Events & Fundraising posts

Abid Gangat has been a supporter since the very first days of our charity, and is doing the Ride London 100 Miles for us to mark our 20th anniversary!

Please do support Abid with his fundraising page here: https://2024fordridelondon.enthuse.com/pf/abid-gangat

The accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 have been signed off and are now available on our finances page.

Simplified summaries of our accounts will be available shortly in preparation for the AGM.

The AGM this year will be held on Zoom again at 10.00am on Saturday 20th January. Holding online will mean Justina and the children at the Centre should be able to join us.  We will report in more detail at the AGM, but just to let you know now, we will look at work that has been carried out in 2023 at the Centre including, fencing the land, providing security,repairing and maintaining the solar power, building new guest accommodation and building the much more robust toilet block.

Funds have been severely depleted in recent months, so any contribution would be most gratefully received.

Happy New Year from all the trustees!

Summary of finances as shown at our AGM can be downloaded below:

• Statement of Financial Activities 2022
• Sierra Leone Expenses 2022
• Balance Sheet 31 Dec 2022

Happy New Year. We hope you had an enjoyable Christmas.

Just a short note to remind you that the AGM will be held on Saturday 21st January at 10.00am on Zoom. We will be taking you through last year’s accounts, have an update from Philip and involvement from the Centre at Grafton, Sierra Leone.

Please let us know if you wish to attend by Tuesday 17th January, so we can provide you with an invitation.

Thank you everyone for coming to our 2022 Garden Party. We raised a brilliant £3,176 for St George Foundation and it was a great afternoon.

A few photos from the event are below!

Can I also say a special huge thank you to all those that volunteered their time or things that helped us make this a great success. 

• The bakers who made cakes, those that helped provide and serve the teas and cakes, the BBQ team, the coffees the stall holders who staffed the plants, the activities, face painters, the bric-a-brac, the ferret man and the photographer.
• To the musicians who were wonderful and created a lovely relaxing atmosphere - thank you all.
• Barnaby's Coffee shop for their support and donation.
• The team that helped us plan the whole event in the weeks before and all those that worked really hard to prepare the site for the day.  My lovely wife Jo for all her support and vision making it all look lovely on the day.
• And another special thank you to all the car owners who showed their cars and made it a very interesting event,  Matt who brought Mr Bean's Mini along.
• A friend who lent us his marquees and another friend who gave rides in his open top Land Rover for the kids.
• And definitely not least - Owtons butchers who donated all the burgers and sausages we used on the BBQ and Stainers bakery for their buns - everyone thought the BBQ was delicious.

Philip

Another upcoming event for the diary - is another tea party (with car show added in) at Swanmore again.

Saturday 25 June 12:30 to 5:30 pm, Vicarage Lane, Swanmore, Southampton.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED PLEASE?

It’s ambitious again and not only a tea party with an afternoon of live music including Jazz Quintet (Terminology) and Vera Lynn tribute act (Serina Lin) and sole guitarist (Marvin Naylor).

Added this year is a classic car show - with the ‘’star attraction being Mr Bean’s mini’’ (the actual mini in the film) along with classics and some hot rods.  Hoping to attract lots of children to come and have their photos with Mr Bean's Mini!  Just in case you can’t picture it, here is quite a funny clip: https://youtu.be/VjLRTifjpxA

As well at cream teas will be BBQ sausages and burgers to eat  - donated by Owtons butchers (Thank you!)

Plus a ferret show and bouncy castle and entertainment for children so the whole family can come.

The main attraction may turn out to be a foal being born on the day – there is a birth due on the day in the field that we are using so hoping it turns up a day early and something for the children to see.

The Grafton site and our centre now belongs to St George Foundation! This is a huge step forward for us as an organisation that will bring a level of stability for future years and we would very much like to say a very sincere thank you for all of your support and to those particularly who have helped fund that purchase.

We have now turned our attention to securing the other part of the site and plan to bring that into use for an environmental project which is going to become an ever increasing area of concern for Sierra Leone and the children we are working with.  Much more details to come on that though.

The cost is a further $35,000 (£26,000) and we have now have only £3,000 left to raise! Loans or donations will be very welcome. Any loans will be repaid within 5 years.

The 2021 AGM will again be held by Zoom from 11.00am to 12.00 noon on Saturday 6th November, and will include a brief financial update, an update from Philip Dean, and Justina and the children at the Centre.

If you would like to attend, please apply by email to info@stgeorgefoundation.org.uk by Saturday 30 th October.

Due to Coronavirus and lockdown, we will not be holding the AGM at The Paterson Centre on 28th November. Instead, we plan to hold this year’s AGM on Zoom from 10.00 to 11.00am on Saturday 12th December.

The AGM will include a short financial report, an update from Philip Dean and, if connection permits, an appearance from Justina and the children at the Centre.

If you would like to attend, please apply by email to info@stgeorgefoundation.org.uk by Saturday 5 th December.

All the government restrictions including the Stay at Home policy have greatly affected the activities of staff and also the activities of the children. Educationally, the children are not attending schools currently. Socially, their interactive and playing style has been limited, because people are not allowed to be crowded together.

The closing of school disrupts the life of children. However, there are volunteers currently at the Interim Care Centre at Grafton. The volunteers are school teachers who provide temporary teaching to the children on a daily basis. In response to the challenge of the children not being allowed to go school, the St George Foundation employed volunteer teachers in order to give the children some education while in lockdown. An agreement was signed to include all the policies (Child protection, child safeguarding policy, Police clearance, Volunteer policy and the code of conduct) of St George Foundation. They have over five years of teaching experience in unrelated areas in community schools, and have knowledge in child protection, child safeguarding and child code of conduct and counselling. Some of the areas they teach these children include, English Language, Mathematics, Hygiene, Social Studies, Home economics, Quantitative, Verbal aptitude, Sounds and Phoenix, Writing and Health education etc...

The teachers have made their relevance known amongst the children.

By not just teaching but providing social support and counselling, the children are very appreciative of them. Many of the children have made it known that the arrangement to provide the education is very timely, and it is keeping them busy at this difficult moment.

The first day we worked with children and fed anyone was May 3rd 2004

Happy Birthday St George Foundation!

Over the last 16 years we've helped 100s of orphaned children, looking after them at our centre, providing education, and where possible reuniting them with their family.

Read more about our work today.

This has been booked for Saturday morning, 28th November 2020 in The Paterson Centre, Swanmore. Hopefully we will be able to hold this then.

It had again been agreed that we could take part in the 2020 event. Unfortunately, this has been cancelled due to Coronavirus.

We supported King William’s College in the Charity Challenge 2020. They had to competitively present our charity, and were runners up, so we have just received £200 as our share of the sponsorship.

The 2019 AGM will be held on Saturday 30th November at the Paterson Centre, Swanmore with an update from founder, Philip Dean.

Where: Paterson Centre, Swanmore, SO32 2PA
When: Saturday 30th November. 10.00am to 13.00pm

Timings

• 10.00 - 11.00am  Coffee and chat
• 11.00 - 12.00pm  AGM and update from Philip
• 12.00 - 1.00pm  Light lunch

A games evening is being planned for the Autumn – to be held in the Paterson Centre, Swanmore, SO32 2PA.

Date to be agreed. Watch this space!

Where: The Bishops Waltham Palace Ruins, SO32 1DH.
When: Saturday 29th June

We joined forces with the Bishop's Waltham Festival this year to create a tea/garden party with live music.

We had cream teas, cakes, BBQ, ice creams, 'guaranteed sunshine', plant sales and non stop live entertainment to listen to and activities to join in. This included:

• A jazz band playing,
• Chomp (a music band),
• A come 'n' sing choir,
• Irish Dance,
• Serena Lynn (Vera Lynne songs)
• Swanmore Wind Orchestra
• Ending with the very lively Southampton Ukulele Band
• Plus an African drum workshop for those that want to have a go themselves.

It was a great day and raised about £1,200. Click on the photos below to enlarge.

To be reprised next year when it will be even more fun!

Patrick and Kathryn completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks, walking 25 miles in 10 hours and 57 minutes on Saturday 15 June 2019 for the St George Foundation.

Patrick is a trustee of the charity and spent 6 months in Sierra Leone working with DfID and the MoD to defeat the Ebola crisis in 2015. During his time in Sierra Leone,  Patrick was introduced the St George Foundation centre in Grafton, Freetown and spent much of his free time helping and supporting the charity’s work whilst working on the Ebola crisis.

To support Patrick and Kathryn, visit their JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kathryn-harvey7

Huge thanks to them and really well done for raising in excess of £1,500 in total.

A Celebration of two memorable Lions tours to New Zealand

We didn't hold a Gala Event at Romsey this year but we do have another amazing dinner very soon and we would be really appreciative if you could spread the word or support by coming.

It is one for rugby fans among you!

Celebrating two Lions tours of New Zealand in 1971 and 2017 and attending the dinner are two legends of the rugby world - Willie John McBride and Sam Warburton

It is to be held at The Grange Hotel - Tower Bridge, London

Tuesday 5th December 2017, 7pm

For those that love rugby this should be a great event.

If you have any questions or wish to secure a booking please contact Mike Turnbull miketurnbull@me.com

See below for an update video from John!

John Vearncombe was interviewed by Julian Clegg on his breakfast show on BBC Radio Solent, to talk about his participation in the upcoming Clipper Around the World Yacht Race, which kicks off in a few days from Liverpool. 

John aims to complete the entire 40,000 nautical mile challenge and is asking members of the public to sponsor each mile for the St George Foundation at £1/mile. 

Cheer John on in his immense global challenge, and help save another child in need with the St George Foundation.

Children’s charity the ‘St George Foundation’ named as charity of choice by John Vearncombe in Clippers 2017/18 Round the World Race

Southampton – 24^th July 2017: Sierra Leone street child charity, the St George Foundation is proud to announce that Hampshire resident John Vearncombe has chosen to fundraise for the charity as he takes part in this years round the world Clipper race.

The race, which is due to commence on the 20^th August will find the team sailing from Liverpool for the first 5,200 nautical mile leg journey. John and his team will board the Clipper yacht ‘Liverpool’ named after the city itself, which is 1 of 12 identical Clipper racing yachts taking part in this 40,000 nautical mile race around the world.

“I started sailing at the age of 28 after moving to Dundee, where I was able to join a local sailing club and fulfil my interest in sailing. It was here that I first came across the Clipper Round the World Race, and so began my journey to be a part of the most gruelling amateur global sea race known to man” said John Vearncombe “As I take part in this once in a lifetime challenge, I want to use my experience to help others. This is why I chose to fundraise for the St George Foundation, asking people to sponsor each mile of my journey where I will dedicate the entire £40,000 sponsorship target to helping the street children of Sierra Leone”.

The St George Foundation has been helping homeless orphans from the streets of Sierra Leone since 2004, providing shelter, education, medical care and reconnecting the children with lost family once settled. “We are extremely honoured and grateful to John for choosing the St George Foundation as his charity of choice as he takes on this enormous human endeavour” said St George Foundation Co-Founder, Philip Dean “We desperately need the support of people like John if we are to continue our work to help the hundreds of children left to fend for themselves after the years of civil war in Sierra Leone. We wish him all the best, and will be following him through his blog, as he circumnavigates the globe and achieves each challenging leg”.

Sponsor John Vearncombe on his 40,000 nautical mile challenge for St George Foundation 

To follow John Vearncombe, and to sponsor each nautical mile of his 40,000-mile challenge go to roundtheworld.blog

15th July - Thank you to everyone who came and supported our St George Foundation charity fundraising Garden Party this Saturday. It was a truly successful and enjoyable day, with huge numbers in attendance from the youngest to those who (like us) are young at heart.

Luckily for us, the weather played a positive part in the proceedings, and the sun shone on our happy open air garden party staying dry and rather sunny :)

We would like to also add our special thanks to Kings Church Bishops Waltham for supporting us with the delicious cakes/cake sale, the volunteers from St Barnabas, Swanmore and Locksheath Free Church, to Brian Pancott for taking some very lovely pictures of the event on the day, and to all those supporters and volunteers without whom our day would not have been possible - Thank you to you all! 

We've been busy over the last few months continuing our work to help even more homeless children off the streets of Sierra Leone. However, while we have been working hard there, we have also been working hard here.

Over the next few weeks, you will see the launch of our brand new St George Foundation website, as well as increased news and events being publicised via our social media channels.

Look out for the news, follow us, and please continue to support the work we do each day in Sierra Leone to help the hundreds of children left to fend for themselves without the care or love of their immediate family - something we all very much take for granted.

Congratulations to Laura who completed both the Tough Mudder & Great South Run.

Thank you for fundraising and well done on raising over £650!

Well done to both Stacy and Corin who took part in the Zip Wire Challenge on the 18th October, together they successfully raised £310! 

Well done to all our volunteers who supported the Romsey Market Stall event on the 17th October, we raised an amazing £1,045.88!

Huge thanks to; Bradbeers who gave us the market stall, WHSmith, Boots and Waitrose who allowed us to collect outside their stores & La-di-da, Auntie Annes, Belinda Clark Confectionary, Cambrooks Foods, Murray's Chocolates, Odihamam Cake Company, Popcorn Kitchen, Rich Products and the Real Macaron Company. 

Stacy Burton is also taking the 450 Zip Wire Challenge on the 18th October at the Hampshire Cricket Ground, the Ageas Bowl!

Thank you, Stacy and best of luck!

To support Stacy visit her JustGiving Page: www.justgiving.com/Stacy-Burton2 

Corin Bowley our events fundraiser is taking part in a sponsored 450 Zip Wire Challenge on the 18th October at the Hampshire Cricket Ground, the Ageas Bowl. 

If you are also interested in also taking part, please do get in contact.

To support Corin visit her JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/Corin-Bowley/ 

Laura Cambrook is supporting the St George Foundation Charity by running the Great South Run on our behalf! Read her story below and why she is supporting; 

"The Great South Run is on Sunday 25th October and is 10 miles around Portsmouth. I've decided to run for the foundation as I was in Sierra Leone with the military for 4 months at the end of last year/beginning of this year. We visited the site just before Christmas and brought loads of presents to the kids, I was awe struck at the centre and what you do for the kids. Because I've seen first hand what amazing work you do I felt it was probably the best charity I could run for, especially with the Ebola crisis on going and the fall out from it being an unknown quantity at this time. Sierra Leone has a long road to recovery ahead and I think your foundation is probably going to need a helping hand to do all you can to help those children who need it most."

We wish her the best of luck and thank you for all her hard work fundraising.

To support Laura visit her JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/LauraLindsey/

Fleet Rotary club raise £780 pounds for St George Foundation. Some very generous donations and well done to the team - it was freezing out there! Thank you!

We are delighted to announce that Cradleoak will be supporting St George Foundation, donating a percentage of their income from their events this year.

Cradleoak runs a small social enterprise in Wiltshire organising social events to care homes for the elderly.

When asked why they chose to support St George Foundation, they answered: "We were moved by the plight of the orphans affected by Ebola and want to make a difference to their lives. In addition, we wanted to contribute to a charity that does not carry a large staff, so funds go directly to this worthy cause."

We would like to say a huge thank you to Cradleoak for your support.

Philip Ide is running the London Marathon for the St George Foundation!

He says: "I went to Sierra Leone in late December 2014, as a Photographer for the Mail on Sunday. When I was there I visited an orphanage run by the St George Foundation. It was both extremely inspiring, but very upsetting at the same time. In fact, I found it difficult to talk about it, for a few days. I will be donating a sum of money myself and hope you will join me!"

Join in donating to help reach Philip's target on his JustGiving page: justgiving.com/philip-ide

Watch this video of the great evening on 15 Jan at Merchants restaurant, Southampton, where Lou Taylor had his dreadlocks cut off to fundraise for the St George Foundation and our current work with Ebola orphans.

Lou has now raised over £1000! You can still donate to support him here: justgiving.com/loutaylormusic

BBC News recognise the incredible work of the St George Foundation in saving the lives of children who have suffered or lost parents through Ebola.

Watch the BBC News video and read more in the associated BBC News article.

You can also listen to a similar report broadcast on the Today program (16 Jan 2015) on BBC Radio 4:

Lou Taylor is cutting off his dreadlocks and raising money for St George Foundation!

Lou Taylor, a community leader in Southampton, is having his two foot-long dreadlocks cut off on Thursday 15^th January, to help raise money for the thousands of children in Africa who have been left orphaned by Ebola.

He has arranged an evening of musical entertainment at the Merchants restaurant in Ocean Village which starts at 7.30pm, with bands and singers such as LST performing before and after the main event of the night – one definitely not to be missed!

Lou is hoping to raise around £500 for the St George Foundation, and is so close! If you are unable to make the event, but would still love to help Lou reach his target, please click on the link below to donate:

justgiving.com/loutaylormusic

Take a look at the Daily Echo article with a little bit more information about Lou Taylor’s story.

This is going to be such a great evening and the St George Foundation is extremely grateful to Lou Taylor and everyone that has supported him so far.

We hope to see you there!