Important news about the warehouse!

Unfortunately we will have to close down the warehouse over the next three months as the White Rose Initiative now have to pay rent for the warehouse. We will not be able to receive any more goods after 1st August 2009.

It is with much regret and heartache that we have had to take this decision, but we are sure you will agree that, as a charity, we cannot possibly consider £12000 a year rent for a warehouse - which is at least half our fund raising and sponsorship income - when that money can make such an immense difference to the lives of people in Romania.

We will continue our sponsorship of the girls working with the abandoned babies for as long as possible, but due to financial pressures here in England we have lost quite a few sponsors.

We will continue our cafés and sales and take the money raised to support our projects.

We need to thank Leeds City Council who have funded the warehouse since 1991, which has allowed our charity to function. Without their support we would not have achieved so much over the years.

We would like to thank everyone for their support over the years. We have many members who contribute and each contribution is valued and appreciated. Please do not be offended if we do not mention you personally.

[ Return to top ]

The project

Last year I received a phone call asking if I would be the photographer for a 'Calendar Girls' project. All I knew at this stage was that the girls were, in fact, going to be men - locals of The George Inn, Kirkburton - and that the money was being raised for a good cause. This cause turned out to be the White Rose Initiative.

A few days later I met Caroline and the prospective Calendar Boys. Any anxieties I had were immediately dispelled and the project was on. One slight advantage, it seemed to me, was that the lads seemed a bit more anxious than I was.

All the photographs were taken on the premises of The George. The models were a great set of lads and all the pictures were designed to be in good taste. During the following months, the production of the calendar turned out to be a true community project. Local people rallied round to help with everything from the design to the printing and marketing of the calendar.

The cause

Everyone concerned worked hard, and with a good sense of humour, to raise funds for children in Romania. It was known that the children needed support with their education. In some cases classroom resources were required. In other cases, the classroom itself was needed. During 2008 we heard about a group of kindergarten children in a Romanian village who were to be vacated from their present premises with nowhere else to go. This became the target for funds we raised.

The visit

I was fortunate enough to be invited on a trip to Sighişoara, Romania, by Caroline and her colleagues. This would give me the opportunity to see how funds raised from the calendar were to be used. I had always wanted to provide the Calendar Boys and local community with feedback of how their hard work had benefited others. It was also an opportunity to take photographs for 2009 Christmas cards, and a 2010 calendar about Sighişoara and its people. At the time of writing, I have just finished editing a DVD filmed by Eric Bamber, a Lancashire lad who came with us to offer his help. There is no truth in the rumour that his influence has given The White Rose Initiative a hint of pink!

The problem

It was sad to see the kindergarten that the children are going to lose. Classrooms were superbly decorated with displays of children's work, and resources such as toys and classroom furniture were neatly arranged. Several window ledges were filled with potted plants, and children's belongings were hanging from hooks in the cloakroom. It was obvious that children and staff took pride in their school.

Caroline, Eileen and Mimi held discussions about the predicament with officials in the Mayor's office and at the kindergarten. The mayor was able to find new premises - an old police station just up the road from the present kindergarten. It was agreed that the council would fund the provision of running water - none presently exists.

The lucky day

But what about the refurbishment of this run-down building? On Friday 13th February the White Rose Initiative handed over funds raised by the Calendar Boys and Kirkburton community. In front of Davis ('Mr February,') Caroline presented Mimi with enough money to cover refurbishment of the old police station. This would be sufficient to cover the cost of providing sinks and toilets, plus repairs and decoration. Mimi asked that everyone in Kirkburton be thanked warmly, and she sent her love and wishes to the Calendar Boys, adding that this would enable the kindergarten children to move into their new home in August of this year.