North to South FAQs

Do you have questions about the North to South: Community Challenge? Read through our frequently asked questions! If you still don’t find the information you’re looking for, please do send us an email –Ā info@latinlink.org.ukĀ – and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.


 

1. How do I take part?

Join this fundraiser in a few simple steps!

  • Follow the link below to the My Virtual Mission page.
  • Once there, click on the ‘Join Mission’ button.
  • You’ll then be asked to select a team – just choose the Latin Link Team option!
  • After that, you’ll need to set up your own account (follow instructions on the page).
  • Then it’s up to you to get moving! Decide your own distance and activity.
  • Ask your friends and family to sponsor the Latin Link team as we all complete the challenge together.

Click here to go to Latin Link’s My Virtual Mission page.

2. Where will the money go?

The money you help to raise will further Latin Link’s mission work in Latin America and Europe. At present, many of our workers are serving alongside communities that have been hit hard by the effects of Covid-19. So your donations will help equip and resource these members as they provide physical, emotional and spiritual support in the months ahead. Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates about the projects you’re supporting!

3. How long will the challenge last?

15,000km is a long way to travel! So the completion of this challenge is dependant on how many people take part. Each individual participant can choose the length and timeframe for their own challenge. For example, you might decide to complete a specific distance over the course of a week. It’s whatever contribution works for you!

You can track our community progress using the My Virtual Mission page here.

4. Is there a minimum distance I should cover?

Not at all! Whether you want to travel 10 metres or 1000 kilometres, your contribution is valuable! Just make sure you keep track of your total distance and log it using the My Virtual Mission page.

5. Who can join?

Anyone and everyone! This fundraiser is a great way to make a difference to Latin American communities on the road to recovery from Covid-19. Whether youā€™re new to Latin Link or youā€™ve been part of the community for decades, we need all hands (feet!) on deck for this mega challenge. You can choose to sign up by yourself, or you could create an account as a church or family team. Everyone’s welcome!

6. Does it cost me anything?

It’s completely free to join the North to South: Community Challenge. There’s no obligation to make a donation, but if you want to cover the administration and platform fees, we’d suggest a voluntary contribution of Ā£6 (this will cover the cost of the useĀ My Virtual Mission). To do this, just make a donation to the fundraiser using the donate button at the base of this page.

7. How do I track my distances?

Once you’ve set up an account with My Virtual Mission, you’re able to upload your individual activities to the North to South page. We’d recommend downloading the My Virtual Mission smartphone app, which helps improve the experience, and makes it easier to track your distances using other apps like Strava, RunKeeper, Apple Health, and more.

To connect with apps like these, use the following steps:

  • Open the My Virtual Mission app

  • From the home screen, click the menu at the bottom right of the screen

  • Click ‘CONNECTIONS’

  • Select your desired fitness trackers

Once you have connected your fitness tracker, go to your mission page by selecting ‘VIEW MISSION’. Select ‘SETTINGS’ from the drop-down menu on the right-hand side. You will then be able to update your posting preferences for your challenge.

 

8. Can we sign up as a team?

Yes! For teams, you only need one account between you.Ā If you’re planning on completing the challenge alongside friends, family, or your church, then you can create a My Virtual Mission account with your team name (e.g. St Peters, Reading). Then just nominate one person to keep track of your collective distance, and add them all to your My Virtual Mission page.

Teams also have the opportunity to get really creative with their combined distance. For example, you could all choose to collectively cover the length of a whole country – 457km between you would cover the length of Guatemala!

 

9. How do I ask people to sponsor me?

It can be difficult to ask people for money! But the North to South: Community Challenge is raising money for a great cause, especially at a time like this where Covid is having such a devastating effect across Latin America and beyond.

You might want to share something like this with your close friends, family and church network:

ā€œIā€™m running 150km over 5 days as part of Latin Linkā€™s North to South Community Challenge! Together, weā€™re trying to cover the length of Latin America ā€“ 15,000km through 15 countries from Mexico to Chile. This is toĀ raise money for Latin Link as they serve alongside vulnerable Latin American communities on the road to recovery from Covid-19. Will you sponsor my leg of the journey? See our progress and sponsor our challenge at: latinlink.org.uk/northtosouthā€

10. What if no one sponsors me?

Although it would be fantastic to have a few sponsors, we don’t want that to stop you from taking part! This is a community effort, so your contribution to the distance travelled is greatly valued. Unlike other fundraisers where each person raises their own total, we’re raising money collectively – so everyone’s sponsorships will appear together in one pot.