Our member Jonny Beardmore, a London-based consultant, has thrown in his day job and become the Galapagos Postman. His challenge is to hand deliver 50 letters to strangers around the world to raise awareness and funds for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and to connect with strangers.
Jonny and the Island conservation team in Post Office Bay, Isla Floreana on 1st March 2024
In March 2024, Jonny collected 50 letters from the ancient postbox on Isla Floreana in the Galapagos Islands – letters left by travellers in the hopes someone would collect them and deliver them. Over the next 12 months, he is travelling the globe to hand deliver each of them to their intended recipients. Their locations will guide his route – and his luggage will be a single carry-on bag.
The main mission of the project is to raise awareness about Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and the challenges people with MND/ALS face in travelling and communicating.
The Galapagos postbox has been operational for centuries. Since 1793, sailors on multi-year ventures would leave letters for their loved ones, hoping they would be collected by passing ships on their way back to England, the USA, or their home port. This has become a longstanding tradition. Today, island visitors still leave letters and postcards in the hope that a fellow traveller will collect them, and hand-deliver them to their destination.
Who is The Galapagos Postman?
My name is Jonny Beardmore aka The Galapagos Postman!
Jonny and the postbox in Post Office Bay, Isla Floreana on 1st March 2024
I am a New Zealand/Taranaki-born British/New Zealander, a highly motivated and resourceful professional who has spent the last 25 years combining a successful career and worldwide travel to visit over 100+ countries, experiencing diverse cultures and environments. I am also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London.
This year I’ve set off on a grand adventure across the world, hand delivering letters from one very special post box in the Galapagos Islands, to unsuspecting recipients in an attempt to reconnect the world one letter at a time. I purposefully haven’t contacted the recipients in advance. The uncertainty of how this global challenge has been unfolding has certainly added an extra layer of adventure.
My primary goal is to answer, ‘Are we living in a disconnected world’?
In a post-Covid world dominated by social media, I’ve been exploring whether we’re becoming more disconnected from face-to-face relationships.
The journey so far
I’ve been on the road since the 1st March 2024 when I collected 50 letters from Isla Floreana. For the last 6 months I’ve been travelling solo across South America, Antarctica, Central America, North America, Iceland, and the UK and Ireland. I’m currently in The Baltic states and Eastern Europe before visiting Qatar, Dubai and India as I head east for the rest of 2024.
So far I’ve delivered 31 letters to unsuspected local residents, with only two cases where I’ve left the letter and not heard from the recipient. Recipients include a doctor in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a love letter to San Pedro, Belize, a mother who could not read in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the mayor of clown town in Houston, and a honeymooning couple in Washago, Canada.
Jonny delivering letter 17 to Mrs Lim in Toronto on 26th June 2024
I was recognised on the street in Godalming, Surrey (by a mother and daughter who saw me speak virtually at a UK adventure festival called Yestival) on the way to deliver a letter to their neighbour. And I delivered a letter live on an Irish national radio show to an Irishman called Paddy in Dublin.
I’ve done ice bucket challenges in Reykjavik, Iceland and Glasgow, Scotland to raise money for MND/ALS Charities and have featured on numerous TV news reports, newspapers and radio as part of my ongoing efforts to rasie awareness for the MND/ALS community.
Jonny delivering letter 8 to Carmen from her daughter Alex in Mexico City on 15th May 2024
So far I’ve travelled over 39,000 miles and have visited 21 countries and 50+ Nomad mania regions, and made a bunch of new friends along the way.
My fundraising efforts
Part of my motivation for this challenge is to raise money for MND/ALS charities, which focus on improving the quality of life, funding research, and campaigning for people affected by MND/ALS.
Jonny with ALS Canada CEO Tammy Moore in Toronto
“My inspiration for this endeavour comes from my father, Eric. He battled MND/ALS for over eight years until he passed away in 2022. Through this project, I aim to reconnect people through the written word, emphasising the personal touch that letters provide. But there’s more: I want to highlight the loss of mobility and freedom of movement that my father and other MND sufferers experience—a reminder that we should never take these abilities for granted.”
As the UK is my second home I am proud to be partnering with Sam Perkins and his charity Stand Against MND in the UK. Sam and I share a passion for the power of research funding in changing the future of the disease. All UK fundraising is going to Stand Against MND to continue the great work Sam and his charity have achieved to date.
How can you contribute?
You can contribute to our fundraising efforts by grabbing a unique TGP T-shirt here. Every purchase supports the fight against MND (Motor Neuron Disease) and ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
All donations of any size would be gratefully received.
For the rest of the world I would encourage you to donate to your local MND/ALS organisation. I know they will be very happy to receive your donation. This international alliance website can help – als-mnd.org.
Tales from the Galapagos Postbox
I’m working with the fantastic team at ZeroSixZero who have created a bespoke map for the challenge. It’s a beautifully designed map which I love. Going forward I’m starting to track stories of other letters from the Galapagos postbox that have been delivered around the world. If you have a letter, or have delivered one from the Galapagos postbox, I’d love to hear about it.
Take a look at my map and let me know if you like what you see – z6z.co/galapagos-postman/.
Tracking my impact
Beyond the adventure, I’m tracking my emissions using mapping tools from zerosixzero. This analysis will help me understand the environmental impact of my challenge.
Jonny delivering letter 7 to Steve, Denise and Suzanne in San Pedro, Belize
Follow the adventure!
I invite you to follow my adventures on Instagram and on Facebook.
Jonny in Antarctica in March 2024
You can also follow my tracking map at z6z.co/galapagos-postman.
Jonny Beardmore aka The Galapagos Postman 😊🐢📮✉️
