House Push for Ignite!

Organised by Christian charity Ignite, the aim of the sponsored walk from Dunloy to Portrush is to raise vital funds to continue their work in Uganda.

Already several thousand pounds worth of donations have helped to build schools, wells and accommodation in the impoverished African country. And the team, which has members from Ballymoney, Coleraine, Cloughmills and Ballymena, are now hoping to further enhance their work and improve the local hospitals and medical facilities as well as build accommodation for local teachers.

Jonathan Gault of Ignite explained: “Ignite volunteers regularly travel to Uganda to oversee and participate in a range of projects.

“So far Ignitie’s work in Uganda has included building and improving schools, working with those suffering from aids, aiding street children, sinking water-wells and facilitating self-sufficiency.

“However all this work can not be achieved without the funds. Therefore to help continue all our work we are holding a sponsored ‘House Push’ from Dunloy to Portrush on Saturday, August 28.”

The house, specially built for the occasion, begins its journey at Dunloy Church at around 8am and with the help of six or seven teams of walkers, it will be wheeled through Ballymoney, Coleraine, Portstewart and end in Portrush around 6pm.

Urging people to take part, donate or simply support them on route, Jonathan continued: “The walk is roughly 26 miles, however participants don’t have to complete the whole distance and can join the walk on route or as part of a rely team.

“People can get sponsored to do the walk or can simply join us on the day and help spread the gospel and God’s love.

“Last year we had over 100 walkers and some came from as far as Portadown, Ballyclare and Bangor. Thanks to their hardwork we collected well over 1,000 in buckets on the day and then even more money came in from sponsorship and individual donations - our total was several thousand pounds!

“Obviously this amount made a fantastic boost to the charity and allowed us to change the lives of people in Uganda.”

Jonathan, who has travelled to Uganda on many occasions added: “With the help and support of the local community we have already improved the infrastructure so that children in Uganda can get an education.

“Hopefully by the end of 2010 we will have completed building accommodation for the teachers of the local school, in Sorotti, a town 350km north of the capital Kampala.

“We also work hand-in-hand with Fields of Life and they have just recently purchased a drilling rig to help source water wells and provide clean and safe drinking water. For many years now we have had to hire a drilling rig from a company in Uganda at a cost of 5,000. However we are now able to save the hire money and have successful drilled 30 wells.

“Every single penny of the money raised goes to the projects so please come along on Saturday, August 28 and help us - and don’t forget to give us a toot as you pass!”

Fields of Life are a registered charity that has been operating in Uganda since 1995. Together with Ignite they have expanded their work into Congo, Kenya, Burundi and the Sudan.

Some of their work to date has included building four health facilities, 46 water wells, 100 schools, 35,000 children educated, 4,000 children have been sponsored and 450 families are currently being sponsored by Field of Life.

For more information or to register for the walk please call either Paul Sayers, Cloughmills on 07752819979 or Jonathan at Gaults, Church Street on 028 276 63236.

Also visit the Ignite website on www.ignite-u.co.uk