I hope that the title does not confuse people but it somes up what I and others are doing in Novo Selo in the Vidin region. I am in the process of setting up a Chef and Restaurant School here in Novo Selo with the aim of training youngsters from the Children's Home and those from families in poverty so that they can gain employment in a kitchen, a restaurant, a butchers or even a bakery.

Someone told me the story of the fish and the fishing rod and it sums up what we are doing - giving them the skills so that they can fend for themselves. I have read that Roma youngsters are disadvantaged from families. Think of the disadvantages if you are Roma and you are from a Children's Home! The problem with post 16 vocational education here in Bulgaria is that you have to pay for commodities or resources and your bus fare. How can a youngster from a Children's Home or from a family in poverty afford such expenses? They cannot and so they don't do anything.

My charity, registered here in Bulgaria is called Phoenix Inspire. I would like to post regular updates of how we are progressing so that fellow members can read about our efforts, the frustrations that we have had to overcome just to get to where we are now and how we have changed the lives of young people to date. When you live in an are with high unemployment, deprivation and decay you cannot see opportunities. It is up to us to present them and encourage in the hope that they will grasp them at some point.

If you would like to contact me directly my email address is [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].

I hope to be staging a fund raising dinner at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Sofia in the future. I will post this information as developments progress.

If anyone wishes to help me with my efforts, or you have a contact who has some dosh spare please let me know.

best wishes
Whalesmc

Thank you for this I look forward to reading more from you about what you do for the children and you training school

Hi Blink I think I've read an update on here somewhere ? maybe a good idea for a mod to put them together

Phoenix Inspire (The Chef and Restaurant School &
Bistro, Novo Selo), November 2010

Dear ::,

As next week will be particularly busy I thought I would get November’s update written a little earlier than normal. I am mindful that friends and supporters in the UK are experiencing snow. This is quite strange as we in Bulgaria have no snow yet. Predications on the TV indicate that we can expect the coldest winter on record with temperatures well below -30°. The Danube is rising in volume each day. We have markers on the river shore so we can monitor its depth. Some days as much as 3 metres of beach are taken by the river. Our normal route for walking the dogs has disappeared in places. Now that there are only a few leaves on the trees along the river you can clearly see the woodpeckers drilling holes into the tree trunks. Unlike the spring where the country is at its most beautiful at the moment it is drab. Not a pretty sight.

Fundraising dinner at the Radisson Blu Hotel Sofia
As the Bistro plans are in place and the Rotary Clubs in the UK and BG are busy working out how they can help us, November has all been about PR here in Bulgaria. The dinner at the Radisson Blu Hotel is one week away. Organising a dinner so far away from the venue has been difficult. Thankfully Deborah Haines, the General Manager of the hotel, has been a star as has Albena our Bulgarian language tutor. At the beginning progress was very slow as posters and marketing material took ages to get off the ground. A bit of a worry as we are trying to sell 200 tickets! Cascading emails seems to have been our most effective method of promotion. Letters have been sent by email to all the embassies in Sofia. 285 major companies have all been contacted too. Fliers are being distributed by the hotel and during the next week’s International Women’s Club Bazaar.

Whilst this has been a steep learning curve for a number of people, a number of positive outcomes have emerged from all this work. Locally, more people are aware of what we are trying to do as a result of pieces in the local paper, the web, TV and the radio.

Based upon our story and ambitions Mr Alexiev, the owner of Alexiev Coaches in Vidin, is offering trainees of Phoenix Inspire a free bus pass once they are training. This is such good news. When he heard about how we are helping the young girl from Vratsa he told the story of a boy he found in similar circumstances some years ago. The boy is now a man, educated and doing well. A touching story as Mr Alexiev is called ‘dad’ by the boy he found on the side of the road.

We have been fortunate to meet a number of people who are trying to help us. Local reporters have been helpful. One in particular is called Lidia. Lidia is the regional reporter for Bulgarian National TV. So far we have had one piece on the BNT promoting our aims. Today at 12noon today there is a second piece promoting the dinner next week. Hopefully this will encourage more people to attend.

Latterly, Gabriel Hershman of the Sofia Echo has been a great help. Our meeting was encouraged by Deborah at the Radisson Blu hotel. Gabriel has written a couple pieces for the Echo’s web site and for the English written weekly newspaper. Whilst the circulation is not across all of Bulgaria it is prominently placed in airports, hotels and other outlets in Sofia. I hope the expat community of Bulgaria will support us on the night. Please visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]¬_payback

When I was asked if it be ok for the village folk dance group to perform at the dinner in Sofia, I immediately replied that it would be a great idea and how wonderful it is that locals want be involved. Chris P, I think we are finally getting there. Luckily Valentin was with me when I was asked the question. Whilst I understood most of what was being asked, I wanted to be sure that I had not misheard the question. Straight away we went to see the Mayor about this idea and the dinner. The upshot of our conversation was that the school bus will provide free transport for the folk dancers and local residents from Novo Selo to the Radisson dinner in Sofia. We believe that the 31 seat coach will be almost full.

We sent letters by courier to the President (Georgi Parvanov) and Prime Minister (Boyko Borissov) of Bulgaria. As they have to sign for receipt of these letters we had a contact to telephone a day later. Albena phoned the signatories on Friday. Staff in the Prime Minister’s office said they will let us know on Monday if he can come after the cabinet meeting. More encouraging was Albena’s telephone call to the President’s office. The named person not only knew of Phoenix Inspire but indicated that they will help by putting us in contact with other agencies. Our mail was being presented to the President on Monday. We will know on Tuesday if the President or representatives will attend the dinner.

Christmas 2010 will be a great one for many people of this region.
Thankfully a number of friends and supporters have promised help with funds to enable me to travel to the UK and back. The decision to travel was not easy. However, as donations and promises have materialised, the decision is justified. I will be collecting named presents for 6 children in Vruv, 41 children at the Children’s Home in Novo Selo and 21 children for families in poverty. Apart from these I will be collecting more donated items destined for 80 young children at the Children’s Home in Vidin. Presents for those in Novo Selo and Vruv will be given on December 22nd. Presents to Vidin will be taken on December 19th.

As a result of pieces on the ‘ourbulgariaforum’ website two energetic donators have emerged;
Berni and Dougie. Normally they are actively raising funds or donations for their own charitable organisation which helps children of the Sillistra Orphanage - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
It never fails to amaze me just how compassionate people can be, particularly as the economy in the UK is under such pressure. No doubt the team backing Sir Terry Wogan and Children in Need thought the same after last week. There are many individuals and organisations actively engaged in the collection and donation of presents and other items for the people of this region. Instead of buying presents for each other, members of staff at one care home are buying gifts for the children instead. Students and staff of different colleges are busy collecting presents and other donations.

After arriving in Dover (9th), collection points include Hitchin (9th), Peterborough (9th), Rotherham (10th), Scunthorpe (10th), Grimsby (13th), Norwich (13th) and Reading (14th tbc). My route for collecting items has already been distributed but if you need a copy please let me know and I will send you one. If you have a donation and you are unsure where to send or take them please let me know.

A sponsored event to think about
Many, many of you actively support the goal I am trying to achieve. However, there is one who as a result of visiting this region some years ago, is going that little extra – Mandy. Mandy plans to raise funds for Phoenix Inspire by competing in the 3 peak challenge. Mandy’s goal is to walk up Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike in 24 hours!! Please sponsor Mandy in some way or other. Mandy’s email address is [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Many of you were touched by the story of the young girl who was found on the streets of Vratsa. I would like to let you know that she is being well looked after and is in good hands. Unfortunately there have been a number of stories in the press about abandoned babies in various parts of Bulgaria. One left in the entrance to a hospital and one beside rubbish bins in the mud. I know that similar stories occur in the UK but it still doesn’t make it any easier to read when you know that the support services behind the scenes are so much more advanced in the UK. Luckily both babies are safe –but what future to do they have after 18 years in care? Let us hope that more Phoenixes emerge over the coming decades.

Thank you for your help, encouragement and continued support for what we hope to achieve – Mick, Christine, Valentin, Len, Kate, Alma, Tony, Valeishko and the many helpers here in Novo Selo.

Good morning all.

The following translation, prepared by Ellie with great thanks, corresponds with the accompanying video clip -

Englishman Mick Cooper, who has lived for several years in Novo Selo, Vidin wants to teach a cooking, bakery and restaurant skills to children from the local social institution and thus to help them find their place in life.

For 22 years Mick did this in the UK. Mick relies upon donations for the construction of the education and professional centre and its resources. There is charity fund raising night planned for next Sunday at the Radisson Hotel in Sofia.

In Novo Selo unemployment is nearly 17%, which means that over 230 people live on social assistance. Each year boys and girls leave the local social home, many remain jobless for a long time and often cross the law. So many hope that the project is successful. Englishman Mick Cooper, who settled on the banks of the Danube a few years ago. Petya Petkova (local school girl in class XII) from the children’s home, transitional residence in Novo Selo said “l am in class XII and when I finish and leave the home I will be alone. I will find it very difficult to handle. If this project was launched, for example, you can go and prepare to be able to get a job then”.

Latinka Petrova - Transitional housing manager at the Children’s Home of Novo Selo: - “we look forward to this centre with great anticipation”. “The villagers know Mick as a donator to kindergartens, schools, the pensioners club and three social housing institutions and we give him our full support for the project”. He enjoys the confidence of the mayor and regional governor of Vidin. George Stoenelov, Mayor of Novo Selo said “the creation of such a college in the municipality in the north western part of Bulgaria is a unique case ... and so we will stand firmly behind him”.

Mick Cooper, President of NGO "
Phoenix inspiration said “Now I live in Novo Selo and I want to pass on my skills and experience to the young people in the region. I want to give them the opportunities to travel worldwide and find fulfilment through their work. Mick Cooper said that much of the necessary professional equipment has been donated by people in the UK.

The Municipal Building, where the centre for vocational training of cooks and hoteliers will take place needs an overhaul. Fund raising relies on the support of followers and organized charity actions in the UK and Bulgaria.

I hope you enjoy
Best wishes

Mick

Good luck Mick and its nice to see a bit of a video

How lovely to see a video of the actual place and to see what is going on and thank you for the translation it all help us to understand what your doing and where you are with it all the best with this project and I hope it will make a huge difference to the children

[size=150:10xfnkdr]Fantastic !!! Mick you are all doing a great job Good luck with the event in Sofia hopefully this will help you raise some of the funds you need.

See you on 9th

Berni and Dougie

Oddy

[align=center:21vjylum]Phoenix Inspire
(
The Chef and Restaurant School &
Bistro, Novo Selo)

December 2010[/align:21vjylum]
Dear ::,

Normally at this time of the year Bulgaria would be coping with extreme cold, but it would appear that other parts of Europe have had ‘our’ weather. Luckily, it would seem, I managed to travel to the UK in between bouts of bad weather. More on this later.

December 5th - Fundraising dinner at the Radisson Blu Hotel Sofia
It is almost a month now since we held our first fund raising dinner in Sofia. Thank you to Deborah and her staff for making us most welcome on the night. Unfortunately, we did not do well in terms of customer numbers. However, the good news is that we covered our costs. The Mayor of Novo Selo kindly made the school bus available for free which took representatives of the council, the Children’s Home and the village folk group to Sofia. In Sofia we were joined by staff of the British Embassy, the President of the Bulgarian Association of Sommeliers, friends, representatives from a couple of businesses and well wishers. Devin, a water company in Bulgaria, kindly donated nearly 500 bottles of water for the evening too. After an enjoyable meal we made our way back to Novo Selo, arriving back in the village just after 4am on December 6th! Despite the disappointing numbers, our efforts received more publicity than we could have imagined. Thank you to Gabriel Hershman of the Sofia Echo, Albena and Lidia Kamenova of Bulgarian National TV for generating so much interest in what we hope to achieve. I just hope that as a result of this exposure more Bulgarians will get involved and financially support our efforts.

December 7th to 17th travels to and from the UK
After preparing the lorry for the journey (sleeping bags, food and stove but forgot the kettle!) and recovering from the lack of sleep, I set off from Bulgaria through Romania for the UK early on December 7th. I remember watching a Top Gear programme with Jeremy Clarkson et al driving on some wonderful roads in Romania;
he must have been in the posh area. At one point the outside temperature was 12°, unusually warm for this region. Hungary was a doddle with good weather and visibility. Austria was very different with snow and freezing temperatures. By 11pm I was west side of Vienna and minus 4°. As I had made good progress I climbed into the sleeping bag and went to sleep in the cab. I awoke to thick fog which continued all through Austria until I reached the German border. Germany is a beautiful country. Everything was going ok until heavy snow started to fall just after Frankfurt. Thereafter my progress was relatively slow and demanding unlike some of the German drivers who seem to drive so fast in all sorts of conditions! All was going well until Koln when all of a sudden I lost the back end of the lorry on the ice. Luckily I was not going fast and there was no cars overtaking me otherwise it could have been a different story. After counter steering a couple of times I gained control, slowed down a little more and continued to the west side of Brussels for the night. After a good night sleep I was on the ferry heading towards Dover. Dover to Hitchin was complicated by the M25 and road works. Why is it that traffic in Germany continues with road works where as traffic in the UK comes to a standstill? After collecting Xmas presents from students, their tutor Kevin and other members of staff of North Hertfordshire College I made my way to Peterborough to meet Dougie and Berni. Dougie and Berni and their friends had collected a significant amount of goods for the Children’s Home in Vidin. Thereafter off to see Jeremy and Carol again in Peterborough. The next morning we loaded more Xmas presents and other donations for the people of this region. After saying goodbye I made my way to Russum’s of Rotherham. Whilst at Russums we reloaded the Xmas presents and loose items into large blue boxes to protect them. Whilst at Russum’s I collected more items for local people and a number of presents that had been sent for me to collect. Then off to Scunthorpe for the weekend.



Early Monday morning to Grimsby and a quick visit to see Richard at Seafish, then on to Grimsby Institute to see Jane and her team and Diane to collect Xmas presents, Santa’s letters, calendars and more donations for local people. Next stop was Norwich to see Richard and Sue. I was amazed at how much they had collected. I then went to City College Norwich to meet Dick, Nigel, Steve, Sue B and many others. A lot of donations for the Children’s Home in Vidin had been sent by Carl and Lesley for me to collect. By the time I had finished loading the lorry in Norwich, I kid you not, it was almost full. After reloading the lorry again in the morning with the help of John I was on my way. After seeing Paul and his students and Karen I was on my way to Dover and a 6pm ferry. I cannot say thank you enough. The generosity and kindness is at times overwhelming. It is always good to meet up with friends and supports of Phoenix Inspire. It means a lot to me and more importantly to the people of this region. Believe it or not I had collected 3000 kgs of donations including clothing, Xmas presents, food, toys, games, bedding, musical instruments, four sewing machines and not one piece of equipment for the Chef and Restaurant School!

The journey back went without any hitches apart from freezing temperatures and snow. Driving in Germany and Austria was difficult. The first night I slept as near to Koln as possible -5°. The second night close to the Hungarian border - 9° and really cold in the cab despite two sleeping bags. I arrived in Novo Selo on December 17th just after 2.30am. Considering the kilometres I travelled I only saw three accidents that had occurred due to the snow and ice. Quiz question, where did the lorry get stuck on ice and block a street for 30 minutes whilst I dug it out with the help of a fellow motorist?

December 18th – the sorting
As we promised to be at the Children’s Home in Vidin on the 19th it was important to empty and re-pack the lorry as soon as possible. This was done on the 18th with the help of local supporters and friends. Donations were sorted into different categories;
Xmas presents, donations for Vidin, donations for the Children’s Home in Novo Selo, toys for the kindergartens of Vruv, Novo Selo and Florentin and clothing and other donations for the poor families in Novo Selo. All donations for Vidin were reloaded into the lorry ready for the next day. All the Xmas presents were taken to our house for sorting and checking. After a couple of hours we went for a well earned coffee.

December 19th – the Children’s Home in Vidin
We arrived at the Children’s Home at 1pm. Valentin and his girlfriend Biserka, and her two children were there to meet us. The director (a doctor) of the Children’s Home and other members of staff helped us unload the many boxes of goods donated by people in England. It is difficult to convey the joy on their faces. They could not believe how much had been donated, in fact I couldn’t either. As we carried boxes after boxes into the storage area the scale of support became evident. Tricycles, toys, puzzles, mobiles, baby clothing, bedding, nappies food, more toys, teddies, clothing for young children too. After an hour or so we all left with a sense of fulfilment.



December 22nd Christmas 2010 – ‘what a great day for many people of this region’.
After spending a couple of days sorting out the presents by name and age to make sure that we had them all, they were delivered to the home on the 21st. Natalia and fellow members of staff were on hand to help carry them in to the Children’s Home. As some of the children saw them being carried in it helped create a sense of excitement the following day. Presents for Vruv were taken to the kindergarten on the day.



Here are Christine’s reflections of the day: ‘My overriding memory of Christmas 2010 will be the sight of our dear friend Valentin dressed as Father Christmas. He appeared in a long red coat trimmed with white fur, red trousers, black boots, together with a full beard and spectacles half way down his nose. Absolutely brilliant! Biserka’s daughter was dressed as an angel and her son as Santa’s little helper. As we walked into the kindergarten at Vruv the children’s eyes popped! ‘Have you been good children this year?’ Father Christmas asked. ‘Yes’ came the reply. ‘But how good?’ ‘Very good!’, of course. The children were mesmerised. There were only 4 children in Vruv as one was ill and another in hospital. Little Alexandra, aged about 4, was organising the other 3 boys. They all sang and recited poems. It always amazes me how totally unselfconscious Bulgarian children are. It was good to see so many previous donations still being used in the Kindergarten. I thought Valentin’s beard was made from cotton wool but actually it was wool from one of his own sheep, very authentic.

Our next stop was the Children’s Home in Novo Selo in the afternoon. One of the older girls, Petia, introduced herself and spoke enough English to welcome us – a nice touch Once again the children were totally in awe of Father Christmas. Valentin talked to each one individually before giving them their presents. In a way it was sad to see some of the same faces again from last year but there were many new children too. We had arranged with social services staff to hand out all Xmas presents at the Children’s Home. First the children from poor families were given their presents. Some of the parents were in attendance to see this take place. Not only did we put a smile on the faces of the children but we also put smiles on the parents too.

After giving the presents to the first group of children, the children from the home received theirs. Last year the children sat bemused by what was going on. This year, it was a different story. Instead of waiting to be told what to do, some of them were opening their presents as proceedings continued. As we had been given extra presents by well wishers, we managed to ensure that all children received at least two presents. In all we gave out over a hundred presents. Afterwards we were served cake and squash.

Unfortunately for legal reasons we are not able to publish photos of individual children receiving their presents but believe me it proved to be another successful day which put a smile on so many faces. The Director of the Children’s Home sent the following message which I hope you will understand.

‘We thank you for your understanding Mick! This,that we begged you for, exists for the protection of the children. We thank for the lovely holiday, that you contribute for and the smiles on the faces of the children as well. We thank you!’

Here are a couple of group pictures, which I believe are ok. I hope they convey the happiness of the day.



Many people had made this day so memorable for these children. Jeremy said, ‘You cannot stop giving these children presents after delivering so much happiness’. With this in mind he and Carol are to start raising the necessary cash to enable this to happen again in 2011. More news about his ideas in future updates. Further good news came in an email from Andrew and Penny. It is possible that Andrew and a friend may be able to secure a lorry and deliver a similar batch of donations next year. David Potter and his students in Périgueux raised funds for us during a Christmas fare too. Encouragement such as this is wonderful. Things are looking up and I am sure we will succeed.

December 29th and 30th – donations to local poor families
Even after donating items to three kindergartens and two Children’s Homes there was still a lot of clothing and other items remaining. Like last year we liaised with the Mayor’s office to distribute remaining items to local poor families. As we had the list of 34 families, Nick (a friend and supporter) mentioned that not all poor families were on the Mayor’s list. He was aware of at least five families who had nothing. After a brief discussion it was agreed that they should be contacted and invited to have a look at what was available and take what would be suitable whilst we organised clothing into children’s, women’s and men’s. Once we had finished sorting all clothing was delivered to the Mayor’s offices ready for the following day (30th) when many local poor families had the chance to take it in turns to search through the clothing and other goods to identify items that would be suitable for them and their families. It was good to see another set of smiling faces leave the building with arms of clothes, kitchen wares and some toys.

All our humanitarian aid was now complete. We had distributed everything that had been loaded onto the lorry. Thank you to all of you, and there are many of you, for your generosity and kindness. If I have missed your name or that of a friend, please accept my apologies, it is not intentional.




The Bistro
It is all well and good making someone’s day by giving them gifts or donations which may bring happiness or warmth on the day or over the coming weeks but they do not offer a long term solution to the real problem – the opportunity to gain employment with the necessary skills that will generate an income for the youngsters who grow up in this region.

The Radisson Blu dinner raised our profile and spread the word about what we are trying to do. In a recent radio broadcast the Mayor said that one of his three projects for 2011 will be the setting up of the chef and restaurant training centre. There seems to be a change in the minds of locals as more are willing to support our efforts. The head of the council also promised to do all he can to see us achieve our ambition and later in January I will try to rekindle my cookery skills and work in a tiny kitchen to put on a fund raising dinner in Vidin. The kitchen is small, cramped and not well resourced. Designing a function menu is not easy as the kitchen is not designed for such events. Wish me luck!

I have mentioned before that Vidin Rotary Club will be part of an international project which will hopefully see them in partnership with Rotary Clubs from the UK, possibly Germany and France. In order to boost their funds Rotherham Rotary Club are hoping to hold a joint fund raising dinner in partnership with Rotherham College. Peter, Rob and Joe in Rotherham and Ivan, Todor and Valery in Vidin are kindly making efforts to set up this international project. I hope that we will hear something soon regarding their efforts and other ideas that have been put forward.

People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for Hospitality and Tourism in the UK have recognised and promoted our efforts to a wider audience. Instead of sending Christmas cards to their many contacts they sent an electronic card which referred to Phoenix Inspire and what we are trying to do. This was a wonderful gesture and one which means a great deal to me. I hope that one of their contacts may come forward and offer assistance.

My focus for 2011 will be about raising funds to set up the training centre here in Novo Selo. We are taking the plans and list of requirements to another specialist to see if the cost for redeveloping the Bistro can be reduced below an estimated one hundred thousand pounds.

At the end of this update is Mandy’s sponsorship form for her Three Peaks Run in September. Please support her efforts to support me and the people of this region.

December has been an extraordinary month. When you re-read this update it seems that every day was taken up with activities for the benefit of disadvantaged people of this region. Was the trip in the lorry value for money? Ivy and I travelled to and from the UK covering 6,500 kms at a cost of just over £1500. When you consider that 3,000 kgs of donations, gifts, presents, toys, musical equipment, shoes and clothing were distributed to well over 300 people including children at a cost of less than £5 each I believe that the journey was well worth the effort. You cannot put smiles on faces like we have for nothing.

Phoenix Inspire as a charity has come of age. Phoenix Inspire has credibility and people believe in what we are trying to do. A number of you have said to me that ‘we support Phoenix Inspire because you can see where the help goes, it doesn’t get lost in administration or hidden costs’. We are close to achieving our ambition. The final hurdle is often the most difficult to overcome. I feel that 2011 will see us straddle that hurdle, open the doors to Bulgaria’s first training centre designed to create opportunities and inspire success.

Happy New Year from all of us in Novo Selo
(Answer to the quiz question: right outside my father’s house in Scunthorpe!)

Thank you for your help, encouragement and continued support for what we hope to achieve – Mick, Christine, Valentin, Len, Kate, Alma, Tony, Valeishko and the many helpers here in Novo Selo.

[align=center:1ac6oqr8][size=150:1ac6oqr8]PLEASE SPONSOR MANDY DIXON TO DO THE 3 PEAK NATIONAL CHALLENGE SEPTEMBER 3-4TH 2011.
[size=150:1ac6oqr8]THIS INVOLVES CLIMBING THE UK'
S 3 HIGHEST MOUNTAINS IN 24 HOURS.
[size=150:1ac6oqr8]BEN NEVIS (
SCOTLAND)
, SCAFELL PIKE (
ENGLAND)
AND SNOWDON (
WALES)
-3400 METRES IN TOTAL-(
25 MILES)

ALL IN AID OF THE CHILDREN'
S ORPHANAGE IN NOVO SELO, BULGARIA.[/align:1ac6oqr8]


Click for sponsor form

Well done Mick and well done to all those that have helped to make this what it is now, and I would like to add my own special thanks to Berni and her husband for all their help with the donations they have made well done everyone

Having spent the past two days contributing to the assessments of students at the catering college in Vidin I now understand why there are no famous Bulgarian chefs, well none that I am aware of, particularly from this region. Wednesday (19th) morning I was contributing my comments and thoughts regarding the assessment of bread products and a torte and in the afternoon I watched students preparing cocktails for the panel of judges. Thursday morning I was watching and contributing the assessment of seven students preparing a salad and a main course dish using fillet of pork;
in the afternoon I watched restaurant students being assessed preparing a table and serving imaginary customers.

The vast majority of the students are fine and they don’t have an attitude. Unfortunately they are being taught using totally inappropriate equipment and practices. Unlike students in the UK they develop their bakery, bar, cooking and restaurant skills without customers.

During Wednesday morning I watched students preparing a torte using synthetic cream. I don’t understand why but you cannot purchase fresh dairy cream here in Bulgaria. I have asked why and even locals do not understand. The students were allowed to design and create their own torte. One student in particular showed imagination and creativity. However, the finished product looked more like a birthday cake with a covering of coloured marzipan paste, flowers and scrolls in white chocolate. This student was awarded first place and will go onto compete against students from other college in a couple of months time. The small bakery is ill equipped with small items. Conversely, the bakery has two 4 deck infra red bakery ovens, two modern convector ovens, a fat fryer that doesn’t look as though it has been used, a four ring electric stove with oven underneath, s/s double sinks without draining boards, a s/s double freezer, a s/s fridge and for some reason a bain marie all paid for by EU funds! I get the impression that funds were applied for, granted and then they purchased without thinking. Students were trying to coat their tortes using a domestic kitchen preparation knife – crazy. The hygiene and particularly dress standards left a lot to be desired. I found the experience both intriguing and embarrassing.

The afternoon saw me watching a different set of students preparing cocktails;
one non alcoholic and one with. Resource wise there was plenty of spirits and mixers to go around. Glasses were plentiful too. Again I don’t understand the lack of professionalism regarding a uniform. The standard of cocktail making was impressive. As assessments don’t require it, cocktail making is one of those exercises that isn’t often taught in UK colleges anymore;
a pity really as the skill is in decline I remember Mike Grubb at Grimsby College explaining that making and selling cocktails was a great way to make money.

As I made my way to the college on Thursday (20th) morning I wasn’t sure what to expect. After changing I entered the kitchen to the sight of a chef trying to open a can of tuna with a knife!!! When I asked where was the machine? I was told that there wasn’t one. I asked did he have one at home, yes was his reply. Not a good start to the day. Like the bakery the kitchen was ill equipped with small equipment. To give you an idea of different resources are the students were cooking on Beko domestic electric ovens with little preparation areas. Domestic pots and pans were also in use. Students in the UK don’t know how lucky they are.

The students had started at 7.30am and like the bakery students were inappropriately dressed. There assessment was to produce a salad of their choice and prepare a main course using fillet of pork. Presentation was planned for 12noon. Some of the pork dishes were in the oven or cooking on the stove as early as 9.30am. Some of the students showed some flair and understanding whilst others lacked basic skills. By the time presentation took place in front of a panel of judges most of the pork dishes were tough and almost inedible. The salads were not much better either. During the panel discussion I was asked for my opinion. I mentioned that pork fillet was the most tender cut of meat and as such it needed little cooking and to be balanced with other ingredients and not over powered by garlic or peppers. I didn’t make a comment about poor quality hygiene and dress standards.

The eventual winner was a young man who has promise. Like all winners he will be competing against representatives from other colleges in a couple of months.

The food service competition, it has to be said, was the highlight of the day. The students looked very professional until you looked below the waist line where the image was spoilt by outdoor clothing, dirty boots and shoes. However, despite this their skills were good. For those that remember the old City and Guilds 707/2 this assessment was very similar, but unfortunately without customers. The students had to prepare a table for two and imagine that they had served and were clearing the dirty crockery and cutlery. I haven’t seen a waiter/waitress being trained to walk to a table with one hand behind their back for many years. The eventual winner laid, set, presented and cleared to a high standard. I wonder how many UK students could achieve the same standard?!

It would be is easy to be refer to the standards and resources available in the UK but you have to remember that this country is poor and has been held back by communism for many years. I am not sure what experience the teachers have if it is experience from within Bulgaria it will not be great. Traditional dishes are well known. Unfortunately many of these are over cooked. Modern cooking techniques are seen on TV and are gradually creeping into kitchens and restaurants. One member of staff referred to larger plates with smaller portions of food on them. Her comment reminded me of ‘Nouvelle Cuisine’ in the ‘80s’. Having offered my services as a volunteer I hope to support practical classes and English technical classes too from February onwards.

It is easy to criticise from an arm chair and do nothing so instead, and apart from offering my help, I am now gathering a range of donated small equipment for the college. The small equipment will include 6 sets of saucepans (with lids), 6 colanders, 6 graters, 6 slotted spoons, 12 wooden spoons, 6 savarin moulds, 6 cake hoops, 6 sets of coloured chopping boards with stands, 6 ladles, 6 lemon juicers, mixing bowls, 24 waiters friend, 6 saute pans, cookery books, bread tins and oven clothes. Whilst they are not new, they are most certainly more than they have now.

Unlike the UK FE system when a Bulgarian youngster (at 16 years of age) wishes to take up a vocational career such as catering, the curriculum is also supplemented by traditional topics such as geography, mathematics, history, biology and chemistry. I wonder how good these students would be if they had better resources?

Something to ponder?!
Mick

Dear ::,

The Mystique dinner
I can’t remember how long it has been since I last worked in a commercial kitchen and so to prepare and cook for 80 people in a foreign kitchen was in hindsight a little rash. However despite this, the fund raising dinner went extremely well.

The day before the dinner I went to work in the kitchen for the first time. There is one chef called Emdi, Vency who makes and bakes pizzas and a couple of ladies who are kitchen assistants. At times you are dodging around people to get to other parts of the kitchen area. The menu included dishes which would not normally be found here in Bulgaria: Thai fishcakes with a sweet chilli dressing and cucumber salad, slow roast honey pork with apple sauce and a cappuccino cup with fingers of shortbread. Soon after service began I was on my own as other dining areas became busy. Emdi, Vency and both ladies were busy preparing and cooking products for orders so I sent the last 40 starters on my own.

Over here pork skin is boiled and eaten with a little salt. Pork is not normally roasted and so when I was scoring the skin and placing the meat on top of a bed of onions, the staff in the kitchen looked at me in amazement! Trying to cook 5 trays of pork, keeping them warm after carving and the need to reheat the portioned potatoes proved to be challenging. Sending out the main course was much easier as Andrew (our English speaking waiter) had stopped orders coming in from the other restaurant. Collectively, like a production line we knocked out 80 main courses all on hot plates. I mention this as food in Bulgaria is often served on cold plates. Like the pork situation, they looked at me as though I was mad when I said that I wanted the plates to be hot.

I wanted to present a classic English trifle but as we were short of dishes I opted to use the coffee cups that had been donated by Middlesbrough College and create a cappuccino cup with a difference. The base, sponge soaked with coffee liqueur was covered by a layer of coffee bavarois topped with a drizzle of coffee cream. To finish a disk of hot Pavlov was placed on top with a dusting of cocoa. I tried to explain that cup was a reversed cappuccino, hot on the top and cold on the bottom. It worked well.















Two photos of diners at the Mystique dinner

To help, and for them to see something different, 6 students from the Acen Zlatarov College helped as waitresses. They were immaculately dressed from the waist up in black shirts. Unfortunately they all wore jeans which detracted from the professional appearance. Next time I think we will get them to wear aprons. The standard of service was extremely efficient and attentive.

An auction of donated items including 2 bottles of vintage wine, a signed shirt and football boots from a Bulgarian U21 player and dinner, bed and breakfast for 2 at the Radisson Hotel in Sofia raised 600 BGN leva about £250. Not only did we receive a number of compliments we also put 2400 BGN lev into the bank!! Guests included the Bishop, the Governor, business people and members of Vidin Rotary Club. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Albena, the staff and owners of the Mystique Restaurant for allowing me to put on a successful dinner. Here’s to the next one!

It is official, Bulgaria has maintained its status as the European Union's poorest state, with five of the seven poorest regions in the country, Eurostat said. The report took into account regional gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2008. The 20 poorest regions in the EU were all in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and Hungary. Bulgaria's northwestern region (Vidin and Vratsa), with 28 per cent of the EU average GDP, was ranked bottom of the ranking. At the other end of the spectrum, it was no surprise that the leading regions in the union are Inner London (343 per cent of the average) and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (279 per cent). (Sofia Echo 24/02/2011)

Mandy’s sponsored run
I have highlighted Mandy’s Three Peaks Run in aid of Phoenix Inspire on a couple of occasions. Your support, if possible, would be appreciated. If you would like to contact Mandy her addresses are:
• Mandy Dixon, 77 Napier Crescent, Seamer, Scarborough, North Yorkshire. YO12 4HX.
• [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
I ask the question as positive developments have recently taken shape. We have been informed that the Mayor of Novo Selo has purchased from the bank the building which is to house the Chef and Restaurant School. What does this mean? It means that the Mayor of Novo Selo believes in what we are trying to do and is willing to make valuable funds available to enable us to achieve our aims. Furthermore, the plans drawn up for the Chef and Restaurant School are now back on the table. The Mayor will be submitting a project application for funds to redevelop the building in March. He expects to hear something, good or bad from the government in June/July.

So where does that leave the Bistro and support from Rotary? Valentin and I recently met with Ivan (President), Todor, Valery and one other member of Vidin Rotary. Todor had met with the Mayor the previous week and was informed about his plans. It was agreed that it would be foolish for Rotary to try and raise the necessary funds and help develop the Bistro whilst it was possible for the Mayor to be successful in his bid. With this in mind members of Vidin Rotary Club have confirmed the following;

a) If the Mayor’s bid is successful, Vidin Rotary Club will work to raise funds, liaise with other clubs and apply for a matching grant to purchase equipment needed to complete the development of the Chef and Restaurant School
b) If the Mayor’s bid is unsuccessful, Vidin Rotary will still work to raise funds, liaise with other clubs and apply for a matching grant to help establish the Bistro as currently planned.

Either way, at some point in the future, there will be a training centre here in this region.

Instead of sitting and waiting I have had an idea! To sit and wait another year would leave some youngsters leaving the Children’s Home without a chance of a career. Instead, I am now negotiating with the Director of the Acen Zlatarov College to set up a discrete group of catering students which will include youngsters from Children’s Home and from poor families. My first meeting with the Director of the College was encouraging but the road will not be easy. All I have to do now is convince the local school and the local authority to agree to create an alternative curriculum and alter the way post 16 education operates in Bulgaria. The new model will see the children attending the local school four days per week (instead of five) and the college one. If I am successful, a local coach company has already offered free travel passes for the children. The difficulty will be getting educationalists to think outside the box.

English language classes for the children of the Children’s Home
Who would ever have thought that I would be teaching English to Bulgarian children! Well it is true. Each Tuesday afternoon Christine and I voluntarily deliver English classes at the Children’s Home. At the moment we have 15 youngsters in class. Some of them have a little grasp of English but the majority do not. They are keen, enthusiastic and bright eyed. At the moment we are covering the alphabet and numbers before we go into simple phrases. So far, all is going really well.

A big thank you to our friends in France
David Potter and his students at the Hotel Management School is Périgueux have been quietly raising funds to help the youngsters of this region. This is one of those moments to get philosophical about the decisions and the actions that we take. David was a member of staff who worked in the Hotel School at City College Norwich. Unfortunately, or could it be fortunate, he left to work in France. He was an enthusiastic member of staff who leaders dream to have on their team. What amazes me is his belief in what we are trying to do here in Novo Selo and furthermore how David has encouraged his students to get on board and help a group of people, of a similar age, in a different country without the opportunities they have. This is extremely humbling;
as is all the help and best wishes that I receive from the many friends and supporters that I have in Grimsby, Rotherham, Doncaster, Norwich, Peterborough, Hitchin, London, Birmingham, Stoke, Scunthorpe, Reading, Scarborough, Manchester, Vidin, Sofia and even Canada and Pakistan. It would appear that despite my mistakes, I am conscious that it is not important which road we take, what is more important is the manner with which we travel along that road. Thank you for your confidence and trust in the dream.

[size=150:11gz0gyf]Well done!! Mick you are doing fantastic, fingers crossed this new idea is accepted and actioned sound like a good plan

If we, Dougie and I can help in any way, please let us know and we will see what we can do.

Once again, well done and keep up the good work.

Oddy

Hi, it is good to hear from you. Your update was once again full of developments. I wish you every success. Some weeks ago locals broke into the place where we are storing the equipment that has been donated and took a number of catering items and 4 bicycles that were being kept as prizes for children who had done well at school. There are times when your faith in what you are trying to do is tested to the limit.

As the training centre will not be operational for at least one year I am in the process of setting up a couple of projects to generate income for a few families in the region;
one is tourism and one is training. I will keep you posted as i progress.

take care
whalesmc