Partner West Africa formally would like to thank the many individuals and organisations who have supported us in 2016 and without whom we could not continue our work in the UK and in Ghana. We will not name you all individually as we know you do not seek that but we would like to review the year’s fund raising activities and celebrate the fun and hard work that has been involved.
We start with those amazingly energetic and fit people who ran and cycled their way through some tough challenges. The year started with Abbey running 4 half marathons in 4 weeks to raise funds for us. In July, for the first time, we had a team enter the British 10K run in London-an all female team organised by our trustee, Jackie. Not to be outdone, Jackie’s husband then motivated a team of cyclists to pedal from John O’ Groats to Paris, arriving in time for the end of the Tour de France. Later in the year, our trustee, Sena, with friends, devised their own cycle P to P (not point to point but place to place that begins with P!). He summarised it thus: “It took 20 hrs 7 mins to ride 249 miles and climb 17,100 feet fuelled by 10,314 calories”.
Anybody out there who would like to run or cycle or swim or hop or skip to raise funds for us, please get in touch. We have places at the British 10K again and are looking to book places on other events.
We are fortunate to be supported by various schools and colleges as part of our international schools partnership programme. In some cases this means that UK schools are linked to a school in Ghana and are developing a friendship and joint curriculum activities. In others, it means that a UK school or college has been part of a field trip to Ghana with us. In others, it means that the UK school or college has raised funds to support our Daycare & Nursery Centre for vulnerable children. In all cases we want to pay tribute to the young people of the UK who have given their time to support us and who have, when on trips to Ghana, worked so effectively with children and young people there. You are all a credit to your schools and colleges and the UK should be very proud of you. Special thanks go to:
Our charity has its registered office in Oakley, Hampshire and it is to the residents of Oakley that we now say thank you. You have supported us at schools fetes and Christmas Fayres, at pub quizzes, jumble sales and line dancing events. You have supported us as individuals and as a community. In fact, you were so supportive at the Summer Fete in 2016 that we ran out of prizes for the tombola and other games. Watch out for August 2017 when we will be there again with even more to entertain you.
Many, many individuals have helped make this a successful year for us. Some have donated or made items that we have been able to sell on e bay or in our ‘pop up’ charity shop in Whitchurch, Hampshire. In 2016 our stint in the shop earned us over £2000 in 2 weeks. It was hard work and not possible without help from the volunteers who worked in the shop and most importantly, the folk in Whitchurch who bought and bought stuff from us. We will be back there again this year in February and March so keep an eye out for that event-a chance for bargains galore for an excellent cause!
We are dependent on volunteers for all our activities. A special thanks has to go to those who have organised events for us-dinner parties, line dancing, quizzes, pub collections and to those who have sent items which we can use in Ghana with the children. We try to post photographs as often as we can on our Facebook pages and on this website of the impact all this has had. Please know that we are keenly aware of your contribution and are very grateful for it.
We are fortunate enough to have talented volunteers from the international community who give of their time and skill to work in Ghana on our projects. The difference they make is hard to measure. It goes beyond the expertise that they share with our team in Ghana and the difference it makes to the success of the projects. The impact they have on the lives of the families and children in Ghana is so special and enriching. We know they value their time in Ghana- read their testimonies here-but you are great global citizens and we thank you.
To all of you who have responded to our appeals, to corporate sponsors who have matched the funding raised by their employees and to that very special group of people who act as sponsors for our Daycare and Nursery centre by donating each month to its upkeep, and to everyone included in this piece, we say thank you for giving us 2016. We hope you will stick with us and make 2017 another year to be proud of.