The old Paramount Pictures Screening room at vintage cinema/bar complex Golden Age accommodates around 55 people. The thinking was to pick about the number of an old train carriage as perfect size for a group “going on a journey together”.
A great idea and very generous offer from travel journalist extraordinaire, Sophy Roberts:
The concept behind her Fair Exchange Travel Service is simple – Send Sophy an email with the details of a trip you’re planning and she’ll send you recommendations on where to stay, what to avoid, and contacts for selected regional travel specialists.
In return, you agree to make a donation of any size to Facing Africa, a group that funds complex reconstructive surgeries for African children afflicted with Noma, an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection affecting the face.
It is an incredibly worthy cause and I think, not surprisingly for a group which Sophy supports, also exemplifies some of the most positive aspects of travel: Each surgical mission brings skilled help into Ethiopia, training for local doctors, and donates medical equipment before returning home.
Things don’t get much easier – or better – than this.