Last night, a group of girls came together to meet at a crowded Orange Tree pub in Totteridge, all taking time out from the televised Election debate to talk about raising money for a worthy cause and the trepidation of going on the WIZO Aviv Challenge – a week’s mission in Israel that starts next week.

Eighteen of us will swap our scarves for sunhats and shoes for sandals as we spend 6 days volunteering at the Rebecca Sieff Centre, WIZO’s flagship project in the heart of Jerusalem for women and children at risk. As the group got to know each other, the conversation turned to a number of topics ranging from the jobs we will be doing, people’s preference for painting or digging, plastering or weeding; what clothes to take and even wondering who our roommates will be for the forthcoming week. And of course, not forgetting the immense preparation involved when leaving our children in the hands of partners, mothers and mothers-in law.

The group is a mixture of women from London, Leeds, Manchester and Germany - all of whom have worked extremely hard over the past few months raising tens of thousands of pounds for vital WIZO projects in Israel such as the Adi centre for abused teenage girls. All of us clearly had one thing in common – the excitement of doing something different and worthwhile – hoping to make a difference to the lives of women and children at risk in Israel. A few people couldn’t make it last night – I already can’t wait to see them in Israel in 6 days time.