us at xxxxx or call xxxxxx

Once again THANKYOU so much for supporting Oxfam TRAILWALKER in 2010

Ade

Volunteers Coordinator Sydney TRAILWALKER

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Met Kate at Central and we waited 30 minutes for a train due to signal failures. Very reminiscent of London Underground, plus it was wet and bloody cold.

We drove to Marickville Metro and did a big shop hahaha.

Was sent a link to add to blog by Neil but Facebook wont let me get it so I cant add it here.