Dear Friends,

Following our previous golf days – and most importantly – due to popular demand, we are going to hold another golf day for the benefit of the Fund.

We are delighted to return to East Berkshire Golf Club in Crowthorne on Friday 22nd August 2008. The format for the day will be a stableford competition in the morning played in teams of four - over eighteen holes - off full handicap – the best two scores on each hole to count. Following lunch we will have a Texas Scramble over 13 holes.

In the evening there will be a cocktail reception and dinner – with tombala, a raffle and an auction.

The costs will be - £85 per player and for those only attending the reception and dinner it will be £33.

Those wishing to participate can enter using the enclosed form, as a team of four, or alternatively individuals can enter and they will be partnered with other entrants.

This will be a marvellous day; playing over a demanding and beautiful course with good company and most importantly – raising money for a worthy cause.

To ensure an enjoyable day numbers will be strictly limited so do please apply early. To encourage entrants not to delay their applications – cheques will not be banked until the middle of July 2008 – but please note that places will be allocated from application forms on a ‘first come first served’ basis. The closing date for entries is 31 July 2008. We know that we can rely on your support and look forward to receiving your entries.

Best wishes, Maureen Devereux

Application Form here -> Read the rest of this entry »

United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has praised Nigerian soldiers on peace keeping mission in Liberia under the auspices of the United Nations for donating a technical training workshop to Liberians, Empowered Newswire has reported. Ban Ki-Moon, through his Special Representative in Liberia, Ellen Margrethe Løj, praised the Nigerian soldiers for identifying the need for the workshop and then personally funding it. The UN said “we need these kinds of skills that can be implemented with little capital to set up small ventures and business activities,” Quoting a UN statement, Empowered Newswire reported on Monday that the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) received the workshop from the Nigerian soldiers earlier this month at an event near the country’s capital, Monrovia. According to the UN, the Nigerian peacekeeping unit of the United Nations Mission in Liberia handed over an electrical technician training workshop which the soldiers put together and established through their own expertise and financial contribution. The UNMIL arm which initiated and implemented the gesture is known as the Nigerian Signal-Six (NISIG-6) unit. The workshop has been handed over by the UN to the Don Bosco Youth Centre of the Catholic Church in Liberia.

Every two years the British Broadcasting Corporation raises funds to help children in the UK and overseas through the means of Sport.

As part of the Sport Relief campaign, Adrian Chiles, one of the presenters of the daily programme - The One Show, went to Liberia to make a series of films exploring the situation there, and to look at some of Sport Relief’s projects in action (including a visit to one of the Don Bosco Homes). Read the rest of this entry »

Just a Reminder

One of our long term supporters, Jeremy Hopkins, will be running in this year’s Rome Marathon on 16th March 2008. Jeremy has been training for this event since August (admittedly with a short alcohol-induced break over Christmas).

If anybody would like to sponsor Jeremy or send him a good luck message he has his own sponsorship website at: www.bmycharity.com/jhopkins. He will be donating his sponsorship money to the Fund.

2007 has been an eventful year for the Fund. The year started sadly with the death of Fr Eddie O’Shea who was a long serving trustee of the fund and his support and wisdom is sadly missed. However we are really pleased to welcome three new Trustees: Sally Hounsham plus Alan and Nicky Lion who all bring new ideas, knowledge and experience to enable the Fund to keep growing and achieving its aims.

In addition to the Trustees the Fund is grateful for the support of Father Joe Brown as well as other volunteers who all bring their own unique ideas, help and experience to the Fund. We are also very grateful to Mark Howells-Mead and Tricia Howells who fund and maintain our website. Our thanks also go to all those who have helped over the past year with packing boxes and collecting goods for the containers we have sent to Liberia and Uganda.

Without the help of all of the Trustees and volunteers the Fund would not be able to achieve its aims and objectives which, in summary, is to provide aid to African children in need, for projects that offer self-sufficiency and are sustainable in the longer term. Through education the Fund strives to give children the opportunity to empower themselves for the future. Read the rest of this entry »