HAH Shop Volunteers Party

We had a very succesful "do" last week at the White Horse in Ditchling. It was a great way to say thanks to the volunteers for all their hard work in the shop over the year. As you can see, a good time was had by all!

"Hope for Colony" community centre gets a facelift!

The essential works on the building have now been completed. The Centre has had new pipework, heating, and guttering, as well as internal and external decoration. It was very difficult for the staff and volunteers to carry on whilst the work was being done, but we hope that now they will have a clean, dry, warm building over the winter - good for both staff and beneficiaries.

The Boys move into the "House of Roses", Birlad

Good news from RAKE.  Razvan and Ionut have moved into their new home, now called "the House of Roses".  The boys left the Camine with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, so we were glad to have collected up a load of clothes from the shop, which Linda shipped out some weeks earlier.  It may be that we will provide some funding to kit all 4 youngsters out for the winter - proper boots and coats, hats and scarves.  The winters are very cold and snowy in Romania!  I hope to post some pictures from the house soon.

Health Screening and Eye Testing

Dave Bennett and his team of optoms visited Petrosani a week ago.  I hope to get a full report of his visit soon, but in the meantime, you can see from the photos below how new volunteers have been given training to make up glasses.  The Screening continues to have a positive impact on the local community, not only by giving free glasses, but by building trust and as a great way to meet the local people, find out about their problems and decide the best way in which to help them.

Part of the screening team

David and Jane from the screening team, giving advice to local beneficiaries



2 girls from the organisation Caritas came to the Centre for an eye test



Vlad, a new volunteer, learning how to use the glazing equipment

Paula and Ionela making up the glasses

Summer Club at our Community Centre, Petrosani

 We've just had an update from Adina, the Manager at the Hope for the Colony Centre in Petrosani. They have had a very busy summer, running a number of holiday clubs, for the children who usually attend the Homework Club. They've also been busy setting up the new glazing workshop, as well as continuing the regular health screening and eye testing. They are now concentrating on making vital repairs to the Centre in readiness for Winter.



Florin, very proud of his work at the "Handy Hands" Club!



The English class



Volunteers' Tea and visit to Borde Hill

 Every year we do a special afternoon tea for the shop volunteers to thank them for all their hard work.  This year we decided to have a trip to a local garden called Borde Hill, followed by tea in the cafe afterwards.  A lovely time was had by all - we braved the cold and winds, and managed to gallop around the garden, reviving ourselves with cake, scones and tea afterwards.

The Girls finally move into their new home in Birlad, Romania

We are pleased to hear that after 2 years of living in the State Institution, Geta and Irma moved into their new permenant home on Monday.  Linda and Mike from RAKE went out to Birlad to settle the girls in, and sent us this lovely report and photos.

Doing the washing up!

Irma and Geta with Cela.

 We set off on Monday morning to go and collect the girls and amazingly there were no set backs – we were allowed to take them! The girls didn’t know we were coming so they were really excited to see us. When we arrived at the house we all had lunch with the team from Myosotis (the charity we are working with). They were great and we have every confidence in their ability to care for and support our young people. I was so proud of Irma and Geta, who despite the environment they have been living in for two years, behaved beautifully with perfect manners.

Mike and I were then “on duty” for the next few days. On Wednesday we were joined by Cela (our support worker from Casa Linda). We were acutely aware of the close relationship the girls have with Cela and how vital it is to have her there, at least for the first weeks. The girls were totally relaxed and happy.

The house is great and all the items HAH enabled us to buy looked lovely. Although on the edge of the town (about a 15 minute walk from the town centre) it feels like its in the country. We were woken by the noise of cockerels and barking dogs. The temperature was about 38 degrees but the house has a lovely patio area shaded by grape vines and once we discovered a table in the cellar which we brought out we spent most of our time outside. The garden needs some work and a new fence (a job for next Spring), but it has 4 apple trees, a plum tree, and a couple of other fruit trees we couldn’t identify. We are hoping to get chickens as soon as possible.