Tuesday 31 May 2011

Archbishop's wife to open Exhibition



We are delighted to learn that Margaret Sentamu, the wife of Dr. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, is able to open our planned Photograhic Exhibition on Thursday October 6th, in Holy Trinity Parish Church, Kendal, Cumbria.

The Sentamus of course come from Uganda.

Margaret Sentamu is a very active and able lady in her own right.

She is an independent diversity management and recruitment consultant, and is also a lay Adjudicator for the Solicitors' Regulatory Authority, and a non-executive director of Traidcraft plc, among many other interests and activities.

So we are very fortunate to have a lady of such calibre coming to open our Exhibition.

But we are still needing more sponsorship! The Exhibition cannot go ahead without it. We have applied to various commercial concerns and grant-making authorities, and await their responses.

Friday 27 May 2011

Generous Giver

We had good news yesterday - someone who has already been an extremely generous giver to the Kasese Street Kids project has just made a further very substantial donation. Friend, without you we could not have got nearly as far as we have with building our Hostel! We are so very, very grateful.
Photographic Exhibition
We had a Committee Meeting yesterday, and plans are moving forward. But so far we still do not have enough sponsorship for the Exhibition; we just don't think it is right to divert money given for building the Hostel to something like setting up this Exhibition, which may or may not cover its costs!
We have been given £325 so far; other commercial firms have been approached and we are awaiting answers. Various other possible sources of sponsorship were suggested at the Committee, and must be pursued.
Watch this space!

Friday 20 May 2011

Children - in Kasese and Cumbria


Some of the children surviving on the streets of Kasese, south-western Uganda, are pathetically young. The thought of my grandchildren finding food by scrabbling in the rubbish is horrifying - but that is everyday life for many little ones.
A hymn in which we thank God for his gifts has this verse:
"A home of plenty: clothed and fed
our sturdy children play,
while other children cry for bread
not half a world away."
(Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith)
Today we revisited St. Paul's C. of E. Junior School in Barrow-in-Furness. We had given a presentation about the street children there last November - the children asked lots of interesting questions afterwards - and we were promised a money contribution in due course. Today was it!
This was part of School Book Week, and the children were invited to come to school dressed in any kind of character costume they liked, and weird and wonderful were the results! But they also brought their contributions to helping children across the world who are much less fortunate than them, and we were delighted to be handed a cheque for £100!
Thank you, children!

Sunday 15 May 2011

Money, money, money!

Bag-Packing at Morrison's

Yesterday ten girls and three leaders from the Appleby-in-Westmorland Guide Company spent four hours with us "bag-packing" on behalf of the Kasese Street Kids at Morrison's in Kendal. (Each one stands by a check-out, offering to help customers pack their shopping. There is a bucket labelled "Kasese Street Kids" and a brief description of the project.) Lots of customers said, "No, thanks, we can manage" - but still dropped a coin or two in the bucket.


Total raised - over £630.


(When the girls offered to fund-raise in this way, we suggested to the leader that half the proceeds should go to the Guides' own funds. She consulted the girls, and then told us they insisted that it should all go to the Street Kids.)


Thank you, girls, so very much!



Cheques in the post


When we returned from twelve days away this week, we found three letters enclosing cheques; two from local Rotary Clubs (Thanks, guys!), and one very generous cheque from a distinguished member of the Ugandan Asian community - one of those expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin.


We are so grateful for people's kindness.



Sponsorship for Photographic Exhibition
We are still trying to plan an Exhibition of the moving black-and-white photographs by Carol Allen Storey, professionally printed and mounted to the highest standards, in Holy Trinity Parish Church, Kendal. But it will cost hundreds of pounds to mount such an exhibition. We do not feel it right to use money raised or donated for the Street Kids Hostel for costs of printing and framing etc; and so we are looking for sponsorship from businesses.

So far we have one promise of £200, for which we are grateful; but most businesses approached say, "Sorry, we have our own charities" - which we can respect, but it is still frustrating and disappointing. Without at least £500 sponsorship, I don't think the Exhibition can go ahead.


If anyone has any suggestions, do get in touch! chriscjenkin@aol.com.

Friday 13 May 2011

Concert with Buffet and Wine

A special fund-raising event arranged on behalf of the Kasese Street Kids is a Concert with Buffet and Wine.
This will take place on Saturday 4th June, at the ancient and beautiful Newbiggin Hall, near Temple Sowerby, Cumbria. The concert will be in the magnificent Hall of this historic house - by kind permission of Major and Mrs. J. H. C. Sawrey-Cookson - and the buffet (weather permitting) will be in the lovely garden, overlooking the spectacular Crowdundle Beck, a tributary of the River Eden.
(Temple Sowerby is between Penrith and Appleby on the A66).
The musicians who are giving their services free are:-
Barbara Gilbertson - Violin
Kath Wignall - Cornet
Andrew Forsyth - Flute
Rob Steels - Guitar
Samantha Shepherd - voice - accompanied by Margaret Thomas
Linda Bainbridge - piano
Middle Eden Voices
Tickets cost £15.00 and include the buffet and a glass of wine.
There will also be a bar where wine and fruit juice can be purchased.

Doors open 7.00 p.m.

To buy tickets contact
Linda Bainbridge, tel. 01931 715395

Thursday 12 May 2011

Some generous gifts received

Though we have not been doing any fund-raising in recent weeks, several cash gifts have been received in recent days.
This includes two cheques from local Rotary Clubs, and one extremely generous cheque from an eminent member of the Ugandan Asian community in UK (one of the many who were expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin, but then prospered when they came to England, and have made a valuable contribution to British life in many ways.)
We are so very grateful!