Bronze Sponsor Confirmed

Brilliantly, over the weekend, Petrostrat confirmed their pledge to come on board as a Bronze sponsor of the expedition. This takes me another step closer to the target amount required for the expedition to depart in May.

For those who don't know, PetroStrat Ltd. is a Biostratigraphic Consultancy that provides a full suite of specialist palaeontological services (micropalaeontology, nannopalaeontology and palynology) to the Oil & Gas industry. Based in Conwy, North Wales and an associate member of Geoscience Wales Ltd., they specialise in the provision of wellsite (real time) biostratigraphic services and high resolution, quantitative reservoir scale studies. Their stratigraphers have worked on several wells and shallow boreholes in both the UK and Irish Rockall areas.

So, now you know!

Communicating

I'm very please to announce that thanks to a referral from Panasonic I have had confirmed today that Telespazio / VEGA Space Ltd. have very kindly agreed to supply the expedition with a satellite phone and airtime, which means that the last of my major costs, except for the boat charter, is now covered.

The result is that the total amount I am now seeking has been dramatically reduced, and along with a couple of recent pledges of funding, means that my target has dropped from c.£20,000 to c.£15,000 in a couple of months.

The date has been set for the expedition, towards the end of May this year. However, I am still urgently seeking funding to pay for (mostly) the boat charter and ancillery kit and equipment.

Getting closer....

Another good few days to report:

Working backwards; I was contacted today by a researcher at STV with a view to putting a programme together centred around the exepedition. Its very early days, as these things need to be pitched for, but this shows increasing media interest in the challenge, and hence opportunities for potential sponsors to have their support recognised.

Yesterday I was offered, and accepted, support from Telespazio VEGA UK Ltd which will include satellite communications, training and airtime. In addition to this being one of the last major items on my list to sort out, it also means an additional cost reduction to the expedition.

Furthermore, I've also recently had a pledge of financial support for part of my boat charter costs confirmed. This, along with the agreement with Telespazio VEGA UK Ltd, means that the expedition costs have been reduced yet further.

Now if I can get my memory stick with the spreadsheet on to work (it crashed last night!) I can update the costings and the outstanding funding requirements on the website in order to attract further financial support.

Getting closer....

A date with the Rock booked

I have finally got a date booked in the diary for going to Rockall with Kilda Cruises on their new boat, which will be finished next month. Its being built especially, not for me (!) but for trips to Rockall and other off-shore work.

The duration of my visit/stay is still to be confirmed as its still very dependant on funding. Either way, I will be going in a few months time and will either land and conduct a recce for a future expedition, or land and stay for 60 days if the weather allows.

Now, in addition to trying to raise the funds I need, its time to start training. So back to climbing, swimming and running as its going to be tough no matter what the weather decides to do, especially after the long cruise out from the Outer Hebrides on a probable rough sea.

Space for Sponsors...



Photo credit: Phil Wilkinson, Edinburgh Evening News

The word is spreading, I managed to get a great double page spread in the Edinburgh Evening News and on The Scotsman website. I hope sponsors are watching and notice all the free space available on the RockPod shelter for logos, which will appear in future press photos and newspaper articles.