First topic message reminder :

Tomorrow we will visit our new project 'Glavinitza Teenage Disability Home' I am not looking forward to this visit as the living conditions are not in a good state but once we have looked around everywhere we will be able to judge what support we can offer.and I will need your help and support too please. Berni &
Dougie xx

Lovely to see all those happy faces even after a hard days unloading.

Here is a recent interview with Brtish Bulgarian Society Frank O'Reilly on our project Glavinitiza
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Just in case you cannot open I have copied the interview

British-Bulgarian

Society

Newsletter: April 2014


Editorial
It should be noted that none of the views expressed in or inferred from Newsletter content or editorial necessarily reflect the views of the Society


Berni Leggett’s disability project: interview

Frank O’Reilly


Preamble

Readers will be aware from a previous issue of the charitable work that B-BS member, Berni Leggett and her husband, Doug, have been undertaking among orphans in Silistra, Bulgaria. B-BS has given financial support to this charity. Now, Berni, whilst continuing to work for the orphans, has begun to publicize a new very worthwhile project that they are engaged upon – among the disabled youth. There is considerable information, regularly updated, on this project on Facebook, but this interview with Berni is meant to present a basic introduction to the main issues.[FOR]



Questionnaire

FOR: Hello Berni. I’m aware from your Facebook postings that you have taken on a ‘new project’, namely a disability centre. Where is this?

BL: The Teenage Disability Centre is in Glavinitza in Bulgaria. The idea is to provide this centre with the basic necessities, such as clothing, shoes, food and heating and secure a more comfortable home for them.

FOR: What’s the scale of it? How many people are being cared for? How many carers are there?

BL: Currently there are 60 youngsters, who suffer mainly from different forms of schizophrenia, boys and girls between the age of 18 and 26 years old. They do not receive any outside help that we are aware of as yet. This is also a Social Educational Vocational Centre. The youngsters study and acquire skills for around 5 professions at the Centre: cook, dressmaker, gardener, florist and carpenter. These youngsters who suffer from lighter forms of mental disability/illness usually learn how to sew, cook and be carpenters. The others learn how to do the gardening. Unfortunately they do not have the machinery, materials, tools or instruments to teach them but this is where we could all help by donating our unwanted items.

FOR: Well, your work at the Silistra Orphanage is ongoing and takes a lot of time and effort. Why did you take on this new project?

BL: We actually have 3 orphanages, a disability day centre and the home for the elderly ongoing in Silistra. When we found out about the teenage centre, we had to see how they were and, to be honest, you have to visit this centre for that answer. Once we saw them and how they lived, we knew we had to try to make their lives better. Anyone visiting would be heartbroken – conditions are way below par for fit and healthy people, let alone disabled persons. They seem to have been forgotten.

FOR: Did you have to liaise with the local government and administration quite a bit?

BL: Yes, indeed I spent months sending lots of emails to everyone asking for support and finally a meeting was arranged with the Deputy Governor of Silistra who agreed to look into the matter and see how we can help each other. We will know more after we all visit the centre in the spring [2014]. We are hoping a newer building will be sought. Whatever the outcome, we will all work toward getting this centre more help and support and ensure they have a better standard of living and quality of life.

FOR: What do you see as the main problems in your project area?

BL: They have nothing or very little in the line of necessities. They need

dried foods, oils, decent clothing, shoes, toiletries, beds, mattresses, linen, blankets, quilts, pillows, cushions, all living room and bedroom furniture, all kitchen items, fridges, freezers, washing machines etc. They are able to do things for themselves;
all they need are the tools, like sewing machines, materials, fabrics, wool, paints, wood, gardening tools, seeds, cooking instruments, computers, printers. They will be supervised on all projects and will have a sense of achievement knowing they did things for themselves.

FOR: How can friends and well-wishers be of help?

BL: We need all sorts of items, as I indicated, but our biggest problem is transport – we need sponsorship to send a lorry or two from the UK to Bulgaria. We could fill a lorry with the goods all our supporters and followers and our own community here in the UK donated, but we can only ever raise enough to send half a lorry and that takes us all year to raise those funds. If we had a sponsor we could do more. PC Howard Ltd Kingscliffe would continue to store our goods and even load the lorries for transporting. Naturally we will always need people to donate goods too. We have not forgotten the orphanages, as I am constantly trying to find a donated holiday within Bulgaria for 2 orphanages (60+ children and 8 or so carers.) Nothing forthcoming so far, but I will keep trying. If anyone can help us please do get in touch. Thank you.

FOR: Could you provide us with a link so that readers may look up your project.

BL: Certainly;
this is the website [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] you will find all sorts of information including the quarterly updated.

This is the page for the new project Glavinitza [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... Itemid=126

and this is our Facebook page [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

FOR: Thanks a lot, Berni. Good luck with your work in the disability centre!

BL: Thank you for your time and effort, Frank, and thanks to Annie Kay and various members of B-BS for supporting us whenever they can throughout the past few years. You have all been fantastic and we are truly grateful for your continual support.

We had a very good meeting with the Governor of Silistra today below is one of the reports and I have translated via Google translate

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The governor of Silistra awarded a diploma English family gathered nine tons donation to orphanages

Donation collected from Bernadette and Douglas Leggett UK / pictures / , to be divided between Easter and May Day in partnership with the district administration in Silistra. This was announced today at a meeting at the invitation of the governor Nasuf Nasuf and his deputy Faith Emilova a British family.
More than 9 tons generally heterogeneous donation delivered by London Special Home for Children Deprived of Parental Care "
Dimtcho Debelyanov "
Home for the medical care and the new small group homes in Silistra , as well as Social-Educational Center ( SUPTS ) in the town of Republic . We are currently looking for a solution to the problem of transport redistribution donation to various recipients. Sought and companies from Silistra to assist with large trucks donors and their partners from the district administration to carry out the transfer as quickly as possible and with fewer resources .
"
The donation is the result of pure charity work of our small organization "
Support to orphanages in Bulgaria "
, established in 2007 , this time benefactors are manufacturers from the UK, as well as supporters of Bulgaria "
, said today before zhurnilasti Mr. Mrs. Bernadette Douglas . She said that so far 20 are Dadd providers furnishing computer laboratories , covering inventory and linens , school supplies , food , etc. . In the package there are four sewing machines to support classes in occupational therapy SUPTS - Republic , which is the new address in the list of donors.
Some time ago Laget family visited the center and found that the conditions of life and management it is difficult and inefficient , resulting in them a desire for change and support for 70 residents with serious health abnormalities. Meanwhile is made and state inspection, which is expected to have prescriptions for improving the entire process - bit and educational , socio- educational institution unique in the whole area of Silistra. For SUPTS provided in Republic and garden tools needed to implement the improvement of the area around the hostel and school building.

"
Once again, in the last six years of the donation is for our home, Alumni Leggett family who are one of the greatest friends ,"
said Stiliyan Stoytchev, Director of Home for children deprived of parental care "
Dimtcho Debelyanov "
in Silistra. With the assistance of Bernadette and Douglas had already made ​​preparations for another charity "
Garden Party "
scheduled on September 6 , which included representatives of the British community in Bulgaria , as well as local businessmen and politicians. Two years ago, such a party were collected funds to purchase 20 double wooden beds that were installed last year in the bedrooms of children. According Stoytchev wonderful idea part of the donation to go to the new Center for family-type , because with each new social service and it needs initial support made ​​possible , blagodarenie donors from Belgium, Romania , Austria and even from distant Australia .
"
Regional Administration - Silistra join the organization in the implementation of the grant , providing a large warehouse to store it where it will become an additional distribution and will try to help with transport once the Easter holidays ,"
said the media district authorities after Nasuf Nasuf meeting with family Leggett .

He handed the initiators of the gift of gratitude , which says : "
You are proof that good people are always available to those in need of help. Your initiative and creative attitude to charity are an example for foreigners living in Bulgaria , and for us . I wish you many more years to stay true to its credo associated with good news at all that need attention, promote and partnership. "

"
We do not take money from this activity simply do in behalf of those who need it , do our work voluntarily for the sake of goodness ,"
said Bernadette Leggett concludes

Hi Guys i have updated on the orphanage facebook [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... up_comment
English family deliver donation in SUPTS Republic
04/23/2014

The first of its kind in the Republic SUPTS donation was delivered by Leggett family from the UK in collaboration with the Regional Administration - Silistra . Deputy Governor Faith Emilova involved in the campaign for the transmission of large amounts of furniture, equipment training rooms , bed linen, equipment and other food products. They are collected from donors from abroad and from Bulgaria ( "
Bon Marina"
- Varna , donate products, "
Stefanov "
Ltd. - Silistra, provide transportation from Silistra to Republic ) .
For its activities Bernadette and Douglas Leggett , longtime friends of the Home for Children Deprived of Parental Care "
Dimtcho Debelyanov"
- Silistra, told a few days ago during an official meeting at the invitation of the governor Nasuf Nasuf held in OA . Another part of the donation is intended for the orphanage director with Stiliyan Stoytchev and Center for medical care with Director Dr. Tanya Stoykova - both in Silistra , and for the orphanage in the village of Malak Preslavets .
The facility in the area - Republic are three activities - Sheltered housing, Center for temporary accommodation and their social center in which people of different ages with mental disorders. Over 50 are residents in the three social institutions . One month should become retrofitting in need of updating rooms, thanks to the donation. You will then be visited donors and representatives of the District Administration , to see the result achieved by the attention of donors.

Calling all our friends, builders, laborours and shops and companies in the Silistra and surrounding areas for help with our project ' The Teenage Disability Centre in Glainitiza' We need all kineds of materials etc, If you can help us in any way please please can you get in touch. Please help us to help them have a litte comfort in life

Thanks Keri Bullock but ***NO MONEY**** this time we just need materials and yes we could get a handyman, builders and labours etc to assist with the work . But we NEED DONATED MATERIALS that would be brilliant.. So I am appealing to all our friends, builders, labors, stores, anyone who can help us to give this children a proper comfortable place to ilive, proper shower and toilet facilities, would be a great start, the rest we can do in stages. If you are in a position to help us please please do get in touch. .Thanks a mllion Berni &
Dougie

see photos on previous posts

Hi guys

Here is the circular I have done at the Glavinitia Mayor's request so he can circulate to firms etc to see if we can get help. I sent it to him over a week ago now but not heard anything - so getting a little impatiant. I hope he can open it, Ist there any way of opening it without hving to download it, if so can anyone help please.

We have been donated 105 lts of paint, 4 tins of gloss 5 rollers and 24 chrchet blankets so far for the project, We need so much more if you know of any company, individual that can help with donations or even a hotel that may be closing please can you let me know. Thanks a million

Thank you so much for your support.

We visitied the Teenage Disability Centre on Wednesday with some paint and rollers and also some wonderful garden produce and a massive bucket of cheese and the pots of jams etc: All these wonderful items were donated by our friends in Bukgarka Village once they realised we were visiting the the teenagers they started to bring us the items. How wonderful are they!1. WELL DONE EVERYONE!! Your all did great!! this is what community spirit is all about!!

Secondly I am overwhelmed at the support the Glavinitiza Municipality and the Mayor has given them,. They have donated funds to renovate 8 rooms at the centre and as you can imagin this is just fantastic a great start for the teenagers. The funds have bought materials to renovate the rooms and in addition to that, some beds and 2 washing machiines, This is just amazing WELL DONE to the Mayor and Glavinitza Municipality we are so very pleased you have come on board with us. Next we will be doing an appeal for materials to renovate the rest of the rooms. Therefore, if anyone can help with any kind of materials we woud be very very please indeed. Richard Jepson our friend came forward to say he is looking into trying to sort out the computers for them but we don't know yet how this will turn out, He will keep us updated.

Update on Glavinitiza

Well we have helped a great deal and send them furnishings, clothing, toiletries, toys, games, electrical items, sonsors has donated paints, blankets curtains funiture, fridges and so on. The municipality has donated funds to renovated the buildings some at a time an looks like the they will continue So weel done everyone!! - Basically I think we have done what we set out to do and that was to get the help and wake up the Municipality to the needs of the teenage Disability Centre an awareness. Their home looks really good now and hopefully the Mayor will continue to keep helping. Now it is tie for us to focus on places here in Silistra.

before
after

before

after

before
after



See more photos on page of of this post .

Looks great. Well done Berni. If you'd posted them as 'before and after' photos the difference would be astonishing

Chris wrote:

Looks great. Well done Berni. If you'd posted them as 'before and after' photos the difference would be astonishing

Thank you Chris a great idea - I hve edited the pos to before nd after where I can but takes ages on the dongle - there are some more photos on first oage of this post. Boy what a difference .... thanks to the Municiplity for the funding and well done to the teenagers and especially thanks to our donors here in BG for paint materials and blankets an to our UK Christine Griffin in BG donors for al lthe wonderful blankets, materils furniture etc etc We all did a great job...

Well guys we have more or less done with Glavinitiza now. They have eerything they askedd for computers, 66 sets of quits and all the bed linen to go with them including towels, table cloths, tea towels and today we had delivered tweny five new beds with mattraces from our sponsors the Stamford Methodist Church in the UK. We just need to get them 20 tables and 80 chairs now then that is it, we and them back to the Municipality and sit back and watch what happens hopefully, they will grow stronger and stronger as now there are teacers, doctors, nurses, phycitrists and social workers visiting daily and the children seem a lot happier. Photos are on the facebook page below sorry cannot load on here takes too long.

Twenty five new beds and mattrases deliered to Glavinitiza Teenage Disability Centre Supc Penyo Penev a donation from our sponsors in the UK The Stamford Methodist Church and all it's members Thank you so much they are just fantastic.. Pictures on facebook.

We will purchase 20 dining tables and 80 chairs from the Stamford Methodist Church later in the month. Then that will be the last of our support. There Municipality now needs to kick in again.

Well done to you both once again, and yes I think sometimes the authorities can get a bit laid back when someone else is doing it for them. Good call Bernie

Andy wrote:

Well done to you both once again, and yes I think sometimes the authorities can get a bit laid back when someone else is doing it for them. Good call Bernie

Andy

Yes a big congrats Bernie and agree with Andy sometimes you have to let go