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Report from Region 3
The North Midlands - March 2011
The last report
from our region was in March 2010 and it’s been a very eventful twelve
months since then.
Our
container,
which we were eagerly awaiting
last March, arrived in April and confirmed to us that it’s a very long
way from one end of a 40’ box to t’other.
 At
first, filling it seemed a huge task (it’s not called Container
Challenge for nothing!) but the Smiles fundraisers and collectors soon
got busy and the container was filled by August.
So far, so good…..but a full container is of little use sitting in a
yard just off the M1; the next part of the challenge was to pay for
transporting it to Romania and then converting it into a warm and
functional family home. Once again our fundraisers were not daunted by
the prospect of raising a further £8K to pay for this.
Our
container arrived in Cihei in October
– here it is being unloaded - and in time for the Chesterfield Mission
Trippers, once again led by Stephen & Carol Woodward, to witness the
fantastic reception it had received.
 For
those of you who are contemplating sending your own container, it’s
hard but incredibly satisfying work and many of us shared our homes
with various boxes for a long time.
I’m sure that it dominated Stephen & Carol’s lives (plus their spare
room, garage, hall and driveway) for many months and they are now
enjoying a well earned rest from worrying about inventories, correct
labelling and how to manoeuvre around all the boxes temporarily stored
in every corner of their home!
The
fundraising,of
course, goes on.
The annual
Christmas Market
at St John’s Walton
raised over £1500 which was used towards the container conversion.
This was a remarkable achievement, considering that this was the
weekend when the North Midlands was hit by The Big Snow.
While it’s tempting to concentrate on reporting the large sums which
have been raised for Smiles, it’s easy to forget that
these big
numbers are often made up of many smaller amounts.
These are often the result of individuals and small groups doing what
they do best. For example:
-
We have a group of enthusiastic and talented knitters in
Codnor
who make blankets
-
Maureen
Gartland in Calow
organises regular jumble sales. Whatever isn’t sold at the sale is
bought by “Cash for Rags” so not only does she raise more money for
a great cause but keeps us environmentally friendly too. Maureen
raised well over £200 last year.
-
Peggy Feltham
in Sutton Coldfield
continues to be busy holding coffee mornings, performing her own
songs and selling music sheets. I’ve made very good friends with
Peggy’s answer phone because she’s always out doing something
talented for Smiles.
The ‘little
things’ really do mean a lot!
I know that many more of you have raised money and I apologise for not
having room for you all. Thank you everyone.
 The
Opportunity Through Mission
presentation visited two churches in Derbyshire in February: Stanton
Methodist Church, Swadlincote on 3 February and St Peters Belper on
the 4th.
The event at
St Peters
attracted our Young People’s Fellowship
(YPF) group, some of whom were moved to express a real interest in a
Mission Trip experience. One of the young men in YPF surprised us by
making a
 Smiles
cake - this was cut by Kevin and enjoyed by everyone.
Our young people
never cease to amaze us.
Lastly, in our region we are pleased to announce
new
Ambassadors:
-
Peggy Feltham
in Sutton Coldfield
-
John and Joan Mayo in Bromsgrove
Sue
Allen
Development Associates for the Smiles Foundation – Region 3
Contact Sue
Region 3: South Yorkshire,
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire,
Staffordshire, Shropshire, West Midlands. |
