Rockall Ho! — one week and counting

In less than a week the editors of The Rockall Times, accompanied by Mark Alden, Al Baker, Jamie Cambridge and skipper Bob Johnston will leave Troon in western Scotland aboard a 40-ft yacht bound for the distant and sacred islet of Rockall.

Once there — and after a 300-mile journey across the North Atlantic — they will risk life and limb to conquer the world's remotest outcrop in aid of Mental Health Media.

As the above montage shows, the challenge facing the team is immense. However, it would have been even greater without the tremendous support willingly given by our corporate and individual sponsors.

And this is where you come in. We're asking the thousands of you who enjoy The Rockall Times every week for absolutely bugger all to donate at least a fiver to the cause.

You can support us by buying one of the few remaining Rockall Ho! limited edition t-shirts (proceeds from sales of our "Rockall Britannia" shirt until the end of July also go to the appeal), stumping up for a bag of our Rockall May Queen's Crunchy seagull-flavour wheat-based snacks, or simply making a donation via Paypal right here:

Those of you who fancy supporting the team in person might like to share a beer with us on Friday 18 July at the spiritual home of Yeast Logic — The Waggon & Horses, New Road, Mistley, Manningtree, Essex. Between 4 and 10pm there will be a knees-up amusingly entitled "The Last Supper", attended by no less than TV's Donal "Mad Dog" MacIntyre. Donal is a great supporter of mental health and related charities, and has kindly agreed to take time off from his punishing schedule to lend his own brand of Celtic charm to the proceedings. Look out for pictures in next week's edition.

Meanwhile, the Rockall Ho! training schedule concluded in some style when, on 6 July, Mark Alden, Jamie Cambridge and Lester Haines — accompanied by official scaffolder to the Rockall Ho! expedition Paul "Medivac" Bush — took part in a 120-ft mass abseil from the roof of Ipswich Hospital's Maternity block. The event, raising funds for a whole rack of charities, saw more than 500 intrepid souls take the plunge. Those with the "Who Dares Wins" spirit included plenty of young kids and one 75-year-old granny who descended gracefully straight into her waiting zimmer frame. Rispek.

All in all, the team concluded that the whole thing had been a most enjoyable experience. Indeed, the only moment of terror came when Lester Haines reached the roof of the building only to realise that he had left his wallet with his wife on the ground below. The fact that his credit cards were still in it provoked a tearful moment (see photo below), but certainly stiffened his resolve to be reunited with his beloved as quickly as possible.

The Ipswich adventure was preceded by the group's second trip to Derbyshire on the 28–29 June (photo below). Thanks to all those Members of Ipswich Climbing Club, and as ever to Dave Tonks of Action Outdoors for all their help and support, especially in encouraging Jamie Cambridge to climb his first lead. Magnificent.

Meanwhile, final team member and whippersnapper Kieren McCarthy — secreted several hundred miles away in Cornwall — took advantage of the one-on-one tutorship of instructor Stu Bradbury of Wall Crawler to get up Terrier's Tooth sea cliff near Land's End. And back down again. And up again. Before heading back home, having a long bath and moaning of aches and pains for the next two days.

On the kit front, big love goes out to wetsuit manufacturers Body Glove who recently agreed to supply the team with the apparel necessary for a dip in the nippy North Atlantic. Fantastic stuff.

Pints are also being lined up for top PR woman Di Davidson of The PR Exchange. Di has toiled without rest to obtain kit and press coverage for the assault, and has nothing more in return than a couple of continental lagers and a bag of pork scratchings.

And, finally, we would like to single out for particular praise the truly terrific www.file-away.co.uk, without whom this project would never have got off the ground. We hope that our readers will follow their example and give it up for charity.