High FIVE!

In FIVE weeks’ time I will be retiring from my employment as Funding Development Manager for Children in Distress. Today I was given the sad news that CID is in crisis; not quite the note on which I wished to retire L

Children in Distress is in its twenty fifth year (FIVE x FIVE) and, in that time, has given support to thousands, yes literally thousands, of children in Romania and the Balkans – the forgotten children of Eastern Europe.  During the time that I have supported Children in Distress (the last eight years as a paid employee) I have grown to love the children in our care, grown to love the country, the people I have met and who I now count many as my friends.  After retirement I will continue to support this wonderful small charity until my dying day; I have seen at firsthand what a difference FIVE pounds or FIVE RON (Romanian lei) can make to a child who literally has nothing.

Now I know that as you are reading this (thank you for reading!) you will probably be thinking “Oh here we go again; someone else wanting my money”.  I have no shame where these kids are involved – yes I AM asking you for money, BUT I am asking for FIVE pounds that’s all (of course you can give more if you wish to!! J ) and humbly ask that for the next FIVE weeks that I have left as an employee you give as many FIVE pounds/euros/dollars/RON as you can, to enable CID to be able to continue to help these lovely children who so desperately need someone to show that they care what happens to them.  If you are able to donate, on a monthly basis, FIVE pounds that would be simply wonderful.  FIVE pounds to most of us is not a huge amount of money; a jar of coffee, a takeaway, tea and a cream cake, a couple of balls of knitting wool, packet of toilet rolls etc. But FIVE pounds to CID can mean so much more; giving FIVE children their only hot meal of the day, a flu or MMR inoculation for a child at risk, two school books; the list is endless.  Could you forego a takeaway meal and feed FIVE children instead?                    

Without your immediate help, CID is in real danger of having to close down some or all of its projects and it is for this reason that I am appealing to you now from the bottom of my heart; we simply cannot let this happen, not for the sake of a FIVE pound note! If you are able to help, please go to our website www.childrenindistress.org and press the ‘Donate’ button NOW! Thank you J

In return I will give you a ‘High FIVE’.  The definition of a High FIVE is a follows:

High FIVE

‘Symbol of celebration when something good is said/done. The causes for the call of "HIGH FIVE" can vary from anything as small as finding something cool on the floor to something as big as saving the world from almost certain destruction’

 

 

 

Jane x

Treasure your Mum

If, like me, you are fortunate enough to have your Mum in your life you are indeed a lucky, lucky child.

My Mum is almost 97 years young and has been an inspiration to me all of my life.  She is a strong, fiercely independent woman. A woman who went through WWII with her husband in the army who enlisted on Valentine’s Day and was injured on Christmas Eve 1942 making it necessary for her to travel to Oxford from our small market town on the edge of the North York Moors.  This journey would be difficult enough these days on Christmas Eve…………………………can you begin to imagine what it was like in wartime over 70 years ago?  Only a strong person could make that journey.

She brought my two brothers and I up to know the difference between right and wrong, to care for others less fortunate than ourselves and most of all to TRY; try with our school work, to try with everything we undertook.  If we tried, it wasn’t important if we then failed at least we had tried.

Most things in our house were handmade.  Mum made the clothes we wore, the rugs under our feet, the lampshades above us, the curtains covering the windows; if it was possible to be handmade then it was.  The love she felt for her family was there for all to see.

Many of the children in the care of Children in Distress have been abandoned by their Mothers. BUT in many cases it wasn’t because their Mothers didn’t love them, it was because their Mothers DID love them that they abandoned them.  The medication costs for a disabled or poorly child in Romania are beyond the reach of many families so rather than let that child remain untreated and ultimately die, their Mothers abandoned them into our care so they could receive the treatment they needed.

If your Mum is in heaven and you are unable to send her flowers on this Mothering Sunday, perhaps you would consider making a donation to Children in Distress in honour of your Mum and therefore give hope to other Mums who have entrusted us with the care of their children.  Please go to our website www.childrenindistress.org and press the donate button in honour of your Mum.  Thank you!

Treasure your Mum; she will love you like no other person.

Why Volunteer?

Why indeed?!  Do you want to feel good about yourself? Do something for someone less fortunate? Don’t have much money to donate but you do have some spare time?

Whatever the reason, WE NEED YOU!

1.    Do you live near one of our shops? Kirkbymoorside, Guisborough or Shildon?  Do you have at least one hour per week to spare?  Our shop managers would love to hear from you!  There is always something to do in one of our busy shops – sorting donations, ironing, dusting the shelves, keeping the floor clean, manning the till and much more.  You would get to meet some of our lovely customers, have a bit of chat and even help them to choose an item.

2.    Are you a nurse, teacher, social worker or similar? Perhaps you would like to use your skills in Romania at one of our hospices or other projects? Contact our Head Office in Glasgow for details of opportunities.

3.    Do you like organising events?  We are always looking for supporters to hold events to raise much needed funds. Coffee morning, stall at a car boot sale, craft event, tombola, car wash, wine & cheese evening, sponsored walk/run – the possibilities are endless!

4.    Are you a ‘crafty’ person? Perhaps you like knitting, crochet or sewing? Thanks to our Handcrafters’ Guild members and other supporters, we now send in excess of 20,000 items of clothing, blankets and knitted toys to Romania for the children we support. Items are also made for sale in the UK to raise funds.  If you would like to volunteer your skills in this way, contact me at janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk to have a chat.

5.    If you work in an office, factory or similar environment where there are a number of workers, why not start a collection of used postage stamps (£10 a kilo for unsorted stamps!), old postcards, ink cartridges or mobile phones? All of these items will earn money for CID and won’t cost you anything, only your time in collecting them.

These are just a few ideas on how you can volunteer to help us raise funds to care for the children we support.  I’m sure you can come up with even more J

Please don’t leave the  volunteering to someone else………………they might be leaving it up to you.

 

 

 

Jane x

Off with the Old and on with the New

Well it’s that time again, the end of one year and the start of another. Just where does the time go??!!

What did you do this last year? And what do you plan to do different in 2015? We always start the New Year with such gusto and nine times out of ten our new found plans go awry within the first week of the year!

Me? Well this last year I worked really hard trying to raise the profile of CID, raise more funds etc, so hard that I nearly lost my way. So in 2015 I plan to not work harder but to work smarter. Working smarter should give me more time to do the things I want to do, like spending quality time with my beautiful grandchildren, spend more time in my garden, read more, create things; all the things that seem to fall by the wayside when you make yourself too busy simply “doing”!

The New Year is also a time for reflection. I look back on the years I’ve been involved with CID; so many happy memories mixed with some very sad ones. This year we said goodbye to our beloved Mr Popa, driver and unofficial ‘Grandad’ to the children at St Margaret’s for many years; arriving at Henri Coanda airport in Bucharest simply isn’t the same any more when he isn’t there to greet you! I hope he has a very long and happy retirement. 

Mr Popa's last Supporters' Tour
 

Then there are the happy memories; Marian from St Margaret’s being adopted – every child deserves a loving family and this gorgeous little boy has now got one.

Marian with his new parents

 

The joy on a child’s face when he receives his ‘Love in a Box’ and finds a toothbrush in it!!  Never mind the toy cars, crayons etc, he just LOVES receiving a toothbrush that is just for him. J

The joy of a new toothbrush!

The happy memories far outweigh the sad ones; I would need to write a book to detail them all! YOU have been instrumental in making these happy moments and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart and pray that you will continue to support our work through 2015 and beyond.  HAPPY NEW YEAR AND THANK YOU!

 

Jane x

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want Something Doing? Ask A Busy Person!

Almost eight years ago, I worked for a pharmaceutical consultancy as a PA, loved my job and was well paid but at the same time was heavily involved with Children in Distress.  Then an opportunity arose for me to work for the charity part time (I’m contracted to work 21 hours per week) and, as I was nearing retirement age (I was almost 56 at the time) I thought it would be the perfect end to my working life to work from home “part time” and raise money to help look after the kids I had come to love so dearly.

Eight years on I am convinced I must have had a very “senior moment” to have thought it would be ideal to work from home – my house now resembles some kind of refugee warehouse, I get phone calls just as I’ve settled down to try and watch my favourite programme on TV (these supporters wouldn’t ring the office at this time of night because no-one would be there but they know that I will be!), I work much, much more than my allotted 21 hours per week, I haven’t had time to take any holiday leave for over two years, my “retired” husband has now become an unpaid “gopher” for the charity and we both LOVE IT!!  There, you thought I was having a huge moan didn’t you??!!  I guess I probably was in a way because here we are, two weeks before Christmas and this is what my lounge and kitchen looks like at present………………………………….

 

My "kitchen"

My "lounge"

 

but all these bags and boxes are full of beautifully knit blankets, jumpers, cardigans, hats, scarves, gloves and toys for the children in Romania so it is all worth it.  However, I now have all these to pack so that I can regain my home in time for Christmas………………….oh and I haven’t finished my Christmas shopping, haven’t done the baking and when I finally get round to buying the rest of the presents, they will need wrapping and as useful as my husband Pete is, he is lousy at wrapping presents so I’m on my own for that one!!  So if you want something done, ask a busy person (and I can guarantee that it WILL get done – might be last minute but it will be done!).

 

These are what makes it all worthwhile…………….

Some of our children at St Margaret's in Bucharest enjoying a visit from supporters

Maria, Nicoleta, Cristina and Rafi - four of our beautiful children from St Margaret's in Bucharest

 

Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year, thank you for reading this and for all of your support throughout 2014.

 

Jane x

Live Like Someone Left the Gate Open

You know how it is……………..it’s almost time to turn in for the night and you think “I’ll just check Facebook and see what’s happening before I go to bed”.  Well, that’s exactly what I did tonight and saw this on a friend’s timeline (thanks Kath!)

 

and it got me to thinking that that is exactly what some of the children in our care do on a daily basis; the likes of Rafi, Darius, Maria to mention but three of our lovely children.  All three children have a myriad of illnesses and all three are happy smiling children.  Rafi, as anyone who knows him will know, chases around like he is on fire yet he is, in fact, a poorly little boy. But he does indeed ‘Live like someone left the gate open’.  Darius, now confined to a wheelchair because of his illness, smiles constantly, is interested in all that goes on around him, can speak a few words of English (he is only 4!) and in fact when I last saw him, I wanted to take a photo of him and he cheekily smiled at me and said ‘Cheese’! ..................his sense of humour certainly hasn’t left him even though the use of his legs has, indeed, left him.  Maria, who came to us as a very poorly little baby and is now becoming a very confident little lady who attends school along with Rafi and older “brother” Florin. 

These children are a lesson on how to ‘live like someone left the gate open’.

We all have times in our lives when things don’t happen just how we want them to happen or we don’t feel as well as we would like to feel and then we begin to feel sorry for ourselves.  It is at these times that we should learn from the children and pick ourselves up and truly learn to ‘live like someone left the gate open’.  Life is, sadly, too short to do otherwise.

You could start to change your life by sponsoring one of our children and keep up to date with how they are doing.  Contact me at janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk if you are interested in learning more about our children……………………..trust me, you will be making a huge step, not only in your own life but in the children’s as well.  Once you ‘meet’ the children your life will take on a whole new meaning; that I can assure you from my own experience.

Jane x

 

 

Love in a Box

What does a shoebox mean to you? Literally a box to keep your shoes in?  A box that comes with your new pair of shoes and then you discard it?

To an impoverished Romanian child receiving a shoebox at Christmas can mean everything! 

Each year, Children in Distress run their ‘Shoebox Appeal’ or, as it is commonly known, ‘Love in a Box Appeal’.  The charity asks its supporters to wrap a shoebox in bright, colourful Christmas paper and fill it with a variety of items which can include small gifts, sweets (but not milk chocolate), soap/flannel, toothbrush/paste, brush/comb, toiletries, gloves/scarf/hat, socks/tights, hair slides, small toys, small teddy bear, notebook, pens/pencils, felt pens, colouring book/crayons, puzzle/ball/yoyo/toy cars, balloons and a Christmas card.  We also ask that £2 accompanies each box to help transport the boxes to Romania.

If, like me, you are fortunate to have children and grandchildren, you are no doubt aghast at the amount of presents bestowed on children at Christmastime.  To a child in the Balkans, the gaily wrapped shoebox with its contents is more than likely the only present that child will receive for Christmas.  It is not that the parents don’t want to give their children lovely presents, it is, quite simply, that they cannot afford to do so and put food on the table so the food (quite naturally!) wins every time.  Last year some 7,000 Christmas shoeboxes were taken to Romania by Children in Distress and personally handed out by our very own Mos Craicun (Father Christmas) in churches, community centres, hospitals and schools.

Our ‘Love in a Box Appeal’ is now in full swing and, with your help, we look forward to sharing our Christmas joy with babies, children and OAPs once more in December.  If you would like to make up a Christmas shoebox for our appeal, please contact me either by email or phone to join in the fun – email janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk or phone 01751 432089 / 07775 695611 for more details. J

 

The above photos show recipients of last year's appeal and also the lorry being loaded with the boxes

Jane x

One Child at a Time

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of daily life we need to be reminded of why we do what we do so I thought I would introduce you to our work “One child at a time" to remind you of why we continue in our quest to care for “Europe’s Forgotten Children”.

Everyone who visits St Margaret’s in Bucharest cannot help but to leave with one little boy having left a huge impression on them; Rafi!  Rafael, age 4 is a human whirlwind, he bombs about the courtyard in St Margaret’s on his tricycle, is inquisitive about everything and everyone and is always hungry!  For me, I know I have arrived in Romania when I open the gates to St Margaret’s and Rafi charges down the courtyard shouting “Mama” and launches himself at me. J

Rafi was born with a cleft palate (now repaired) and also suffers with Sticklers Syndrome and one of the indicators has been recurrent problems with both eyes. Whilst at St Margaret’s he has had operations to deal with the pressure building up as result of glaucoma, the removal of a fast growing cataract and operations to repair a detached retina in his left eye. Recently he was diagnosed with Hepatitis C (hepatitis means “inflammation of the liver”); just another “bump” in Rafi’s road. 

Despite all his problems, Rafi is a very happy and loving little boy.  He recently visited the Park with his friends from St Margaret’s and encountered a duck for the first time – you will see from the photo that he was a little unsure of it.  He also loves to help Tante Voica, our much loved cook at St Margaret’s, to sort the fruit to go in the juicer; his favourite is oranges.

On a recent supporters’ tour visit to St Margaret’s, Rafi had to be held at bay by Laurentiu, one of our drivers, lest he cleared the table of food prepared for the visitors!

In this post I have introduced you to only one of the children in our care; in future posts I will introduce to you to more; Rafi is only one of twenty children living in the care of Children in Distress at St Margaret’s, Bucharest.  They live a happy and safe life thanks to our wonderful supporters and love and care of our dedicated staff.  If you would like to sponsor one of our children or make a regular monthly donation to our work, please contact me at janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk to discuss.

Jane x

Rafi "helping" sort fruit for the juicer

Rafi being "held at bay" during a recent supporters' tour by Laurentiu

Riding his tricycle before going to school recently

Meeting a duck at the local park for the first time!

 

 

Vision

Have you heard that old saying 'without vision the people perish'?  Never has that saying become more true than it is in these times and I know it's true because I've seen it with my own eyes and I have seen how people come alive when they begin to take hold of their vision. 

You see, there is more to life, and it lies in your vision.  CID has a vision and 3-4 times a year we publish our magazine called Vision.  Why is it called Vision?  Because as a charity we have a vision of what we would like to see happen with our projects in Romania, what we would like to achieve and each Vision magazine tells the story of what we are achieving and, more importantly, how we are achieving it.

Your vision is what you create because of the things you do. So, in our appeals to you we tempt you with our vision of what we would like to achieve; it then becomes your vision and we then share the same goal.  So, our vision of the world as it should be is created out of your efforts and your achievements.  We couldn’t look after the number of children we do without you sharing our vision

In a moment of spontaneity, it may seem, and actually be, exciting to simply wade into something without giving due thought to your vision and set off to wherever the roads may take you - to go on an adventure into the unknown with no clue where you are headed.  But, if you live your whole life that way, or, in our case, if we steer our organisation that way, the result will always be unfulfilled potential.

And that's why vision is so important - because it gives direction and purpose to your adventure into life;  it gives you a point of focus that, whichever way that mystery and adventure towards your vision may lead you, keeps you on track.

There is more to life, and you were meant to live life in all its fullness and we believe that the children in our care were also meant to live life in all its fullness which is why, as we enter our 25^th anniversary, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing our vision.

Next Sunday I will travel to Romania with a party of supporters who will see at firsthand  what  our joint vision has achieved.

 

Jane x

5 ways to give up your own time to help a charity

There seems to be an assumption that the only way that people can help a charitable cause is by donating money. While charities (including CID) are almost always in need of extra cash, there are still ways that you can help without spending any money and still benefit a charity.

1.    Volunteer your time at a charity shop.  Charity shops are always looking for volunteers who can spare an hour or two each week to help with sorting donations, ironing clothes, dusting the shelves or manning the till.  All we ask is that you are honest, trustworthy and above all, reliable (so we can count on you coming in at the agreed time each week).

2.    Do you have a skill?  Perhaps you like some kind of craft (e.g. knit, sew, crochet, baking, wood turning, gardening etc)?  You could make some items to sell on behalf of your chosen charity.  If you are “into” crafts I’m sure you will have spare materials that you could utilise for a charity and either sell them on yourself or pass them to a charity for one of their events to sell.  If you are green fingered, you could pot up a few extra plants to sell. Into baking?  Make some cakes, buns, scones or similar when your charity is holding a fundraiser. Got a glut of fruit or vegetables in your garden? Make them into jam and chutney to sell and raise much needed funds.  The possibilities are endless!

3.    Give as you Live is an online shopping portal, and their aim is to turn web shopping into cash for charities. When you buy something from a store by going through their portal, a percentage of the money you’ve spent goes to Give as you Live, who then pass on the money to the cause of your choice, less a percentage commission. This means that you can buy all your Christmas presents (yes, it's coming to that time of year) without leaving the house, and do your bit for charity at the same time.

4.    Got goods you no longer need or use at home?  Why not sell them on EBay and donate the money (or a percentage of it) to your favourite charity?  Just about anything can be bought or sold on EBay (that old adage “your rubbish is someone else’s treasure” certainly becomes true on this website!).  If your chosen charity trades on EBay you can specify that a percentage of your sale goes to the charity when listing your items so it is deducted automatically when the item sells and your charity benefits as well. CID trade on EBay and the user’s name is CIDJane (just in case you’re inspired by this blog and decide to upload some items for sale!) J

5.    Do you like keeping fit? Run? Swim? Walk?  Why not get some like minded friends together and organise a sponsored Marathon (or maybe 5K, 10K or half marathon!) / Swimathon / Sponsored walk? Organising an event like this keeps you in focus for your training schedule and making it a sponsored event helps us to look after the children in our care.  Last year Rob Russell, a supporter of CID did FOUR marathons in a day to help raise funds and raised a magnificent £2,500!

These are just a few ideas to whet your appetite……………….I’m sure you can think of some more!

 

Jane x

Crafty Goings-on!

Anyone who knows me personally, knows that I just love crafts of all kinds; I knit, crochet, sew, embroider, decoupage, you name it I’ve usually had a go!

CID looks after and supports many, many children in Romania, not only in our hospices but in the wider community; children who, without our help, would be cold in the ferocious winters (typically -20C). I run a Handcrafters’ Guild for the charity and the ladies (and one man!) spend their time knitting/crocheting blankets, jumpers, cardigans, hats, scarves, gloves/mittens, socks and toys for the children. Can you begin to imagine the joy of receiving a beautifully crafted warm blanket or a brand new jumper or cardigan?  “My” ladies (and Rod) don’t stop there though; they also make items to sell at events here in the UK to raise the money to keep our projects going in Romania and also the money to ship the handcrafted items over there. 

Last year, on behalf of the Handcrafters’ Guild, I shipped over 19,000 items to help clothe the children and this year it is already looking as if we will exceed that amount!  Add that to the financial donations and other donations in kind and it makes you realise that there are some wonderfully generous folk out there just willing to help others less fortunate than themselves.

Easter found us knitting chickens (stuffed with a Cadbury’s Crème Egg) to raise money (over £600) and now we are busy knitting Christmas Puddings (to be stuffed with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate), crocheting bunting (very “in” at the moment!), making rag wreaths to sell at Christmas events and much, much more.  I thought I would treat you to a preview of some of these items……………hopefully it may inspire you to join in and make either something to be sent to Romania or something to sell at one of our events. 

Pat with a blanket made to go to Romania

Blue & White Rag Wreath for sale

 

 

 

Mutlicoloured Rag Wreath for sale

For the last two years we have had a stall at Ely Cathedral Gift & Food Fair and raised over £4,000 each year – all thanks to our “crafty” supporters.  When I took the position of Funding Development Manager with the charity, little did I realise that I could combine two of the loves of my life (the children and my crafts); it has become a real money spinner for the charity and also helps folk here too in that they can knit until their heart’s content knowing that they are helping others.

 

Jane x

Rules & Regulations

Life these days is full of rules and regulations which the majority of us try to adhere to.  Each year to keep the doors of our hospices in Romania open, the buildings must pass a series of rigorous fire prevention, health & safety, environmental health and hygiene inspections to gain the certification they need to operate.
St Margaret’s Hospice in Bucharest is a beacon of excellence in the delivery of end of life, palliative and respite care for infants and children living with incurable or terminal illness. With the normal wear and tear of sizzling summers  and bitterly cold winters  the building needs constant attention simply to ensure  the children are safe and secure and the building is  wind and watertight.. This year changes  introducing new European health and safety regulations  and fire safety standards  means that we must immediately relocate  the main and auxiliary gas central heating units,   renew  the  electric wiring and  sockets and to prevent the prospect  of scalds injury change the existing  hot water cylinders and systems for the hospice’s  kitchen  and  children and infant’s wards  bath and showers.

Some of this work would normally be carried out under the annual maintenance budget however most of the changes required as a result of our recent proactive inspections are urgent and immediate to ensure that work is complete before the official annual inspections are carried out. Paul Kubaszky CID’s in Country Director has asked for help and has offered a “shopping" list of urgent actions and their costs which total £18,000.

For that, we will get a zinc roof for the infants ward that should not leak, a more efficient central heating system with fumes vented to air, safe and compliant electrical wiring and sockets, constant scald risk free hot water in the kitchen and children’s bathroom and shower areas and a slip and trip accident free entrance, walkway and access between the wards, therapy units, and offices. By dipping into the hospice’s limited maintenance budget and by tapping local sponsors Paul can find approximately 45% of the costs from local funds, however  he would welcome help and support to fund the remaining £10,000.

Any help that the readers of this blog can offer to secure the registration licences and the future of St Margaret’s Complex of Children Services as a home for the children in its care will more than gratefully appreciated.  If you would like to make a donation, no matter how small, (remember every large ocean is made up of small drops of water) you can do so, online at www.childrenindistress.org  or call +44 (0)141 5595690 to make a card donation.  Every penny really will count to save this hospice which is the only home these children have known -

Jane x

Some of the children at St Margaret's celebrating Andreea's birthday

Recycling

Recycling really isn’t anything new…………….when I was young it was called ‘waste not, want not’ J  We ate the leftover meat from Sunday lunch on a Monday and if there was still some left, it was made into rissoles on a Tuesday………now the cookery programmes/books are full of ‘leftovers recipes’ – it’s not rocket science, guys, just eat the leftover cold beef/pork/lamb with nice fresh veg!!

Ok, I’ll be serious now; every charity can put recycling to good use and turn other people’s “rubbish” into food for deprived children or whatever their cause supports.  Children in Distress has, at present, three thrift shops……………..all stocked with other folks’ “rubbish”; now that’s recycling at its best!  When I’m on duty in the shop I sit behind the counter and marvel at just what some folk discard (although I’m thrilled that they do discard their unwanted items at our shops!).  I mean, why would someone buy a designer silk dress then never wear it and then donate it to us? That beautiful dress, complete with a price tag of £212.99 (yes, seriously that was the price!!) found its way into one of our shops and of course was snapped up by one very happy customer.

Of course, charity shops are a haven for the ‘waste not, want not’ brigade – tee shirts, tweed skirts (the sort your Gran used to wear!), woollen cloth all make grand rag rugs, cotton skirts find a new life as patchwork quilts, vinyl LPs warmed up make beautiful bowls, that boring little table looks lovely sanded down and painted or decoupaged and so on; the possibilities are endless for the hardened recycler (or is the current phrase ‘upcycler’??!).  If you don’t have any clothes/shoes/belts/handbags that are good enough to sell, our shops will still take them off your hands and sell them on as ‘rags’ (50p per kilo; soon adds up with a few pair of shoes in the bag!).

As a fundraiser I like to take full advantage of other folks’ rubbish; I squirrel away used postage stamps (they raise £10 per kilo), old mobile phones (various prices), used ink cartridges (just received £101 for a box full), old postcards (pre-1970s ones, transport and social history ones are the most lucrative - £65 for my last lot); in fact I can usually find a use for most things that are donated to me for our charity.  One of my supporters has recently suggested to me that I collect (on behalf of the charity) the tops off milk cartons - current price for 500 kgs is £30; the only problem being that a bin liner full only weighs around 5kgs – now where would I keep 100 bin liners full of milk carton tops??!! I’m still thinking on that one……….don’t like to miss an opportunity but I have to put my practical head on I think in this case. J

If you would like to recycle and help us to look after ‘Europe’s forgotten children’ please get in touch with me at janerussell@childrenindistress.org.uk  Remember; ‘waste not, want not’ should be everyone’s mantra J

Jane x