We were told to meet outside M&S at 10.30 sharp, but I have terrible punctuality. So, as per usual, I was slightly late to meet the group (despite running frantically down the street to try to make it on time!). Once there, I couldn’t see anyone standing outside wearing the yellow Childreach t-shirt and as I didn’t know who anyone was, I couldn’t look for any familiar faces.

Working hard at M&SI was getting pretty excited about the prospect of meeting some of the group I’d be going to Everest with, and also going to do bag packing at M&S and raise some more money!

I eventually found a large group of Childreach volunteers by the tills in the supermarket but I soon found out that they were from a different expedition – these were the ‘c limb Kilimanjaro’ lot and none of them knew anything about the volunteers I was meant to be with. After a bit more searching and confusion, I found my group. It turned out that they had been waiting outside the other entrance all along!

There had been a big mix up and instead of just our group from Leeds having the entire bag packing slot at M&S as expected, 20 other volunteers from York had turned up and bagged the tills! We were pretty peeved! The team leaders decided on a compromise –both groups would have an equal four hour slot for the bag packing.

Most people at the tills would donate between 50p and £1 and were grateful for the help with packing their bags. There were the odd few who would let you pack their hefty load of shopping, smile sweetly at you and then walk off without donating a single penny!!

I didn’t stop moving for over 9 hours that day, and by the end of it, my feet felt as though they had swollen over twice their normal size. I was so relieved when I finally got to sit down at the end of the day and I was pretty excited about counting the money I had got! I was told that on average volunteers usually raise £80-£100, but I had managed to collect £141!!! So although tiring and hard work, and sometimes fairly demoralizing – it was definitely worth it!

 Rosanna