March 2008 Newsletter

This archived newsletter is provided as a record of the activities of the White Rose Initiative. Whilst reading this newsletter you may find references to what appear to be up-coming events. It should be noted that, as this is an historical document, these events will now be in the past. Where possible, the year has been added to clarify that dates are now in the past.

Welcome to our newsletter. We apologies for the delay in getting the newsletter 'out and about.' The delay was due to due to unforeseen circumstances.

Inside this issue

• Old People's Home
• Schools updates:-
  • Hanescue's
  • Rora
  • Popa Radu
  • Sias Shool
• Tirnaven
• Events
• How you can help!
• How you can contact us!

Camille Di Bastrin - OLD PEOPLE'S HOME

MEDICAL ROOM

The cement mixer we took out in April made such a difference to the work on the medical room as the floor was laid, walls built and skimmed, roof raised and two bathrooms, a consulting room and a small waiting room appeared from what was originally the pig sty. All has now been tiled and electrics installed. Finally the doors (donated from various White Rose members) were hung.

IN FACT THE PIG STY IS NO MORE.

The Medical Room has the government stamp of approval and is working well. Thanks to everyone who has helped with materials and the finance to make this possible.

PARTIES

Sadly our Professor has died leaving us accordion-less. Undaunted in April we carried on with free CDs from the Daily Mail, don't depend on them! However, we managed with Clare playing the air guitar which caused much laughter and Valerica could not stop laughing so it turned into a great success. For the September holiday we had a special party as our oldest resident was 98 just before we arrived and she decided to wait to celebrate until her 'English friends' arrived (she knew she would get a large cake). We have been told by Mimi they are still talking about the party but that may be because of the beer we provided as well as the cakes. We now have an additional once a month coffee party where all our OAPs have a cup of coffee - an additional luxury. If anyone would like to provide coffee sachets it would help.

LAUNDRY

Eileen and Caroline went with the Director and Eugene, from the old folks home, to visit one of the homes in St George that Mark and Simon support and got some really good ideas for the laundry.

They had a pulley system which took washing upstairs into the drying area in the attic. They also had creels (the old fashioned pulleys) which if we could manage to obtain 4 of would enable ironed clothes to be stored and release space in our laundry.

TRIPS

The old people are so happy with the day trips they have. Now we have our own minibus. They all take turns and queue up to get into the bus. They go up into the city, the mountains or the local monastery and then call for coffee. All it costs is £20 a month for the fuel and coffees and the Director tells us that the old people talk of the trips all the time and really look forward to their turn for a visit.

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PENSIONARY CLUB

We have been able to help equip the club with furniture supplied by Leeds Metropolian University (thanks to Brian Bolton and staff). We also took shelving units by Footprints and clothing from Damart which was really useful to the members. We also took a number of wheelchairs for the less mobile members.

The club has 200 members who can go five days a week 10 until 3, they play chess, cards and dominoes. They also enjoy jig-saws and good conversation.

We were invited one afternoon to find a member on the street watching for us who ran in when he saw us coming. When we arrived at the club we knew why, the table was set with home made cakes and wine for us and they asked if we would go on the TV and speak about our help for the club a request we refused as TV can put 10lbs on and they wouldn't get our good side! However, after much persuasion we agreed and it was a good job as the rouges had the TV crew waiting in the next room. We made the 6 o'clock news but it does amaze us how much the people really appreciate the help it is also humbling that they go to the trouble to show that appreciation in their hospitality which in most cases is all they have to give.

In September we provided (courtesy of Leeds Met University) a computer to the club so they are able to have music. Caroline and Eileen again had to have homemade cakes and wine with the members. It's a hard job but someone has to do it!

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SCHOOLS UPDATE

HANESCUE'S SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL NEEDS

We took special chairs from St Gemmas for the teenagers and also clothing and toiletries. We were asked for small tents for the autistic children who need to feel enclosed in their own space and we will be able to provide these and items for a sensory room with many thanks to the reception class at Queensway Primary School who baked cakes and sold them for us to raise the money.

We do need to provide deodorants, creams, E45, and Vaseline as the children are severely disabled and most are incontinent so personal hygiene is important and the staff at the school work so hard that we do need to help and support them.

On the September trip we managed to complete the Sensory Room with grateful thanks again to Queensway Primary School and also the staff at Tingley Day Centre for their valuable advice on what to provide. The staff at Hanescue's kept coming in to check on our progress as they could not wait to make use of the room as it is only one of 3 in the whole of Romania. After a return visit we found that the room is constantly in use and the staff say the benefits have been great for both staff and children. One of our team is hoping to spend a week training with the staff.

RORA SCHOOL

There are still 39 children and the school is working well and there is also a well with fresh water for the children. Everyone was happy with the coats, jumpers and especially the woolly hats we took and the children took great pleasure in receiving them. Thank you also for the pencils and other school materials which are always most welcome.

POPA RADU

We took desks and chairs from LMU and the computer room now has a sign on the door "Leeds Metropolitan University".

The children from the school entered a national IT competition and won a lot of 2nd and 3rd prizes and we were so proud of them and thankful to Leeds Met who had provided the computers on our trip last September. Will came with us again and spent time with the teachers and children although his 'drawing' on the computers did not look as good as the children's.

Gym equipment was taken including a vaulting horse and benches and various other things thanks to Percival. The Gym is now beginning to look like a gym as apposed to a large empty hall. On our last day staff from the school came to find us with the gift of a mug each to show their appreciation.

In September we took tables, chairs and artists boards to Popa Radu and it was amazing the difference they made so many thanks to Brian Bolton at LMU for these. The teacher and staff at the school had scrubbed and varnished the floors in readiness for the furniture arriving.

7th NOVEMBER

Shoe boxes made by children from Queensway Primary School were taken for the children and were greeted with great delight the favourite item in the boxes appeared to the underwear.

We were also able to take cupboards for the classrooms and also a new desk and swivel chair for each teacher from LMU courtesy of Brian Bolton and we have never seen so many happy teachers. The funniest thing was whilst we were stood around trying to work out how we were going to manage to get the heavy desks into the school and up the stairs the children took matters into their own hands literally and carried them in and up the stairs with no problem.

In September Will and Tony set up 4 computers at the school provided by LMU which were most welcome. It was amazing to see the progress already on our return visit. Thanks to the Leeds Metropolitan University. Will and Tony joined us in February and will join again in August to work with the teachers.

We would like to thank everyone for their donations of pencils, colouring pencils, rulers, rubbers, pencil sharpeners, notebooks and paper for the schools as without these basic necessities the schools could not function.

SIAS SCHOOL

Another trip another school. Sias is a gypsy school with 200 children. In need of help with equipment, tables and chairs have been supplied by Leeds Metropolitan University made a considerable difference and embarrassingly Eileen and Caroline were offered a piece of lace lovingly made. We do supply pencils, crayons etc. The good thing is the replacing of all the windows in the schools, progress at last.

CHILDREN'S CLUB

There is now a children's club in the city and we gave them computers so that children of those who cannot afford computers have access to them out of school time. Again Will and Tony from LeedsMet University did sterling work installing them both in the club and the school and are now considered part of the 'school family'. They also turned their hands to anything asked of them including building and electrical work so many thanks to the LMU for providing us with two very versatile men! As we are not sure what we would do without them to iron out the computer glitches.

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SEPTEMBER 2008 PROJECT

We hope to change the laundry into one of the old bathrooms now defunct thanks to the new en suite bathrooms curtosy of Morley Rotary and Pipeline Shrewsbury. This will now enable us to make two new bedrooms in the old laundry, dignity at last.

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CHRISTMAS 2008

For Christmas 2008 we will be taking out colouring books and crayons for all the children in the 7th November and Rora schools. The teachers will distribute them for us and as we know how much the children enjoy colouring the books we are planning to do the same again next year and as it is never too early to start collecting them if anyone would like to donate a new colouring book we only need a mere 250!

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TIRNAVEN

We did have major problems with the goods for Tirnaven. The Director did not seem interested and would not come to collect the goods we had taken which was causing problems as we only have storage for a limited time and we were a little disappointed and thought we would have to stop providing the much needed goods. However, two weeks later a new Director was in place, the 3rd in two years, and she was delighted with everything so it is business as usual with collecting for them. Hopefully we will keep this Director longer than the rest and have a good relationship with her.

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VISIT SIGHISOARA

We are planning further holidays for 2008 from 30th August to 6th September. The cost is £550 which includes travel, hotel, meals, visits to all our projects and excursions to Bran Castle and a local monastery. If you are interested please book early as places are limited. We can promise you a memorable holiday with a difference.

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THANKS

Special thanks go to Stephen Beevers of City Gents Hairdressers and the Grace Foundation who have 'sponsored' the warehouse without which we would be unable to store the donations we receive from you for our work and without which we could not function. Just to let you know that we have not moved units and at the moment and do not intend to.

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SEWERS WANTED!

Any ladies who can sew are you able to make nappies for us we do have a pattern that we can let you have. Please contact us for further details of exactly what is needed.

Can we thank everyone that continues to support us with donations of goods and by sponsoring our girls although we cannot mention you all by name we really do appreciate everything you do.

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GIFTS

Do you have problems buying gifts for people who appear to have everything if so why not buy a donation to the White Rose Initiative in their name? This will arrive in a form of a gift voucher stating what has been bought on their behalf. They come in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £25:

  £5 will buy baby vitamins, yogurt and fruit for a week, 2 packs of nappies, 5 boxes of washing powder, paint brushes or biscuits for Tirnaven.
  £10 will buy Paint, wood, tools, screws and nails.
  £20 will buy building materials, taps, drain pipes, cement, insulation.
  £25 will buy cakes for a party for the old people or a funeral including flowers, gravediggers and shroud (we pay for the funerals and the residents of our old folks home have no other family to pay for this for them.

These gifts will be available all year round for any special occasion.

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FUND RAISING

We have been having fundraising events at Pudsey house during the year and would be most grateful of donations of items for the tombola (always a good fund raiser in Pudsey). We will again be having cafes in York so any baking that people feel able to contribute would be gratefully received and can be collected if this is easier for you. The 2008 dates are:

  11th April
  6th June
  18th July
  22nd August (ALL FRIDAYS).

Also, if you feel able to help at any of our events it would be appreciated and it is an enjoyable experience for those who help. Another idea for raising money now we have a number of collecting boxes for small change if anyone would like one it is amazing how what seems like a little soon adds up.

If social groups would like a slide show on our work please do contact us to arrange this.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

We do still need to collect things for our August 2008 and February 2009 trips they include:

  Donations towards the £1600 shipping costs
  Terry nappies
  White cotton sheets for nappies
  baby wipes; creams; soap; shampoo; Vaseline
  Knitted blankets (all sizes)
  Pencils; coloured pencils; chalk; rubbers; rulers sharpeners; glue sticks
  Exercise books; colouring books; jig-saws
  Zoflora disinfectant
  Adult toiletries; deodorant; talcum powder
  Sanitary towels; incontinence pads
  Craft materials; knitting wool
  Massage and baby oils
  Children's vitamins; cod liver oil
  Knitted baby clothes; gloves; hats
  Knitted jumpers (all sizes)
  Socks; underwear (children's and adults)

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HOW TO CONTACT US

Please use our contact form to contact us.

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