Mercy Corps Mongolia

Former Southbanker Luke Phillips is heading to Mongolia as part of a charity project.

Luke and his friend John Napier are currently raising funds before their trip to Ulaan Baatuur in two months time. Their chosen charity is Mercy Corps Mongolia - a group which works closely with rural communities to create small businesses and economic opportunities, and also funds projects to help disabled children and teach sign language to deaf children, parent and teachers.

A sponsorship opportunity is available for anyone wishing to help the group buy a vehicle for their trip. Luke explains: "While we may very well end up in a £500 banger, we would love to take a vehicle of use to Mongolia's infrastructure."

Donations can be made here.

Luke adds: "Our passports are off, we're collecting the long line of central Asian Visas we'll need, we're planning our route and trying to get in contact with anyone with an interest in the region or who knows anyone out there! We'll be blogging and posting photos in the run-up to leaving and along the way. We're hoping to practice off-road driving this month, so we'd better get a move one!

"It's going to be a long, hard slog for charity - 10,000 miles in 5 weeks, maximum, or an average of 285 miles a day through places where there are no roads. In Turkministan, the temperature get up to 50 degrees centigrade and in the Mongolian summer nights still reach freezing, but there are perks, of course, including stopovers in some fantastic places."