VOTING CLOSED
ARMCHAIR ADVENTURERS CHOICE AWARD
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ARMCHAIR ADVENTURERS CHOICE AWARD
£3,000 is up for grabs for one winner in this year's #GetOutDoStuff Armchair Adventurer's Choice Award! More than 75 applications have been whittled down to 3 finalists by our judging panel and now it's your turn to pick the winner. Below you can see all the details on this years finalists and then cast your vote to pick a winner.
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Voting opens at 9am on 3/02/24 and closes at 17:00 on 9/02/24. Only one vote allowed per person.
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David Haze
Paddleboarding the Mediterrenean Sea​
Four years ago, I emerged from a small prison cell and embarked on a journey of self discovery through adventure. The outdoors gave me the strength to heal, grow, and rediscover myself, and now I’m committed to helping others do the same through adventure and exploration, whilst protecting the oceans. I’m applying for this grant to take on a world-first challenge: a solo, unsupported stand-up paddleboard journey across the entire length of Mediterranean Sea. Spanning over 4,000 km, this feat will push my physical and mental endurance to their absolute limits. But beyond the challenge itself, I’m also raising funds for three charities close to my heart: Dorset Mind, Alliance of Sport, and Adventure Therapy.
Your support will help turn this dream into a reality, make history, and create positive change for those who need it most.
Karolina Pakenaite
Climbing Himlung Himal ​
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Hi! I’m Caroline, and I’m on a mission to become the first deafblind person to summit Mount Everest. I was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome about 10 years ago and later registered as blind after being partially sighted. I use a guide dog and a cane, yet I still get strange looks when people see me making eye contact, reading books, or doing photography. My vision is extremely narrow—classified as blind—yet I still have some useful sight. I don’t know how long it will last, so I’m determined to summit Everest in 2026 to create lasting visual memories.
I’ve already climbed a 6000m mountain, and this year, my goal is to summit Himlung Himal (7000m) in Nepal—one step closer to Everest. This climb will push my limits in extreme conditions while refining the skills I need for the world’s highest peak.
It would be amazing if you decide to vote for me. Together, we’ll prove that adventure belongs to everyone—no limits, no barriers. And let’s all summit our own Everest, whatever that may be.
#DeafBlindEverestProject #NoLimits
Sahir Permall
Cycling the Silk Road​
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I want to cycle 3000km - solo and self-supported as a brown single mother in my mid-30s - along on the Silk Road this summer as part of a longer 'reverse migration' from my home in Glasgow to my ancestral homeland of Pakistan.
After surviving divorce and redundancy last year, I decided I needed to do something to turn my life around. So, I left home on my old touring bike and cycled to Istanbul.
Continuing that journey through Central Asia will take me across remote deserts and challenging mountains to witness how landscape and culture shifts across the heart of Asia.
I want to show people that you CAN get out there and have amazing adventures on your own as a woman, a mother, a child of immigrants and as you get older and that you don't need to wear lycra or spend a fortune.
THE ARMCHAIR ADVENTURE FESTIVAL
New here and wondering what the heck the Armchair Adventure Festival is? We are the UK's best celebration of adventure travel. The festival was founded by Matt and Reece (AKA The Sidecar Guys) during the first covid lockdown as a way of connecting adventurers when we couldn't leave our living rooms. In the 3 years since the festival has been around we have held a number of virtual events, two in-person festivals and raised more than £15,000 for good causes.
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Our purpose now is to celebrate adventure travel and inspire more people to embrace the positive impacts adventure can have on your life.
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Our next festival will be held from 24th-27th July at Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, Cornwall and it will be a full on weekend of tales of adventure, activities to get involved with and live music. Find out more here.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE GRANT?
INDIVIDUALS
The best way to get involved is to #GetOutDoStuff!
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Please #GetOutDoStuff and use the hashtag so we can reshare your posts. Talk about the grant in your posts so more people can hear Dave's story and #GetOutDoStuff. You can also share this webpage with anyone who might be interested in applying for or supporting the grant.
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You can also donate to the grant here. All funds raised are ringfenced and 100% of the money raised goes to funding adventures. Some fundraising platforms take a small fee for their service but The Armchair Adventure Festival takes no fee and every penny that makes it into the grant goes to funding #GetOutDoStuff adventures.
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BUSINESSES
Could your business become a sponsor of the grant? We are looking for sponsors to offer up matched funding for next years fundraising at Armchair Adventure Festival 2025. To do so we would like you to join our #GetOutDoStuff 100 club.
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This means you pledge to match up to £100 of funding. So if AAF25 festival goers raise £100 your business will match that £100 and make it £200. You only have to match £100 though so we are looking for as many businesses as possible to join the club.
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We will also ask all 100 club members to donate a prize of any size to our raffle. So for just a £100 donation and a raffle prize you can support this amazing grant and have your logo featured on this page!
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If you want to go the extra mile you can take one of the 1000 club member spots and pledge £1,000. You'll get loads of extra exposure including a mention in our press release about the grant.
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To become a sponsor please email contact@amrchairadventurefestival.com
Get your logo on our board and get a special thanks at #AAF23
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