General information leaflet on 'Children United!'

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January 2012 newsletter:-

Where to start? Well, in 2011 we raised an incredible £12,480.92! Incredible as a good proportion of it was raised by many, many children (and quite a few adults!) just collecting 1p’s and 2p’s for us. Our fundraising is based on 2p - the price of a school dinner, as we feed so many children! More good news - in August our grand total reached £100,000! We have already sent most of 2011’s money out to India and have received lots of photos showing exactly how it has been spent. To see these photos, please visit:-
www.flickr.com/photos/childrenunited
(My favourite photos - a beaming little boy with a football at Pandithitta School and the latest photo from Karisalpatti Children’s Home - big smiles from much healthier children.)
 
Most of our money goes to feed the children at Kodai Kanal Boarding (£2866); Munnar Orphanage and Boarding (£2193); Karisalpatti Children’s Home (£1984); Thangachimadam Orphanage (£1640) plus Batlagundu (£100) and Munnar (£151) Crèches. At Kodai they also bought gas rings for the kitchens and they now have the completed computer room and a generator so that the computers can be used at any time. They were recently informed that they must have a science lab., so they used some of the money sent to feed the children to buy a few pieces of science equipment. Sr Jacki the headmistress, had the best Christmas present when she received our email to say that we had just received an unexpected donation of £500 from Weston Favell School - which is more than half of the money needed to equip a science lab.
Munnar Orphanage also has a new boiler room. Pandithitta School has its new science lab. and sports equipment - £1325. Maski Sewing Project for abandoned/orphaned teenage girls has £600 to buy more sewing machines. The children at the women’s refuge at Malur have £750 for food and much needed medical care. Mannackannnad Special School has a £150 contribution to their drugs bill; Pilathra School has a new printer (£72) and Ritapuram School £150 for sports equipment.
The children at the various projects run by Sr Jeya at Batlagundu celebrated “Children’s Day” in style, thanks to a donation of £140. Only a few weeks ago, we were asked to help the children at another women’s refuge and will be sending them £300 - details of this new project will go on the website as soon as we receive them.

Special thanks go to the children and staff at the following schools:- Blisworth, Clipston, Great Creaton, Hunsbury Park, Northampton High, Standen’s Barn, Stanion, St Loy’s and Weston Favell. Thank-you to The True Volunteer Foundation for paying for the science lab at Pandithitta and especially to those who give a monthly donation. A special mention to the children at St Loy’s School who took up the challenge of eating only rice for a whole day - Edward wrote “It was sooo boring! By night time, I was craving for another food. Another day would be torture, let alone a week!”

Highlights from my 2011 trip - finding out ‘by chance’ about the poor children at Karisalpatti. Meeting many more people who had grown up in our orphanages or gone to our schools. (My 50th birthday, spent at Malur Women’s Refuge, didn’t make me feel old, but meeting Mums that I knew when they were small children certainly did!)

Aims for 2012. To continue to feed the children at the many Orphanages, Boardings and Crèches and to pay for their medical care etc. To complete the science lab at Kodai Kanal and to equip one at Ritapuram School (their need is just as great!) The Special School at Mannackannad needs repairing - no maintenance has been done since it was built 10+ years ago. To provide school uniforms for the children at Karisalpatti Children’s Home and more sewing machines for the girls at Maski. To continue to help to provide food, clothing, medical care and education for the children at Malur Women’s Refuge and now the new refuge as well.

If you are unsure about giving a monthly amount to a charity as you don’t know where your money would actually go to and how much would be spent on advertising etc., we can put your mind at rest. We promise that every single penny given goes to the children. You will receive a quarterly newsletter and updates on ‘your’ project - yes, you can choose where or how you would like your money spent.
Our bank details:- Barclays Bank, Market Place, Kettering
Account name: Children United!
Account number: 10941735 Sort code: 20 45 81

To finish, a true story to make you think. I belong to a ladies group and at our Christmas get-together, I sat next to our newest member Anne. We were saying ‘what a small world’ it is, as she worked where my Father used to and so we had mutual acquaintances. Sitting on the other side of her, was the friend who came out to India with me last year and is going again this month. She asked a question about her trip, which lead to us talking about the charity. Anne said that she had a relative - a Nun, who lived in India. I ran through all of the States I could think of, but she couldn’t remember where she lived. The next day she emailed her great-aunt’s address - Kodai Kanal! So I emailed Sr Jacky, the headmistress of our school there. She emailed back to say “I am pleased to enquire about the Sister . . . In fact I have a sentimental attachment to the Carmelite Sisters. Tomorrow I shall pay a visit and give you the details.” A few days later “As I told you, I went to meet Sr. Clementine. She is 87 years old . . . She is bent with a stick going about with the help of some one to move about. However I was elated to meet her.” So the chances of me sitting next to Anne, us talking about India, her having an Aunt out there, who is a Nun, in a convent in the same town / area / state as one of our projects . . . . . What a small world!
Thank you for your support. Please do tell others about us!


September 2011 newsletter:-
 
It has taken a long time, but the total raised has now reached £100,000 !!!
And if you consider that here in the UK, a school dinner is about £2.00 and in India about 2p, then just how much is £100,000 worth, when spent in India?

Our thanks to recent donors, The True Volunteer Foundation who gave just under £1,000 to pay for the new science lab at Pandithitta School and to Kettering Parish Church who gave £640, which was divided between Kodai Kanal Boarding, Karisalpatti Children’s Home and children’s projects at Batlagundu. Corby Inner Wheel gave £100 to Munnar Boarding and Blisworth School over £300 to Kodai Kanal Boarding. Weston Favell School gave £150 from their penny trail to the nursery at Munnar and Stanion School collected pennies for the children at Karisalpatti. Thanks as always to all those who give a monthly amount to their chosen projects. Amount raised so far this year - nearly £8000!

We have recently received photos from Karisalpatti of the children receiving toiletries and sports equipment and of them eating healthy, nutritious meals instead of their old meals of just boiled rice.

Photos from Kodai show children in the new computer room. Quote from Sr. Jacky. ‘I am sending you the attached photography of Computer students and teacher. I am indeed pleased to train such pupils. I heard from Sr. Igna, that children were excited to go to the class, the narration goes like this. “For the first time I am going to touch the computer, so I am very happy…” etc. Our thanks goes to you and Mr. Declan. Once in a every week children are having the computer class. It is a pleasant surprise for all of us. The teachers and sisters are learning too.’

To see both sets of photos, please visit our website, which has recently been updated - address at the top of the page.

We have nearly finished composing a ‘general information on the charity’ leaflet. This will be especially useful to give to ‘non-computer’ people. Please contact us if you would like some to give out, or they will be on the ‘Newsletters’ page of the website for you to print off.

Schools visited: - children in Mrs Boshell’s class at Spring Road School, Northampton had a fun afternoon pretending to be children in our schools in India. The children at both Blisworth and St Loy’s Schools were very happy to receive letters and presents from their schools in India. I give talks on ‘Christianity in Action’ for RE or on ‘India’ for Humanities at primary Schools. I have also been invited to talk to some Beavers, Cubs and Scouts with the possibility of them linking to the Scout Troop at Ritapuram School!

We are getting very hi-tech! Donations can now also be given by text - although that’s only for those who have a clue what that means! It’s all down to technology and those with a mobile phone who know how to, can text CHIL35 followed by the amount they want to give (in whole pounds) e.g. £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070

For us very low-tech people, it is great news that cheques are no longer going to be discontinued. And please continue to collect your pennies for us - it’s only 2p for a school dinner for our children.

Highlight from India:- This happened many years ago but still amazes me! One Sunday after the Church Service, as usual, I met and greeted lots of children who wanted to introduce me to their parents and family. Eventually as I was leaving, one very old lady greeted me. She had cataracts in her eyes and so was being led by another lady, but what was most noticeable was that she was not wearing a blouse under her sari; she was so poor. This would be considered very indecent. I realised that during the service the collection had not been taken. That had never happened before and I don’t think has ever happened since, so I was able to give her my collection money. Just a co-incidence or as someone suggested, a God-incidence?

Remember that every single penny you give goes to the children - there are no deductions either in the UK or in India. If you pay tax, then we can claim this back through Gift Aid. That gives another 25p for every £1.00 donated!

August 2011 update:-  (to see photos go to Current projects - Karisalpatti)

With all the bad news at the moment, some happy news to brighten your day
and lift your spirits. When I receive photos and news from India, I usually only
send to those who have given to that project. I thought this was worth sharing
with everyone.

If you were reading my emails whilst I was in India earlier this year, you
will remember me wittering on about how bored I was with boiled rice, only to be
put completely to shame by a group of sixty-four children who only had boiled
rice to eat - three times a day, seven days a week. I had gone to see a friend,
just to say hello and have a restful ‘day off’ after several busy weeks of
travelling. I had no idea that she had so many children living with her and that
they were so desperately short of funds.

During a tour of the village (Karisalpatti) I bought the children some
sweets. These were just licked, making them last at least half an hour. Later we
shared some ladoos - a golf-ball sized confection made of rice, sugar and yellow
colouring. They were not very nice and as I bit into mine, it fell apart. Crumbs
fell onto the ground and several young boys dived to pick the pieces out of the
dirt. This made me realise just how deprived these children were. Their poor
diet also showed in their health - all anaemic and tired, prone to infections,
plus scabies etc. etc.

So I emailed everyone to tell them that Karisalpatti was our newest
project! Immediate responses included payment for toothbrushes, toothpaste and
soap, plus sweets for a year. Direct debits of £10.00 and £5.00 a month. A
donation from someone thankful for the Sisters’ prayers and when I returned to
the UK, several other donations including £6.00 from Verity and £50.00 from
Corby Widows. Hunsbury Park School had also been collecting pennies, totalling
£226.50! Then two donations to buy toys and games equipment and now money to
start a library.

The money was sent off and yesterday I received two lots of photos from my
friend Hilaria. Both sets are attached. They do take a few minutes to download,
so please be patient. Looking at the photos, I was so pleased to see four
different coloured foods on the children’s plates, not just white rice. I also
quickly realised that there were more than the 64 children I had met. So there’s
now about another 30 children who need feeding! I had not considered that this
might happen but I can’t say that I am surprised. Typical reaction - ‘we have an
income now, so we can take in more children.’

Emma Mercer, head of Clipston School has asked me to come in to talk to her
children about a new project they can collect pennies for - so the Karisalpatti
children will have even more friends. I do find that asking people just to
collect 1p’s and 2p’s works well. No-one minds this and especially if you have a
school of 100, 200 or 300 children it soon adds up to a huge amount.

There is a lovely photo of a little orphan called Valarmathi, in her best
dress with a bead necklace. She looks about four years old - she was not there
in February, so I have not met her. I am going to use her photo to promote
collecting pennies to feed her (and her 95 friends!)

Other news: - I also received an email from Sr Jacky, head of Kodai Kanal
School.

Dear Julie,
I started the Computer Class to the Children. The long waited dream of mine
is fulfilled through this. I have appointed one teacher for the same and
around 250 Children are learning now. Once again a big thanks to Declan for
sending and following the same. May God Bless him and us. One convenient day I
shall make a photography of the children and send to you. I have got the
Generator from Mr William and it is fine. Thank you for the dispensary items.

Dear Julie I don't know how to thank you all .... May God bless you all.

Convey my wishes to Declan, Celia and Blisworth School, Sue and Creaton
School, Mr William and all others.
With Love Jacky

There will be another newsletter in September, by which time we may have
received money to pay for the new science laboratory at Pandithitta School and
we may have reached a total of £100,000 collected!
 
It was suggested that a ‘general information leaflet’ would be a good idea
so I am preparing one, which I will email to you all, in the hope that you might
print off a few to give out.

It’s a great relief to hear that the government is not going to scrap
cheques, but we are setting up a ‘giving by text’ system as well - details in
the September newsletter.

Thank you for your continued support!

Kind regards,

Julie

www.childrenunited.btck.co.uk

June 2011 newsletter:-
Photos of this year’s visit on www.flickr.com/photos/childrenunited/

Yes, you may think that you have only just received a newsletter from us, but we are now going to send them quarterly to keep you up to date with what‘s going on.
Most importantly, we have several schools who deserve a mention! So, in order of money received this year, a big THANK YOU to BLISWORTH SCHOOL for £158.50 to help to pay for installing gas burners in the school and boarding kitchens at Kodai. It is now against the law to cut down trees for firewood in that area. THANK YOU to Clipston School for £59.05. THANK YOU to Creaton School for £175.00 which will go towards feeding the boarding children at Kodai Boarding. THANK YOU to Standen’s Barn School for £52.27 to buy sports equipment and games for the children at Pandithitta School. THANK YOU to Hunsbury Park School for £226.50 to feed the children at Karisalpatti. THANK YOU to Verity for her donation to feed these children as well. Thank you also to Kettering Lady Lions, Corby Widows, Oundle Inner Wheel and all our regular donors.

NEWSFLASH!!!! . . . . And a huge THANK YOU to the True Volunteer Foundation who have agreed to pay for the new science laboratory at Pandithitta School!!!

Money sent out so far this year:-
Munnar Boarding £800 - food/boarding costs
Kodai Boarding £800 - gas burners & food
Karisalpatti Boarding £600 - food, toothbrushes etc
Thangachimadam Orphanage £220 - food
Malur Women’s Refuge £150 - school fees & food
Maski Sewing Project £150 - sewing machines
Pilathra School £72 - printer
And we have sent a generator (& medical supplies) to Kodai so that they can use their computers.

The total raised over the years is £97,000! Worth SO much more when spent as rupees in India. Will it be £100,000 by our next newsletter? Aim for this year - just to feed the children. (It would also be nice to buy the water filter for Thangachimadam School, the solar lights and new shed for Munnar Boarding and the science lab for Ritapuram school, although TVF may be able to help us with this as well, depending on their fund raising.)

Whilst talking to a friend recently, he asked me what my long-term aims were for Children United!? That made me think! My first answer was that I always wanted to be able to raise money for the children and (selfishly!) wanted to be able to go out to India regularly. He then asked what I wanted for the charity (rather than for myself!) and I realised that my ideal situation would be when we were sending quarterly amounts to all the Orphanages and Boarding Hostels where we feed the children - Kodai Kanal, Munnar and Karisalpatti. (Thanks to St Loy’s School, Thangachimadam Orphanage does have a regular income.) Then the children could have an egg, some vegetables and lentils every week; their health would improve and the pressure to raise £x again every year would diminish. (We also pay for snacks, lunch and milk for the nurseries at Batlagundu and Munnar, but this is minuscule compared with the three meals a day / seven days a week the full-time boarders have.)

I totally agree with all those who say of the adverts asking for standing orders of £3 or £5 (or more!) a month, “But how do you know where your money is going and how much of it actually gets there?” So if you hear anyone saying that, tell them about Children United! Every single penny does go to the children and they can choose which project their money goes to. If they give say, £3.00 a month, that would pay for all 62 children at Karisalpatti to have an egg each month. Four people doing that = an egg every week! Other prices for Karisalpatti - £2.58 for lentils, £1.72 for vegetables or £1.50 for protein powder.

Our bank details are:-  Barclays Bank, Kettering.  Account name - Children United  Account number 10941735 Sort Code 20-45-81

Please forward this to anyone you think may be interested. We give talks to ladies groups, Churches etc. and to schools - ‘Christianity in Action’ for RE or ‘India’ for Humanities. Thank you for YOUR interest!
If you have any ideas on fund raising or indeed anything else, PLEASE let us know!
 

March 2011 newsletter:- 

Greetings from India! I’m nearly half-way through my visit here and thought I would start the newsletter as there is so much to tell you! My first stop was at Ritapuram School. The new school building is finished and in use and there are lots of new desks and benches - thanks to Burton Latimer Church, Luke & Clipston School. We just need to finish the science lab. and our work here will be done. Then on to Pandithitta School - and more than twice the children than when I was here two years ago! The new library is fabulous, thanks to Thrapston Probus and Standen’s Barn School. The school had it’s very important Government inspection on 19th January and passed, with a confirmation that we would complete the science laboratory here as well.

Then on to Munnar Boarding - and the biggest changes of all! The new boarding building is now in use and better than I could ever have imagined. We will continue to give an annual amount to help to pay for the orphaned /abandoned girls but would also like to pay for a solar lighting system and a new shed with high chimney where they can heat water. Thanks to Christ the King and Ashby St Ledger’s Churches for donations last year. Munnar Nursery now has books, tables, chairs, and money for milk thanks to Weston Favell School. We would like to continue to pay for the milk and snacks.
 
Batlagundu Crèche and Vettimukal Nursery - also take children from the poorest families, enabling their mothers to go for work. The children get a healthy lunch and milk, thanks to Stanion and Hunsbury Park Schools, and we would like to continue to give an annual donation to both projects.
 
Kodai Kanal School and Boarding - supported by Blisworth and Creaton Schools. Now with 288 children in the Boarding! In 2011, they just want help with feeding these children.

Karisalpatti Boarding - 62 abandoned / very poor children aged 5-10, who need feeding! We are setting up a sponsorship scheme to feed them.
 
Thangachimadam - how long has St Loy’s school single-handedly supported the Orphanage? The school now has it’s first computer but we would like to pay for a water filter and books for the children.

Mannackannad - our Special School, opened 10 years ago, successfully changing attitudes towards disability in India, but now needs repairing and redecorating.

Maski Two projects here; for orphaned and abandoned teenage girls, a hostel where they learn how to sew. They are then given a sewing machine and rehomed with vetted families. Also a boarding hostel for children who live too far away from secondary schools. We would like to continue to help both projects.

Malur - a women’s refuge with up to sixty ladies and their children. Corby Rotary & Mr Bridge helped to set up a new dispensary here. Malur has asked for help with the children’s food and education in 2011.

The total raised in 2010 was £11,653.01 -
Batlagundu crèche £355.98
Kodai Kanal School and boarding £1463.45
(plus 12 computers from Mercedes at Brixworth)
Malur women’s refuge £1050.00
Maski boarding and sewing projects £688.66
Munnar boarding £2285.00
Munnar nursery £100.00
Pandithitta school £722.00
Ritapuram school £1914.13
Thangachimadam orphanage £1840.00
Vettimukal Nursery £75.00
Thangachimadam School £500.00
Posting huge amounts of medical supplies to Malur and Batlagundu Children’s Clinics £322.00
The remaining money, allocated to Mannackannnad and Maski, has been carried forward to this year.
(The total raised over the years is now nearly £93,000!)

Aims for 2011 - as you will have just read, it’s mainly food we need this year. Prices start at 2p for a school dinner! We are starting a child sponsorship scheme, or if you don’t want to sponsor a child, would you consider setting up a standing order to buy the children an egg each month instead? £3.00 pays for an egg, £2.58 for lentils, £1.50 for protein powder, or £1.72 for a tumbler of milk for ALL 62 children at Karisalpatti.

Our bank details:- Barclays Bank, Kettering.  Account name: Children United. Acc. No: 10941735  Sort code: 20-45-81

Details on our website or write/email if you would like further information on the charity or any of the projects.
 
Please remember that every single penny you give goes to the children - there are no deductions either in the UK or in India. If you pay tax, then we can claim this back through Gift Aid. That gives us another 25p for every pound donated! 

January 2012 newsletter.docx

Jan 2012 newsletter.doc  
 
September 2011 newsletter.docx

September 2011 newsletter.doc

August_2011_update.doc

August_2011_update.docx

August 2011 update

June 2011 newsletter

CU_Newsletter_June_2011.doc

Children_United!_March_2011_newsletter.doc

Children_United!_March_2011_newsletter.docx

March 2011 newsletter

December 2010 update

January 2010 Newsletter.doc

Feb 2009 newsletter.doc

Newsletter March 2008.doc

Newsletter November 2007.doc

August 2007 newsletter.doc

Jan 2007 newsletter.doc
Jan 2007 newsletter page 2.doc 

January 2006 newsletter.doc
Aims for 2006.doc

Newsletter Jan 2005.doc
Aims for 2005.doc

JUNE 2004 NEWSLETTER.doc