![]() Last weekend, James and Will from Cranleigh Preparatory School cycled from the doors of their school, 32 miles to Shoreham Beach to raise money for our projects. The boys had decided that before they left school they wanted to raise some money, mark the occasion and leave with a bang. Children on the Edge had become close to their hearts as we are currently charity of the year at Cranleigh Prep and they the students have been learning all about us and our work. After finishing their common entrance exams and enjoying a well-earned week away in Cornwall the boys set off from the front entrance of Cranleigh prep school on a beautiful sunny day. After 32 miles and an average speed of 9.2 mph they both arrived at Shoreham Beach. James and Will have managed to raise £291.25 so far, smashing their target of £200, and you can still donate on their JustGiving page. We would like to say a huge thank you, for not only raising money for us but also for your passion and enthusiasm in thinking of and carrying out a challenge to help vulnerable children around the world. The wonderful students and staff at Cranleigh Prep have been very busy this term so watch this space for more stories! ![]() As long term supporters of Children on the Edge, over the years the pupils of Dorset House School have found many ingenious ways of raising funds for us. Last Friday, for the second year running they decided to set off on a 7-mile sponsored walk across the South Downs. A few days before the walk we went into the school to run some workshops about children’s rights. The children also had the chance to learn about the plight of over a million Syrian refugees in Lebanon and what they could help. On the morning of the walk the whole school arrived at Whiteways car park in the beautiful sunshine, ready to take on the journey. To add in an extra challenge for the children, each group were asked to carry a big container of water from the start to our lunch meeting place. This meant they were carrying additional weight for about 3 miles. True to form the groups found ways of sharing the weight between them so no one person had to carry it alone. Our Community Fundraiser, Sarah Collison went along to the walk and said "The children had some fantastic methods of getting the water to the meeting point, ranging from tying it to a stick and having one person on either side, to wrapping it in a raincoat and having a child hold each sleeve. Whichever technique they used, every group got all the water to the meeting place without loosing any en-route!". At lunch the water was divided out between everyone and the group had a discussion about how much water you might need to carry, to provide enough for a family for a whole day. They talked about how this is what a huge number of children around the world have to do each day. Overall a great day was had by all and already a lot of money has been raised. All proceeds from the day are going to help children at the Child Friendly Space we support in Uganda and Syrian refugee children attending the new Camp Schools in Lebanon. We'd like to say a huge thank you to the staff and students at Dorset House, not only for raising money, but for taking such a keen interest in the lives of other children across the world. If you would like to help this brilliant school with their challenge, and reward all of the children’s hard work, please donate now by texting EDGE97£10 to 70070 to donate £10. You can also donate via their Just Giving page. If your school is interested in working with Children on the Edge, give Sarah a call at the office on 01243 538530 or drop her an e-mail. ![]() It has been now been three years since the Burma Army broke a 17-year ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and unleashed a major new military offensive against the Kachin people. Since then over 120,000 Kachin people have been forced to flee their homes with over 200 villages being destroyed and many people seeking refuge in internally displaced person (IDP) camps along the Burma-China border. In his last report to the UN Human Rights Council, Tomás Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, detailed concerns about violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, noting that there has been “no progress in tackling the impunity under which the military forces currently operate”. Under this impunity the Burma Army have carried out continual human rights abuses and crimes against humanity. This week also saw the release of the Fortify Rights report “I Thought They Would Kill Me”: Ending Wartime Torture in Northern Myanmar, which chronicles the torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of more than 60 civilians by members of the Burma Army, Military Intelligence and Police Force. These abuses were part of a systematic attack against the civilian population with the backing of the state. The children we work with in Kachin State witness this situation on a daily basis. The Early Childhood Development programme we provide in the IDP camps around Laiza and in outlying camps on the Burma-China border is specifically designed for children who have experienced this kind of trauma, helping them to make sense of what they’ve experienced, and move forward. As this Monday marked the third anniversary of the resumption of war against the Kachin people, 55 concerned groups and organisations around the world, including Children on the Edge signed a statement calling for peace. The document contained various recommendations urging the Government of Burma to end the violence, allow access for humanitarian aid, to respect international human rights law and to both protect and compensate displaced people. The statement also called on the international community to establish a full investigation into the use of rape and sexual violence and urged the People’s Republic of China to respect the right of refugees. Full details of the statement can be found at Burma Campaign UK. Find out more about our work with displaced Kachin children in Burma, and consider donating to the project. This week is National Volunteers' Week, and what better excuse to take the time to profile some of the fantastic people who give their time, skills and energy to benefit the children that we work with. These days we only take volunteers abroad very rarely. It’s not an experience the public can apply for or buy into. We’re a small charity and want to put all our resources and time into making sure the children we work with have the very best provision. Large scale volunteer programmes don’t really fit with this strategy, but once a year, we do take a small group of volunteers from The Body Shop at Home™, and other corporate partners who tirelessly raise money for our work throughout the year, to one of our projects. Here in the UK, we rely weekly, monthly and annually on our wonderful band of volunteers. Our annual events simply could not and would not, take place without the commitment and dedication of our local team of helpers. From our enthusiastic marshals at the Chi Half who keep participants safe and going in the right direction, to volunteers at our Easter Trail who help communicate the importance of our work to the local children of West Sussex - we are indebted to them all. We also owe a huge amount to our weekly volunteers who come into the office and generally assist with daily activities, from helping with grant applications, to sorting paperwork for archiving, to booking stalls for events and helping generate local funds through talks, street collections and much, much more. Emily Dadson, our Office Manager says “At the heart of all we do we are children on the edge – abandoned, forgotten, ignored. Our volunteers understand this vision and purpose and so become very much part of the COTE team. Their practical input is invaluable, but also their wisdom, thoughts and ideas. We listen and learn and gain so much more from having them work alongside us. They genuinely add value to our tasks and our gratitude to them is huge. I hope we say thank you enough – but just in case we don’t, here are our thanks – in black and white – from all of us to all of you. You know who you are!” Take a few moments to meet some of our volunteers! ![]() Justine Richardson Justine is the owner of Mia Bella Casa in Rustington and has given a phenomenal amount of time to Children on the Edge over the years. She says "I have been a supporter of Children on the Edge for many years. I worked for The Body Shop and we were did a lot of fundraising for them. Back in December 2010 I was made redundant, knew I wanted to spend a few months volunteering and decided to go to Children on the Edge . I helped organise the flagship event, the Easter Trail and the Chichester Half Marathon for 2 years running. I loved it, the team are fabulous, but just knowing that you are giving something back to the community and helping children whose lives are in such turmoil makes it so worthwhile. It's also a chance to learn new skills." ![]() Sara Wray Just last month this year’s volunteer team came back from a play scheme week in Uganda. Sara was one of at the volunteers from Redburn. She described how “Without a doubt, the biggest highlight of the week was the amazing smiles on the children’s faces and the sheer joy they expressed whilst playing. I have never experienced a group of children consistently so positive and helpful to their peers. I could have easily stayed longer than the week we had and I'd love to go back again!” ![]() Walter Jones Walter is a retired Headmaster who has been giving his valuable time and skills to Children on the Edge for the past few years. He says “Having done some travelling in South East Asia, I was very aware of the huge number of children living on very little in countries such as Bangladesh, Burma and Thailand. When I realised that Children on the Edge existed to help these very children, I was keen to volunteer to help. In the last couple of years I have spoken at school assemblies, shaken a bucket at the railway station, given a presentation at a day centre, not to mention dished out water at the Chichester Half Marathon. There are office chores as well – but the cause is such a good one that routine tasks (during hours that fit in with other commitments) are not a great burden. I strongly recommend Children on the Edge!” ![]() Sarah Collinson Sara has recently started working for us as a Fundraising Support Officer, previously to this she has been volunteering for 3 years and has been an invaluable member of the team. She says “I started volunteering for COTE because I wanted to gain some experience working for an international children’s charity. I had made a project about Anita Roddick in college and had become interested in what COTE were doing. When I arrived I was thrilled to find out that my education degree was going to help. I helped create a schools pack and visited various schools and fundraising days. I’ve also helped out with the Easter Trail both in the planning stages and on the day. For me, volunteering has been quite a life line. Keeping busy and knowing that I was able to support the wonderful work that Children on the Edge do, has helped me through some difficult times and has also had a huge influence on the decisions I have made about my life and career. I have loved being a part of the COTE volunteer family and I am really excited for the future”. If you’d like to join us as volunteer, whether as part of the office team or at the Chichester Half Marathon on October 12th, we’d love to hear from you. Just e-mail Emily, or call her on 01243 538530
![]() With just over four months to go until this year’s Chichester Half Marathon, race organisers are laying down a challenge for Chichester workplaces. Chichester’s ‘multi terrain’ half marathon is now in its 3rd year and this year’s race will take place on Sunday 12th of October. The organisers are continually looking to enhance the runners’ race experience and for 2014 they are launching a ‘Works Trophy’. Any organisation or business can enter as many people as they wish, (male and female) to compete for the Trophy and the first three finishers on race day will be the scoring team. Each workplace registering five or more runners will receive a visit from one of the organisers who will provide a complimentary training workshop. Any business signing up more than 10 runners will also get a free place thrown in. The Chichester Half Marathon is a challenging and beautiful ‘multi-terrain’ half marathon, which takes in the major City Centre sights and landmarks as well as spectacular rural scenery. The terrain is a good mixture of road, paths, cycle tracks and cross country.The Race is managed by Chichester District Council and Children on the Edge, a local based charity helping vulnerable children across the globe. If running really isn’t for you but you’d like to be involved in a great event which brings the community together, then think about volunteering. Roles include marshalling at different points along the race route; manning water tables and handing out medals and goodie bags at the finish. Just contact Amy Chamberlain by e-mailing [email protected] or by calling 01243 534797. Prices are £24 for EA affiliated club members and £26 for unattached and other runners. You can sign up at www.chichesterhalfmarathon.co.uk. Individuals signing up can expect a Chi-half specific training plan to be available on the website by mid June. Once Work Trophy teams are registered, just e-mail [email protected] with your team name and a list of competitors. May the best business win! Earlier this month a team of volunteers from our corporate supporters, including The Body Shop at Home™ and Redburn, set off to Uganda to help out with our second action-packed playscheme.
Aside from bringing a whole raft of colour and fun, the week saw the children grow in confidence, explore their curriculum in new and creative ways and learn new methods of sharing about their lives. The scheme was held at the Child Friendly Space we support in Soweto Slum, Jinja where children from the most vulnerable households in the community come each morning for early years learning, nutrition and fun. Activities were held in the afternoons to compliment lessons in the morning. They were open, not just to the enrolled students, but to the whole community with most afternoon attendance totalling 250-300 children. Here’s some of the highlights! Making something out of nothing The team of teachers at the Centre are recycling champions, who create learning resources, toys and games out of local materials and discarded bits and pieces from around the area. Throughout the week the children made juggling balls out of earth and balloons, dragonflies out of pipe cleaners and serviettes, clay models from Nile mud, maps of Soweto with twigs, stones and grass and a junk orchestra using plastic bottles, sticks, brushes and stones. New ways of sharing ‘News news’ Each morning the children at the Centre share about their lives and thoughts in a session called ‘News News’. This is a melodic routine with each child telling their story with a rhythmic group response. To build on this exercise, one afternoon all the children enjoyed a ‘Lucy and Butch’ puppet show, then made their own sock puppets and experimented with interacting using their puppets. This is a resource not just for fun, but an aid for teachers in talking to the children about trickier subjects. Nurturing self esteem Mask making and creating hand print designs on a new parachute was all part of developing a sense of identity with the children. In addition to this, a few children were asked to help lead the afternoon games, and the impact of being given this role was incredible. Ben Wilkes, Head of UK described how “They did such a great job and seemed to grow 6 inches in stature too. Their life situations might be tough, but the way they transformed in just 60 minutes makes me think that they started to connect with something of what they were made to be”. Livening up learning and the usual dose of colour and fun Morning lessons were given an added twist with activities done in the afternoon, like a maths lesson unfolding through making number puzzles to take home, and story time evolving into group role-play and singing. Aside from the various learning milestones.. a huge part of the week consisted of simple, unbridled fun. Activities included football, rounders, ‘Duck Duck Goose’, ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’, ‘Hokey Cokey’, French Cricket, parachute games and (creating the most excitement) a huge Bouncy Castle. It was the first time any of the children at the Centre had laid eyes on one, let alone bounced on one, so it went down a treat. With a significant development in concentration from last year, the children were able to get the absolute most out of the games and activities. We’d like to thank our wonderful volunteers Sara, Justine, Rachel, Rose and Karina who alongside Ben and Emily from Children on the Edge and the fantastic team at ASDN, made such a contribution to the week. If you’d like to find out more about the project in Uganda, simply visit the project page or read our other news stories bout the Centre. If you’d like to donate simply click here or text EDGE14 £3 to 70070 to give £3. ![]() A few weeks back, Trudy McKnight dyed her hair a beautiful bottle green, not for the elections, not for an audition for Wicked.. but to raise money for Children on the Edge! A Body Shop at Home Consultant, Trudy was working on increasing her party bookings. She decided to try an online training session from her Regional Manager and found this tip: TOP TIP 30 Try putting this phrase on your facebook Hi girls. Please complete this phrase. “I will book a Body Shop Party with you only if....... So she did... People started posting suggestions like ‘bring chocolate/wine’, ‘If it’s free’ etc.... so Trudy responded by saying that she needed a bit more of a challenge than that. It was at this point that one of her best friends suggested dying her hair Corporate Body Shop Green. Trudy says “I have always been passionate about Children on the Edge, but even more so since I heard at our September conference what was happening in Uganda, so decided to do it to raise money for the project. Also my grandmother had recently passed away and the last photos we had of her were her having a laugh dressing up in a corset and stockings at 76 years old (as a result of a card sent to her by my cousin)! I figured life is far too short and it was time to do something wild”. Trudy took the plunge, dyed her locks Body Shop green and is now looking for a permanent dye to keep the colour as long as possible, to continue raising funds for our work! We think she’s a brave lady and she looks great. If you want to sponsor Trudy’s green tresses then donations can be made through her just giving page or you can donate £3 by texting "COTE54 £3" to 70070. ![]() ‘CowParade’ is the largest and most successful public art event in the world and their events have been held in more than 80 cities worldwide. Blank resin cows are delivered to a chosen city and then painted by invited artists before being displayed throughout the city, in banks, train stations, galleries and a variety of public places. After a few months on display the cows are then publicly auctioned. Over the life of this event, organised from West Hartford Connecticut, USA, these painted cows have provided more than $20M to charitable organisations worldwide and it is estimated over 100 million people have seen one of the cows. As part of the recent (and very successful) Chichester Art Trail organised by Malcolm MacDonald and his team, Chichester hosted it’s very own ‘CowParade’ and raised funds for locally based international children’s charity, Children on the Edge. The parade was hosted In Graingers Barn at the West Ashling home of artist and sculptor Neil Lawson Baker and his wife Grace. They displayed one of the cows from ‘Cow Parade’ which was originally displayed in London some years ago and Chichester Art Trail Visitors were invited to ‘leave their heart on Goldie Horn’ as this cow had golden horns! Each visitor painted a heart on the cow and there was a box collecting donations for Children on the Edge. £180 was raised for Children on the Edge, helping to fund work with some of the most forgotten children, living on the edge of their societies across the globe. Neil has four of these cows and it is hoped that they can be used to raise money for charities in and around Chichester over the coming months and years. We’d like to say a big thank you to Neil, Grace and all the team of the Chichester Art Trail, as well as all the heart painting artists! As you can see form the photo, they did a superb job! ![]() Once again, the Chichester Falcons Softball Club pulled out the stops and organised a hugely successful Softball Tournament which was held on the 19th April 2014. The second annual Chichester Softball Tournament hosted six teams from across the South, all competing for the tournament cup and helping to raise over £700 for Children on the Edge. Held at Chichester University and hosted by Chichester Falcons Softball Club, the tournament was significantly upsized this year and featured music, a raffle, a professional photographer, hot food and softball equipment for sale. The six teams – Brighton Beachcombers, Solent Sluggers, Vampire Batters, Chichester Falcons, Portsmouth Zombies and Southampton Spitfires – played through a round-robin style system and were then each placed into the cup, plate and spoon finals respectively. Spitfires overcame their local rivals Zombies to take the spoon trophy, while Sluggers managed to take the plate from Beachcombers. The cup final was a fast-paced dramatic ballgame as hosts Chichester Falcons were pitted against Vampire Batters, in an attempt to reverse their drubbing from earlier in the day. However the Vampires’ quality showed through and they just managed to whip the cup away from the Falcons’ talons by two runs. Children on the Edge want to thank David Morris and his Chichester Falcons Softball team for their enthusiasm, time and effort that went into making this year’s tournament so brilliant. The money they raised will go a long way towards making the work of Children on the Edge possible. Our project in Bangladesh works with Rohingya refugee children from Arakan State Burma, who are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. 140,000 Rohingya have been displaced by government oppression and violence. Many flee to Bangladesh; bringing with them accounts of forced labour, rape and torture, only to be snubbed, abused and denied any form of citizenship. In sprawling makeshift camps along the border, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have been able set up 90 ‘low profile’ classrooms for 2,700 of these Rohingya children to enable them to access primary education. Without this unique programme there is a risk that an entire generation of Rohingya children will grow up completely unable to read or write. Find out more about our work with forgotten children around the world, and anyone who wants to try softball and join the Falcons should email [email protected] or visit www.chichesterfalcons.com |
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