Sinai Journeys Ltd is the trading arm of The Makhad Trust, a registered charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under the Charities Act of 1993, Charity Commission number 1100377. Sinai Journeys Ltd is also a Company limited by Guarantee, registration number 04583140. Sinai Journeys Ltd is registered with Companies House.
The address of its headquarters, as registered with Companies House, is:
Wolseley House
Oriel Road
Cheltenham GL50 1TH
+44 (0)1242 544 546
The Makhad Trust was registered by the Ministry of Social Affairs in Egypt as a Foreign Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Number (49) issued on 18 August 2005.
The Makhad Trust, as a not-for-profit organisation, has a structured management system in place and is managed by a Board of Trustees. Sinai Journeys is managed by the same people.
The Board of Trustees and Directors :
Chairman: Mr Michael R Ratcliffe, Directors: Mrs Helen Cranston, Mrs Rachel Devas, Mr Richard Stainer,
Meet the Team
All the Trustees are involved in facilitating projects and Journeys on the ground, while our Chair, Michael Ratcliffe usually visits once or twice a year. The trustees are also directors of Sinai Journeys Ltd. Our Egyptain trustee assists with guidance on bureaucratic matters.
Journeys are led by two of the trustees/directors: Helen Cranston (who is also a convenor) and by Dick Stainer with Rachel Devas as a convenor.
Helen’s Sinai Background
Helen has enjoyed leading groups during her many trips to the Sinai. Her passion for being in nature, on mountains, in rivers and the sea, started in childhood with family holidays and increased with her school fell walking club trips to the Lake District. During her army career as an officer in the Royal Signals, the things she enjoyed the most were adventure training, learning to ski and kayak, camping, shooting range days and assault courses. Helen met her husband while on exercise in Germany and they had two children, grown up now. She supported the children’s school by assisting on week-long wild-camping trips to Knoydart Scotland and shorter practice trips. Helen keeps fit with weights classes and year round open water swimming.
Helen read Psychology at the University of Newcastle up Tyne, and later studied nutritional medicine and has practiced as a nutritional therapist for 30 years. She also ran a small charity providing environmentally sustainable tented conference facilities to other environmental charities for a period of ten years.
Her first trip to Sinai was in 2008 when she joined a group going to build a small dam in the Sinai Mountains. One or two trips a year followed until she took over the role of Project Manager for the Makhad Trust in 2014, a role she has enjoyed immensely until handing over in 2024. This work has given her an extensive and intimate knowledge of the geography, people and culture of South Sinai, Egypt.
In addition to a great deal of experience in mountains and wild places, Helen has also trained in Wilderness First Aid, the most recent course was undertaken in May 2024.
Trekking in Sinai, through the mountains and deserts can lead to positive life changing experiences and Helen would like to offer this possibility to others by continuing to run inspirational journeys through Sinai Journeys Ltd.
Sinai Manager: Mahmoud Ahmed
Mahmoud is a Bedouin and has lived in St Katherine’s all his life. He started working for the Trust in 2008, assisting with Journey organisation, then helping to facilitate all the projects, visiting all the completed wells and dams once every two years, and accompanying Helen on Project Trips. Mahmoud is responsible for Sinai Journeys Ltd on-the-ground organisation. Sinai Journeys Ltd is the business arm of Makhad Trust
Data Protection
Any personal details received by the Makhad Trust, Sinai Journeys and Friends of Makhad over the internet will comply with the Data Protection Act of 1998. Management controls for safeguarding personal data are carefully observed.