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 A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria

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Charliechech
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PostSubject: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeSun Mar 14, 2010 9:47 am

First topic message reminder :

Hi everyone

I have started an orphanage appeal to aid the homes in the Plovdiv region. I wanted to start it sometime ago, but I have only been able to a short time ago. Reading about everyone else who has started orphanage appeals in their own areas in Bulgaria has been really inspiring.

It all started after chatting with my mum about some clothes her friends daughter had passed on for Gabbi, but they were too small for her. My mum said she would take them to the local charity shop and I happened to mention how it was a shame we couldn’t give them to an orphanage. Well that was it, she thought it was a great idea and it has took off from there.

I started a Facebook group and within 2 days, had 15 bags of clothes and toys donated! I then created a website which is now up and running.

[url=http:
//abrightstartfororphansbg.
webs.
com:2o86m264][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

We visited the local orphanage in Kalofer. A local Peace Corp volunteer, Jo, introduced us to the Director and staff, the meeting was a little sticky at first but they were just concerned about what our intentions were towards the home and children. They gave us a tour of the home, told what they needed most and I hope we hope to provide much of it after our next donations come over in April or May. By the end of the visit the Director and staff were really happy that we wanted to help them.

Yesterday, me and my friend Pauli went to the Baby orphanage in Plovdiv. I have just written about our visit and you can read about it below.

We are initially collecting unwanted clothing, shoes and household items which can be used in the homes and in the future will look at doing some fundraising and we are looking into the process of becoming a registered charity.

We were very kindly offered some space on a van coming to Bulgaria, so we could transport our first load of donations. I really can’t thank Dave Sharp enough for doing this for us, he’s a star!

The appeal is still in the very early stages, but the response I have had from friends, family and people I have never met has been incredible. Over the next year I hope to arrange fund raising days here in Bulgaria and also in the UK.

If anyone would like to donate to our appeal or has ideas about fundraising in our area, please contact me.

Thanks everyone

Charlie
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meandmine
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeMon Jan 03, 2011 8:01 pm

Good news Charlie you seem to be wining and thats whats important but more importantly these children will know that they are cared for even if by people they don't know which I believe will go a long way A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 3367882216
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeWed Jan 05, 2011 8:15 pm

What a fantastic job you've done and a good start for the next round, I have to say that Berni and you and the others are doing so much great work I thing you should all get a knighthood from the queen, well done to you Charlie and all your helpers A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 2706089290
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeThu Jan 06, 2011 6:25 am

Thanks everyone.

I appreciate all your thanks, but really, the thanks has to go to all the people who have contributed in some way, either their time or donations, I couldn't do anything without them. Malcolm, a gentleman who has a hosue near VT, collected loads of donations from his part of the UK and drove it all down to my mums!!! Fabulous guy. And even his daughter joined in from the other end of the country!!! Amazing people, never met them but hopefully I will this year :)

Planning a trip back to the UK in Spring so we are going to try and organise a couple of bag packing days, making the most of my time in the UK, spreading the word, etc :)

Bernie/Oddy, yes, let's hope 2011 is even better!!!! Keep up your hard work, it is hard work, but oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh sych fabulous work at the same time!!!!! You've had such a successful 2010, well doe to you, to Chris and friends at Priateli, Amy "
Little Steps"
and to everyone else. You are doing such great work, well done s s s s s s
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeThu Jan 06, 2011 11:15 am

Nothing much I can add except well done to all that have helped A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 739492727
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeTue Mar 22, 2011 8:36 pm

Well, me and Chech have finally delivered the donations to the baby orphanage in Sliven ….. and what a wonderful visit it was!!

To jump slightly towards the end of our visit, when we had the meeting with Director, she did mention about the bad press that many homes in Bulgaria have had and hoped that we were not there to do the same. Well, as we all know, bad press sells newspapers, magazines and headlines……… well, let me tell you, I have only GOOD news!!!!!!

Our donations were collected the night before our visit by Allied Bg and we met up with the truck the next morning just outside Sliven. It took a few stops to get to the home, but eventually, we arrived. The Director was in a meeting and would meet up with us later.

We were greeted by a very jolly lady and a couple more ladies joined us shortly after, along with a man who worked there. We started the unload, happy little comments coming from the ladies, they weren’t expecting so much!!! All the items were then taken into the home for sorting. We were shown to the Doctors office to wait for the Director. We went via the kitchen and it was so clean and tidy and the food smelt delicious!!

We chatted with the very friendly doctor who told us a little about the home. There are 65 babies there at present, but they have room for 75. Around 25 are from newborn up to 1 year and the rest are between the ages of 1 and 3 years. After the age of 3, the children are moved to other homes. The majority have disabilities. Some of the babies and toddlers with only slight disabilities are on the adoption list. A couple of the disabilities are Cerebral palsy and Spina bifida, plus others. I asked if any charity supported their home, but she said the help and donations come from the Government and local people only, so it is so wonderful that we are able to help and support them.

The Director, Dr Hristova, arrived from her meeting and we were shown to her office. Chech had said what a lovely lady she was on the phone and she was just the same in person. She reiterated what the doctor had told us and we then talked about what they needed within the home.

Baby toiletries including:
Pampers/nappies – 5 – 15 kgs. If you base it on an average of 5 nappies per day per baby, you are looking at 325 nappies per day, 2,275 nappies per week!!!!!!!!!!
Wipes
Cotton wool
Tissues

Dummies/pacifiers

Bedding * - see below

Curtains ** - see below

Bibs, material only – none with the plastic backs. This is due to the high temperature at which everything is sterilized.

Shoes and booties – preferably new, but like new are ok too.

* Bedding – they explained that they have bedding made especially for the home. Both the mattress and the duvet/blanket, are put in covers, like a duvet cover, which can then be tied and can not be pulled out when the babies move around. They have exactly the same system in the hospital which I have seen. The cost per bed is approx. 30 leva to have the sets made.

** Curtains – at the moment, they either have curtains that are too small, not that good a condition or net/lace curtains. These are not suitable and they desperately need replacing. Each room has different sized windows and with so many windows, we couldn’t get measurements of all, but to give you an idea:
There are 5 main rooms, each have a height of 2.60m and the length is 18 m. Each room has quite large windows, about 3 in each. Upstairs is where the younger babies are kept. Their rooms are not as long in length, but height is the same and they have 2 large windows, approx 2 m high and 3 – 3.5 m wide.

Other items that are needed are equipment specifically for babies and young children with disabilities. So this is a mission for us all!! I will be contacting companies who specialize in making this equipment and also contacting centres/hospitals, etc to see if they can donate any items which they no longer need. Soft play equipment would be perfect too.

The Director then told us about a new law that was brought in recently, which states that these homes are no longer allowed to accept second hand clothes. This is for hygiene reasons. She did say that they could take clothing that were almost new, but she said we could still continue to help her in another area if people wished to donate second hand clothes. The Director, herself a doctor, has rounds in villages within the Sliven region and there are many poor families who have nothing. So she donates to these families, any item which they can not use in the home. What the Director is doing is a very good thing, there are many people in Bulgaria that need help.

So we will still accept all baby clothing, but we want you to be aware that it may not all go to the orphanage, but will definitely be going to needy homes.

I was then asked if I would like to see one of the rooms, so I could get a better idea of the sizes of beds, windows etc, I said YES!!!! The jolly lady asked me to follow her upstairs. I was nervous. When me and Pauli visited the Plovdiv home, as mothers of young children, we knew it was going to be hard. But it wasn’t, but also thankful that we could only look from the corridor, through the windows, if we cuddled them, I don't think we would have let them go! The reason for no contact is because many of the babies have medical problems.

So imagine my surprise when the jolly nurse invited me into the room!!!!! I was excited, I was scared, I was shocked!!! There were 4 babies in the room and a staff member for each! Fabulous!! The room was lovely and warm, clean, they had a couple of activity mats and a walker. First I was introduced to Alexi, a beautiful little girl and next to her was Iliya. There was one baby in an activity chair and another just about to go to sleep in her cot. At this point, I wanted to scoop them all up and take them home!!!! Three of the babies were 3 almost 4 months and little sleepy head, so tiny with a mop of black hair, was only 2 months. It was explained to me that Alexi had no disabilities. Iliya had a cleft palette and that she has had 2 previous operations. Ohhhhhh, what gorgeous striking blue eyes!!! I melted in her eyes!! And giggle, such a happy little girl, I am in love! The staff were fabulous, you could see the genuine love and affection that they had for the babies.

As my Bulgarian is so bad, I wasn’t 100% sure what our jolly nurse was saying, but I did pick up that she felt like their mother, there were a lot of emotions and love and of course, at that point, the lump arrived in my throat!!! I had managed to keep it in check up until that point! I admit, I did not even touch a baby’s hand, nor stroke their little heads or tickle their bellies, I really wasn’t brave enough, because if I had, I would still be there now and unable to leave them!!!!Maybe next trip!! I thanked the staff so much and went back to meet Chech and the Director. This is when Chech told me how Dr Hristova hoped that we were only there to help them and not start writing bad things about them, you can tell that all the bad press has really affected them. It was the same when we first went to Kalofer orphanage, but after many visits, we are now greeted like family and they know we are wanting to help. Rest assured Dr Hristova, we are here to help in anyway we can.

So our visit had come to an end. What can I say about the home? Excellent! Well run, friendly and hard working staff, clean, helpful, wonderful. When I walked in the home, I got a really good vibe, it felt cosy and well cared for, the Director and staff really have done and are continuing to do a good job. It was a pleasure to meet everyone, to see their home and of course, to meet some of the babies. I really can’t wait to visit again!!!

I want to give a huge thank you to Stefan from Matrix Relocation and Anita from Allied Bg who very kindly took our donations to the home. I thank you so much for your continued support of our appeal.
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeTue Mar 22, 2011 9:05 pm

My word you have been busy I don't know where all you ladies find the energy, well do to you and those who are helping bring some happiness to all these children I only wish I could do more to help in some way. Good luck with your future plans.
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeTue Mar 22, 2011 9:14 pm

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Charlie, once again you did Fantastic!! Well done :Hearts:You are an amazing guardian A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 1763269238 Keep up the good work g

Berni xx
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeThu Jun 23, 2011 9:19 am

May 2011

Well, the fund raiser that my very good friend, Andrea Pilcher held, was a great night and a huge success!!! It was a fantastic turn out. The event was being held in memory of Andrea's husband, Nigel Pilcher, to raise money for our orphanage appeal and the wonderful charity, Help for Heroes. The venue was decorated so beautifully, the food was delicious and the company was the best! It was a very good excuse to meet up with some friends who I'd not seen for years!!!

Entertainment was provided by a popular group from the Bootle area, Shamona, a band formed by high school students and they were AMAZING! Before they performed their set, they were joined on stage by the talented Billiejo Fairclough, an amazing singer and performer.

A raffle and auction was also held, so many wonderful people, companies and businesses donated raffle prizes to the event, an incredible 40+ prizes were up for grabs!!

The final amount raised for our appeal has yet to come in, but I will post how much very soon.

Thank you to Andrea and her friends for organizing such a wonderful event, raising money for our appeal and being our supporters. I've known Andrea for many years, she's one of the most warm, generous, strong, wonderful (oh I could go on!!) women I know. I am blessed and so lucky yo have you as a friend :) Lots of love Andrea and thank you again xxx



June 2011

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Maggie Sawaya who sent over 2 boxes of donations all the way from the USA. In the boxes were so many great items for Sliven baby orphanage, including bibs, blankets, socks, hats,dummies/soothers, jigsaws, cuddly toys, games, such a wonderful collection for the babies and toddlers.

Thank you so much Maggie, you are a star!! :)
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeTue Oct 18, 2011 4:00 pm

Well, it's not exactly been the most successful year for our appeal, but it's certainly going to end on a high!!!!

I was unable to find any storage in the Manchester region, so we've been unable to collect donations. It is a big shame, but there's always next year :) We will ahve some donations as a few people have had the room to keep the items until the transport is collecting, so we wont be totally empty handed.

But, successes have been:
My very good friend holding a fund raiser in May, she's still receiving money from the fund raiser so I hoping to have a grand total very soon. With this money, we are going to renovate as many of the bedrooms as we can.
Our Christmas shoe box campaign is really taking off now! :A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 1931734156: and family have been roping in donors and every day, we get another box added, so hopefully, the children are going to have a fabulous Christmas! Some boxes are even coming from as far away as the USA!!!
Spreading the word about the plight of children in homes within Bulgaria has really taken off. People contact me from all over the world wanting to help.

For a while now, I've been in contact with a lady whose family adopted a little boy from Bulgaria. She wants to share his story and I will post a link to this story once the family have approved the final draft (written by the family).

Thanks everyone

Charlie
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeTue Oct 18, 2011 4:04 pm

Glad to hear everything is working out ok and that not all has been lost and as you say there is always next year. A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 570106603
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeTue Oct 18, 2011 4:14 pm

No, it will all end positively this year .... I hope!!

It was very frustrating not finding storage as I had so many people wanting to donate!! Well, I am sure the charities in the UK made good use of them :) So not all lost :)
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeThu Jan 12, 2012 12:11 pm

Well, what an incredible end to 2011 we had!! Thanks to all the wonderful people who helped by sending donations and Christmas presents for the children and Kalofer and Sliven homes.

So Christmas may have come a little late to Kalofer children’s home, but was very welcomed!

We had a convoy again, me, Chech, our friend Sasho and my friends Sam and Richard, we all made our way to Kalofer to hand out all the fabulous donations and Christmas presents that had come from so many people in the UK.

And as usual, we were greeted by the many willing helpers at the home, little hands reaching to carry whatever they could into the home. It was a little disorganized at first as everything was put in a narrow corridor, not ideal! So after a short photo shoot, the children, Sasho, Sam and Richard took all the boxes upstairs whilst me and Chech had a quick meeting with Ludmila, the Director of the home. Unfortunately, she had a Municipality meeting to go to, so she wouldn’t be there to see the children receive their gifts.

I only had a few question for her this time. We asked about starting a tap class as we had some tap shoes donated by a school in southern England. I even brought a pair to show her and the children, as tap dancing is not that common in Bulgaria. She said she would ask the children and we will take it from there. We told her we would like to see one of the bedrooms, so we had a better idea of what was involved when we started renovating the bedrooms with money raised by my very good friend Andrea Pilcher*. Finally we asked what was top of their want list at the moment. Without hesitation, she said furniture! This we would see in the bedroom we visited next.
*Andrea held a fund raiser in the UK in May 2011. With the help of her friends and family, they raised money for both our cause and the amazing Help for Heroes charity.*

As we walked upstairs, Ludmila told us that they had no heating in the home. Chech asked why. Her reply was quite shocking. Because funding has been cut again, they couldn’t afford to run the heating system! Middle of winter, -3 outside during the day and no heating!!!! Shocking! So we go into the bedroom, the room is about 24 m2. The window and door to the balcony is one unit, however, the curtains that have been donated by the Rochdale company, will work for the bedroom windows which is wonderful. Then the floor. We wanted to see whether carpet tiles would work, as they would add warmth to the room and make it more cosey. But, it’s a concrete floor, quite uneven, it just isn’t practical to start cementing and then laying the flooring, so we will go for laminate when the time comes. Then we see the wardrobe, falling to bits, doors hanging of the hinges and only one for 3 children. The beds are metal. The flooring is ripped linoleum, oh we could do so much for these children …… and we will!!! So, there are 3 beds, 1 double wardrobe and that’s it.

Ludmila shows us the bathroom, we have seen them before! Leaks, dripping taps, water on the floor, not the nicest of smells either. And all the bathrooms are the same. The bathrooms are huge undertaking, but we will look into improving these once the bedrooms have been done. So it is one bedroom and bathroom for 3 children.

So we make our way to the study room where the children are waiting for us, can’t let them wait any longer. What a buzz. The children were going through the toy box donations, this was fine, it was keeping them away from the presents!!!! There were a couple of new faces, but most were the children I had met before. I they were shocked when I knew their names!!

So away we went.

Richard was on photography duty, thanks Richard  And we start handing out the presents. They are all sat nicely, staring at us, chewing nails and fingers, bless them! We find out early on that some of the children are ill and a couple in Karlovo at the hospital. Their boxes were put on one side so they can be given to them on their return. We handed out the presents one by one. I had arranged the presents randomly, so that one child wasn’t getting all their gifts at the same time. It worked out fairly well, except 2 children had none at one point and another had 3! Then I noticed one girl sat on a chair on her own, not seen her before. I mentioned this to Chech and we said we would ask shortly. Lots of excited laughs, huge grins, buzzing atmosphere! The girl looked a little upset. Then one of the staff told us that the young girl was new!!!! Arrrrrgggghhhhh, a new girl, we weren’t told!!!! Quickly looked at the list and as one girl had recently left the home, she was the same age, the new girl could have these presents. Phew!!! That was a close one!(We did ask if there were any new children and we were told no). I would have been devastated if we had nothing to give her! By this time, we had a pile of presents for the children who were ill and had to go through them all to find the ones for the new girl. At this point, Richard very kindly said he would tell this young she had a present coming very soon. She looked a little more relaxed at the prospect of receiving a present.

And we were done. Now I have to say, the children were very excitable, queuing up closer and closer to us waiting for their presents, but not one child opened a present until all had been given out. Wow. Amazing! So we quickly searched for the presents for the young girl. She still looked upset, watching all the children looking through their presents (ALL had been opened in a few seconds flat!!!!). We found them, I piled them on top of one another so I could carry them over to her.

Now this moment will stay with me forever, with all of us who saw it. This young girls face, it just changed! She thought she had one present coming, not 5!!!!! She smiled a nervous smile, then her face went blank, then she put her head in her hands, then she looked at a staff member, then she looked at the presents, she looked at all of us, she shook her head. This young girl looked like she’d won the lottery, so over whelmed, shocked, happy, grateful, every emotion possible. And right there and then, in that moment, her reaction summed up why we do this. I got chocked up, Sam was chocked up, I really had to hold back the tears, I have a lump in my throat now! I wanted to take her in my arms and give her the biggest hug. I wish you could all have been there to see and witness for yourselves what you have all done for the children at this home. That moment will stay with me forever!!

Then the buzz of the room started to surround us. Sam went round handing out an orange to each of the children and a chocolate treat. Chech and Sasho helping the children blow up balloons, whilst one cheeky lad popped them to give us all a shock! Another couple of lads discovered the fun of a whoopee cushion!!! Must admit, it was funny!!! The smiles on their faces, the laughs, the excitement, truly an amazing experience, every time. I was going round, looking at what the children had received, explaining to one girl shower gel and body lotion. Big smile, she told me she understood (phew, my Bulgarian must be getting better!!). Explained to another girl how to wear a beret. Another girl had a new best friend in a cuddly dog, so many wonderful gifts for these amazing children. Then some of the girls started singing and I managed to film one of the songs they performed.

So now it was time to leave. The end of another successful and wonderful trip to Kalofer. I turned and shouted “CIAO”, hoping that my voice could be heard above the laughing. A girl heard me, she is one of 3 sister and brother at the home, her face dropped and she shouted in English “NOOOOOOOO”. I went over and gave her a hug. How I wish I could take them home!

So here we are, at the start of another year. What can we do for the children this year??? I can tell you that from spring, we plan on starting to renovate the bedrooms. We do not have enough money to do them all, but I am hoping, that over time, we can renovate them all. We will start with one. Fill in the holes in the wall and paint, get new flooring down and finally rip up that awful linoleum flooring! Get new furniture, get the donated curtains hung and get some pictures on the wall. A couple of big cushions for the floor would be great too. We will see how far we can stretch the money. We have a few volunteers to help as well 

What can you do????? Well, need donations for the bedrooms, but we already have curtains  Do you know a company that manufactures household items? Furniture, pictures, furnishings, etc. Do you know someone who works a retail shop that covers these items? I do know that a lot of the larger and more popular companies can’t help, as they already support many UK charities and causes and do many great things for them. I also know that Next, Primark and Tesco, 2 name 3, have helped other charities in Bulgaria, but this is not done by a Head Office, it is more to do with a local branch that can offer some sort of assistance. Do you know someone who works in a similar store? Ex-display items, items that are faulty/returned and not sellable. We can take these items!

How else can you help?? Please spread the news about our appeal, this will help a lot. Join our Facebook group so you can receive updates, there is also a members section on our website. And we will run the Christmas shoe box appeal again later this year and we already have offers from people who missed the appeal last Christmas.


So my thank you list, and I apologise if I have left anyone off (please PLEASE let me know)!

Euro – UK Moves Group, transport company in London who helped our appeal again by arranging transport and storage for our donations. And, they also donated items themselves, including clothes and a table with 4 chairs which is perfect for Sliven. Thank you to Vittorio Gismondi and his staff.

Matrix Relocations and Allied BG transport companies in Sofia, who, for the second time, brought all our donations over from London to Bulgaria. Such an incredible thing to do, I can’t thank you enough for your generosity and help. Thank you Stefan, Kalin and staff.

Maggie Sawaya sent over 2 boxes last year, donations for Sliven home, toys, blankets, pacifiers, books, jigsaws, such a fabulous variety of items. Thank you Maggie.

Shireen Lloyd made 2 sets of curtains for Sliven baby home. Quite a task as the windows are so big at the home. They are fabulous, thank you Shireen.

Thank you mum and my sister Angie for taking in donations from various people. Thank you xxxxxx

Helen Sawford for so many great donations. Thank you Helen.

Thank you to my dad who organized the loading and transport of all the donations. Also to him and my Uncle David who collected donations from various locations around Oldham and Ashton. Thank you xx Also a big thank you to my step mum Sue Bradford. xx

A huge thank you to my cousin Jane Winterbottom who donated a variety of new scarves, hats, gloves and coats for the children at Kalofer. Thank you cous xxxxx

To my lovely friend Claire Jones and her work mates from Howes Percival who donated many baby items plus Christmas presents for both Kalofer and Sliven homes. Thank you girls xxx

Thank you to my friend Alison Wright and the company she works for, ….., who collected donations and stored them for us. Thank you xx

A big thank you to Phil “Blip” McGarty who roped his friend into helping. Simon has a curtain company in Rochdale (I am awaiting the name of the company!) and he has donated 15 sets of curtains for Kalofer. Thank you thank you, these are going to be perfect for when we start renovating the bedrooms at the home.

To my wonderful friends, Andrea Pilcher and all her friends in Bootle, who donated Christmas presents for Kalofer. Thank you ladies xx

To Roy, a friend of Suzi and Dave’s, donated so many different items for the children at Kalofer, thank you Roy.

So many people donated to our Christmas shoe box appeal and we already have offers for 2012 already!!! Fabulous. My incredibly grateful thank you’s go to:
Nicola Smith and friends
Tina O’Hare
Hayley Hilton, her mum and her sister Natalie
Yolla Franklin and friends
Debbie Martin and friends
Sara O’Connor
Janice Pearson
Emma Wolstenholme
Janet and Evan Barnes
Janine Naggs
Laura Vose
Freya Lund and friend
Hayley Jenkins
Rachael Wilcox Nanyn
Gemma Broadbent


Monetary donations have come from Annie Bruno, Suzi &
Dave, Karen Shelley and Juha Luostarinen.

We also have ongoing money being raised in the USA, to raise money to buy new bedding for Sliven baby home.

I can not thank you all enough for everything you have done for the children at these two homes. They are such deserving children and also the staff who work tirelessly to make a home for the them. You all really have made a difference to their lives and I am truly grateful for all your help and support.

Thank you

Charlie
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oldun
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeThu Jan 12, 2012 1:43 pm

A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 3356871870 :Hearts:Wow what a wonderfully uplifting story to start the New Year. Very well done.
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeFri Jan 13, 2012 11:40 am

Well done Charlie lovely blog of the vents and your plans good luck for this year to. A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 1430720830
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PostSubject: Re: A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria   A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 Icon_minitimeFri Jan 13, 2012 4:10 pm

s s
Well done my lovely you are doing fantastic!!!! Keep up the good work g

Now if you are doing shoeboxes this year, I might be able to help you with items this year (little stocking fillers items) I will try to fill two huge 3ft boxes and send them with our load in Sept for you. We have friends from Sliven who comes every year to our Garden Party and assuming they will be coming this year, I will ask them nicely if they would take the boxes back to Sliven for you. I am sorry I cannot do actual shoeboxes for you as I have too many to do myself and have now taken on two more orphanages, but don't tell Dougie that A Bright Start for orphans in Bulgaria - Page 6 2345823347 I will give you enough items for about 150+ boxes. Let me know if this is of interest to you.

Well done once again to you and all your supporters.

Berni H

Oddy g
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