#StupidIdeas – Deano's World

I think it is fair to say that this year has been a shit show from start to finish and, as usual, it is the vulnerable who suffer the most. To make matters worse 2020 is a year which has showcased some of the worst of humanity with selfishness, bullying, profiteering and cronyism seemingly everywhere. But. As is so often the case, adversity brings out the best in people: Marcus Rashford leading the charge to make sure children didn’t go hungry, Captain Tom fundraising for the NHS and the legendary mountaineer octogenarian Doug Scott climbing the equivalent height of Everest in his own home to raise money for Community Action Nepal just months before his own death from cancer. (The photos below show Scott wearing the same suit: when he climbed his stair Everest and when he summited the real Everest, forty years apart).

I hated watching so many of the event-based charities I support seriously struggle to not only fundraise or look after their own staff, but to even fulfil their purpose. Given that a lot of these charities were, by definition, working with the most vulnerable in society, their own struggle during the pandemic only exacerbated the trials of others.

As this seemingly endless year finally draws to an agonising close, my thoughts turn to the future. Recently, I had been looking into possible options for a follow up to the Everest Rugby challenge. So far, a suitable challenge had eluded me but, whilst at the drawing board, I had come up with a fair few other ideas that I wanted to add to a “bucket list” anyway. Once I got over the fact I hate the term “bucket list” obviously.

The problem I have with “bucket list” is that it has become synonymous with the usual one-upmanship of #livingmybestlife, social media and all that bollocks. But, what if the concept could be used for something more than filling followers of an Instagram account with envy or demonstrating the insignificance of the account owner’s genitalia? I also dislike that bucket lists are often thought of as enterprises undertaken when you retire. Why couldn’t I go a different way, and tick off a few incredible challenges, when I was marginally younger and fitter, but with the aim of raising money for some causes very close to my heart, rather than raising the number of followers on a social media account?

I’ve decided, after this Covid-19 pandemic has ended obviously, that before my 50th birthday on Wednesday 29th March 2028 I will take on a variety of challenges, in an attempt to raise a minimum of £50,000 for some amazing charities and causes. The easiest bit was choosing the charities and causes; I have supported all of them at various times throughout my life: Wooden Spoon, Tusk, The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Community Action Nepal, Nina Kahn, Samurai RFC, The Lighthouse Club and Caring For Animals.