Check out our GPS login map too, an amazing sight.

A big big BIG thankyou to everyone who supported us on the rally. Our sponsors were total legends and the support from friends and family was simply unbelievable, thank you all so so much. The Breakthrough Breast Cancer pot is going to remain open for a while as we have a few more little fundraisers planned. Plenty of post coming. See you soon. x

Our tracking is live here.

Remember to check out our Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter for updates from the road!

ONWARDS!

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It was a day of firsts.  The first time Nick or Ben had met Kelly, the first time we’d ever all been together in Sheila as team when she was actually moving and the first time Kelly had driven her at all.  We took some pictures, we ate some burgers and we all got a bit worried about the heat – it was sweaty in Manchester.  It’s going to be an oven in Kazakhstan.  No matter, we’re tough!

Also important is for us to give a huge shout out to our two latest financial sponsors who have been incredibly generous in partnering up with us to help with our costs.  Weightmans Liverpool and Lawrence Clarke Limited both now have their logos proudly displayed for all to see on the side of our beloved Sheila.  Guys, thank you so much – we wouldn’t be able to do this without your generosity.

On a completely separate note, we have two (yes TWO!) Mongolia Five parties organised prior to our departure, both to raise more money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.  If you fancy giving your liver a bit of a workout whilst supporting a great charity, then you can bob along to either the Dee Sailing Club, Station Road, Wirral on Friday July 8th at 7.30 pm or The Junction Pub, Green Lane, Middleton, Manchester on Saturday July 16th from 8pm.  Both of these events are limited ticket only – please get hold of us either on Facebook or using our contact form for details on how to get yours.

Finally, we’re still a bit desperate for gear and kit.  Please take a moment to check over our wish list.  If you’ve anything to give, then let us know.

You get a fantastic amount of fresh finger sandwiches, a selection of delicious pastries, fresh English scones served with cream and strawberries AND the most delicious cakes I’ve tasted in aggges. Choose from a range of fresh loose leaf teas alongside a beautiful glass of special non-alcoholic fizz. All served on a traditional three-tier stand with bone china cups and saucers. I can’t stress how delicious it was. So thank you Aubergine!

Here’s a few snaps from our taster!

We’ve had a recent problem with Sheila in that she’s been cutting out in 3rd, 4th and 5th gear.  Not exactly a killer problem, but enough to make us a bit anxious about taking her out on long journeys here, never mind 9,000 miles through deserts and mountains.  A bit of a look around the internet had suggested something that was a) serious and b) potentially expensive.

So it was with some trepidation that we took her to Renault Manchester to get her checked over.  The news came back from Ben on the phone…

“She needs £1400 worth of work doing…”  Cue swearing, and a sinking feeling that this might be the end for the mighty Mongolia Five.

“…that Renault have offered to do completely for free”  Cue fist pumping joy, much to the bemusement of my wife.  The relief.

And so, Sheila’s been fixed right up by Ken and the team over there.  Not only fixed up, oh no, but they’ve given us a load of spares:  tyres, weld, various oils and fluids, bulbs, gloves – tons of stuff.  They’ve even upgraded our stereo to CD!  We absolutely cannot thank the guys enough.  Our baby is singing again, and it’s all down to Renault Manchester.  God bless them!

So now the race is on to get visas sorted and fingers crossed everything goes to plan and we’ll be journeying with our new adventurer! I really need to update the team photos! Hopefully next weekend we’ll be able to meet for the day and have a natter and do some photos.

The bigger race is to make sure we’ve got enough sponsorship cash to fund the trip. We’re still short of around £5000. Yesterday we launched our IndieGoGo campaign. Indiegogo is not only a simple easy way of businesses/organisations getting involved with us (in exchange for some amazing advertising and press coverage), but also for individuals to donate something a bit smaller and it reaches people across the world who are interested in funding great projects. Within 4 hours we had $100 donated. Fantastic.

So please, go check out our new campaign and particularly what we offer in return.

Nick and Ben came down with Sheila to West Kirby on the Wirral where Chris and I live last week to say hello, chat and finalise a few things. Great getting together and trying to work out ways of solving some of the issues we’ve got to contend with prior to the rally (more fundraising, more sponsorship).

We’ll be announcing another important announcement relating to sponsorship next week. Some amazing opportunities at affordable rates with a simple and easy process. Keep your eyes peeled.

We’ve actually had over £100 in donations off the back of this one story, so it’s clear that good exposure like this makes a real difference in the amount of money we raise  Click on the image to enlarge, or see the story online here.