Dream Team: Rowan and friends fundraise in Birmingham

18-YEAR-OLD Rowan Staden- Coats from Pembrokeshire is to undergo the challenge of a lifetime in 2016 by climbing the highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, to raise money for the Meningitis Research Foundation. Currently a first year student at the University of Birmingham, in September 2016 Rowan will be travelling to Tanzania with a group of 27 students from the University, to undertake a 6-day trek to the summit to raise money for this worthy cause. Having lived in the village of Treffgarne for her whole life, Rowan has always been and will continue to be an active part of the local community.

She is a member of Keyston YFC, with whom she has helped to raise money for local charities including PATCH and Paul Sartori. She has used her musical talents to perform in charity concerts, both as a vocal soloist and part of small ensembles and larger choirs raising money for various local and national charities. She has been well-prepared for her challenge as during her school years, she completed the bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh awards which as well as including tough physical activity, also meant that she spent a considerable number of hours volunteering in her local primary school, working with the children there.

In summer 2013, Rowan spent two weeks volunteering in rural Malawi with the Fisherman’s Rest Charity, helping to build schools and teaching English. Meningitis Research Foundation is an excellent charity to which Rowan has a strong personal link. The charity is close to her heart, as when she was a toddler, she lost a friend to the disease overnight. More recently, a very c l o s e friend is thought to have contracted viral meningitis, which meant that she could not attend school for two years, meaning she missed out on completing her A-Levels. For such a bright, hardworking and enthusiastic pupil, this was very upsetting.

Thankfully, she has now recovered from the episode and is attempting to resume her studies. However, this is not the case for a lot of people who are permanently affected by the disease. The charity carries out research projects all over the world and in the UK into both Meningitis (bacterial, viral and fungal) and Septicaemia. Their current research projects include experimentation with new vaccines, which in future years will help to combat the disease, but they also work very closely with people who have already been affected, and raising awareness in order to prevent the spread.

Recently, Meningitis Research Foundation were responsible for attaining a free vaccination for the ACWY strain of the disease for all first year university students – only since starting university did Rowan realise just how important this is, as students are the second highest risk demographic category, following babies, to contract the disease. Symptoms can be very similar to that of hangovers, meaning lots of students may dismiss the symptoms, which could prove fatal. Many people are very unaware of many of the symptoms and effects of the disease, and the charity does great work to try and raise a w a r e n e s s . It provides lots of s u p p o r t f o r families and victims already affected, and has rehabilitation programmes in order to help them to re-establish normality to their lives.

The fundraising target is £2990, which the charity will be spending on a variety of projects, including the genome research library and rehabilitation programmes. The trek up Kilimanjaro itself will take place over the course of 6 days, in early September 2016 and the group should reach the summit on day 4, at a height of 5,895m (19,336 ft.) they will be at the highest point in Africa. This will be a hugely challenging experience, and will take lots of commitment to physical training, as it will be Rowan’s first experience of high altitude, as well as overcoming mental and emotional obstacles and of course the fundraising challenge. Throughout the course of the year the intrepid teenager will be organising multiple fundraising events, both in Pembrokeshire and in Birmingham, but will also be taking part in other activities such as the Birmingham 10k run and the Tenby Boxing Day Swim in order to reach the personal target of £2990. If you would like to donate to Rowan’s challenge and help the fight against meningitis then you can do so by going to the fundraising page: https://carnivalrag.everydayhero. c o m / u k / r o w a n – c l i m b s – kilimanjaro-2016 For more information on events or to contact Rowan you can get in touch via her email address:rowanstadencoats@gmail. com