Charity to collect funds from novel quest

Karen Winchcombe, director of Round Table Children's Wish, left, and colleague Cassandra Gagnon hold The Ring of Anhur and copies of the book itself. The charity will receive a third of all donations made from the sale of The Ring of Anhur novel.

Karen Winchcombe, director of Round Table Children’s Wish, left, and colleague Cassandra Gagnon hold The Ring of Anhur and copies of the book itself. The charity will receive a third of all donations made from the sale of The Ring of Anhur novel.

A Bournemouth children’s charity is set to benefit from the quest to unearth a valuable golden ring hidden as part of a treasure hunt novel.

Round Table Children’s Wish will be given a share of the money from sales of The Ring of Anhur, a fantasy book written by master mystery author John Michael Hanson.

The discus-sized ring comprises two parts which have been buried in secret locations across the UK – and thousands of treasure-hunters are expected to join the quest.

Director of the charity, Karen Winchcombe, said: “It’s great to be part of such a unique challenge that is supporting the children we grant wishes to.

“Mr Hanson is passionate about the book being able to support poorly children and, with the number of people expected to get involved, we are looking forward to reaching more children.  Good luck to all the participants and a big thank you for all your support.”

Round Table Children’s Wish grants handcrafted wishes to children aged four to 17 with life-threatening illnesses.

The charity strives to deliver the most personalised wishes possible to help create memories that will last a lifetime.

Sales of The Ring of Anhur will help to increase the charity donation pot total and the pseudonymous Mr Hanson is keen to raise as much money as possible.

He said: “It’s great for the charities because the donation pot is split into thirds with equal shares given to our three nominated charities.

“Our team as a whole felt it would be very worthwhile to work with Round Table Children’s Wish because life-threatening illnesses such as cancer can be so cruel at a young age.”

The Ring of Anhur is designed to provoke a mass treasure hunt, using an official website and social media to boost publicity as the quest for the hidden rings intensifies.

Comprised of 22-carat gold-plated bronze, the specially-crafted ring can only be located by answering a set of questions posted on the official website.

The questions lead to a 12-digit code that can be keyed into Google Earth to reveal the precise location of the inner ring.

The inner ring is then turned in conjunction with a picture on the novel’s back cover to reveal the secret location of the larger outer ring.

A cash prize lies in wait for the finder, who will also keep the coveted ring.

Mr Hanson, who started the project four years ago, said: “It’s very much The Da Vinci Code meets Raiders of the Lost Ark.

“Anybody over 16 can enter and we’re hoping to foster a family event where everyone gets involved.

“People will be swapping answers on social media but they have to stay the course until the thirteenth question is released which will determine the order of the code.”

The Ring of Anhur project supports three charities including Round Table Children’s Wish, The Royal British Legion and Fuschia.

Copies of the novel cost £9.50 plus postage and packaging.