On February 20, a group of adventurous Celtic FC Foundation supporters – including former Celts, Tom Boyd and Simon Donnelly – completed our inaugural Sahara Desert Trek, which was sponsored by MDH Recruitment.

Together, this incredible group raised a phenomenal net total in excess of £37K.

Led by an experienced Global Adventure Challenges team leader, as well as local Moroccan guides, participants experienced their first taste of desert trekking on Saturday, February 17. This proved trickier than anticipated, as they had to acclimatise to the weather and also the sand underfoot.

Day Two was the group’s first full day spent walking through mostly rough rugged terrain, with the majority of their time spent trekking on hard sand, rocky hills and boulders. Luckily, the weather was on their side, as a breeze followed them throughout the day offering protection from the 33-degree heat and humidity.

Even although participants were challenged with bursts of mini sand storms whilst tackling some of the hardest conditions they would face on the trip, spirits were high when everyone reached camp.

Day Three saw an early start as the group prepared for another full day’s trekking in the desert. They departed camp in the dark, as they headed to tackle the highest summit in the Sahara – the 100m high Chigaga Dunes. This proved to be an immense challenge, as they were faced with steep inclines and vast dunes in order to reach the top in time for sunrise. However, it was well worth the wait and the mammoth effort, as participants were welcomed with stunning views of the largest hot desert in the world.

Their final day in the Sahara – a shorter day’s trekking – was filled with gratitude and humility, as they walked across the sands where they reached the finishing line. The 13 participants were able to spend some time at a local Nomad school, where they were given a tour of the grounds and had an opportunity to engage with the local community. A wonderful way to cap off the challenge of a lifetime.

We would like to thank all 13 of our wonderful participants for their commitment, dedication, perseverance and support of Celtic FC Foundation:

Tom Boyd 

Anthony Cecchini

Robert Corr 

Robbie Corr 

Gordon Coyle 

Simon Donnelly 

Gillian Gallacher 

Mark Lappin

Kevin Melia

Edward Rooney

Fran Sheridan

Ken Simpson

Amanda Wilson

To register your interest in future overseas fundraising trips, please email [email protected] or call 0141 551 4321.