Author Archive

Lou in Uganda, 2009

It is with a heavy heart and after much deliberation, that I am stepping down as a Director of The SAFE Foundation.

I never thought that after the first meeting we had, back in 2005, that we would have achieved so much. And have been able to help so many families.

It wouldn’t be possible without the initial idea from Lucy, and the hard work from the other Directors and supporters.

I don’t think people really understand that, apart from Lucy who manages the charity day to day, everyone else is a volunteer and has a day job and we do this part time. It takes a lot of commitment and passion, and I have enjoyed the journey we have all been on during the past six years.

It has enabled me to visit Uganda, twice, and directly meet the children and their families. And that, as some would say is priceless.

I want to thank anyone who has shown support, attended events, or given their time to the charity so far.

It’s been a joy to know we are not doing this on our own. The charity is growing every day and needs more people to get involved to help make dreams a reality. You can help by sparing a few hours of your free time, or showing up at the awesome fundraising events.  I will certainly be there to follow the SAFE journey.

See you at the next SAFE event!

Support Aid Fun and Education all the way…. xx

Congratulations to Lotte and Dave Lane, who were married on Saturday.

They are the real deal.

And when they sealed their deal this weekend, they were kind enough to share their day with SAFE.

Instead of asking for nick nacks and things, they asked for donations to the charity. Not only that. They organised a fete themed day for their guests , who played all types of games. It was such much fun! Guests were able to win prizes by racing space hoppers, splat the rat, guess the sweets and a mega trombola.

With a bad ass raffle to top it off, the have raised £1,400 from their big day!

We are so chuffed that Lotte and Dave thought of us.  Lotte has been so supportive to us, and we have loved having her in our lives.

She and her friend Sophie are organising a fundraising ball for SAFE, which will be in Bristol in November. Stay tuned for more details peeps. They know how to organise an event, believe me.

The ball is only a few days away! So it gives us great pleasure to let you know more about the evening. It’s not fancy dress, or a mega posh ball. But an opportunity to get your fancy dress and suits on, and if you’re as Mad as a Hatter, wear something fancy on your head.

We are really looking forward to seeing you all, and meeting lots of new SAFE people.

I’s on Saturday 14th May at the Holland House Hotel…… don’t be late!

7pm onwards for arrival

8.00pm Dinner will be served

9.00pm Music from NEON

9.30pm A short presentation by the Directors of the Charity

9.45pm Auction and Raffle

10.00pm Music from NEON

10.30pm – Late  DJ Dave Grooveslave and Ammer

Raffle

£50 John Lewis Voucher

(Donated by Cardiff Girl Geeks)

Limited Edition Droneboy SAFE Foundation T-Shirt

£20 Milgi Voucher

(Donated by Milgi)

Bath Bombs

(Donated by Miss Patisserie)

A Bottle of Wine

Charity Auction

LOT 1: A night of luxury at Holland House Hotel

includes a double room with use of the Spa facilities

LOT 2: Six months gym membership at Holland House Hotel

Lot includes 2 memberships, with use of pool and classes

LOT 3: Custom Made Dress

Crafted by Helen from ‘Recycled with Love’

LOT 4: Tarot forecast for 2012

With an in-depth consultation

LOT 5: Half a day of Carpentry

Donated by Amplexus Conversions

LOT 6: Welsh Rugby Union Rugby Shirt

Signed by the Team

LOT 7: Signed Cardiff Devils Ice-hockey shirt

Signed by the Team and kindly donated by Crystal IT

LOT 8: Make-up lesson and make-over

By professional film and tv make-up artist Catrin Williams.

LOT 9: Two first class return train tickets to London and a guided tour of BBC Studios London for two

Available on a date of your choice

LOT 10: Six tickets for a guided tour of the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Available on a date of your choice

If you would like to find out any more info please contact Louise on 07902030378. Or email louise@thesafefoundation.co.uk

You are cordially invited to our annual ball which will be held at The Holland House Hotel on Saturday 14th May.

The theme of the ball will be a Mad Hatters dream come true. All the best bits of the most famous tea party known to man.

Dress to impress, position something splendid for your head attire, and you will be fit for the Queen.

Included in the price  of your ticket you will be a scrumptious three course meal, and we will provide you with red and white wine to accompany your food.

During the evening we will hold an auction and raffle with the usual mix of amazing things. The lots will be made public before hand so you can be prepared for what we have on offer.

What with a band, disco and raffle to add to the evening, you will be sure to have a ball and a half.

Tickets are priced at £40.  A little more than we usually charge, but unfortunately hotels are struggling, so we have had to take the brunt of some of this.

The hotel are offering double rooms, with use of the spa facilities for £95, but only for a limited time. So if you want to stay the night, book early with them to avoid disappointment.

Contact the SAFE family for more details or email louise@thesafefoundation.co.uk (07902 030378) or rae@thesafefoundation.co.uk with any ticket or event requests.

Please remember, every penny we make during the evening will benefit our projects, so your attendance is both needed and valued. We can’t have support, aid, fun and education without you there!

Lou x

Here is our recent press release with news of the playground equipment that is ready to ship to Ghana.

A large number of children in Ghana will soon be the first to enjoy a mobile playground, which has been donated by Sutcliffe Play. The company were contacted by The SAFE Foundation, a charity set up in the UK to help implement sustainable development projects to marginalised people in developing countries.

Almost two years ago, in Kumasi, Ghana, the charity teamed up with a local organisation, Teens Net Foundation, to combine efforts to help marginalised communities have access to health care in a ‘Centre of Hope’. The mutual aims of both charities are to especially help children suffering from HIV and AIDS who require ongoing medical treatment. A team of volunteers has recently returned from a trip which saw them build a new school.

“The SNUG play equipment donated by Sutcliffe Play, will give a new lease of life to underprivileged children who have no access to the very basic of human rights – happiness,” explains Lucy Dickenson, Managing Director of The SAFE Foundation. “There are no recreation facilities at all in Kumasi, and the introduction of this innovative type of playground will combine fun, education, physical activity and social engagement to children contributing to an overall improvement in their quality of life.”

With the help of TeensNet, the charity plan for the play equipment to be transported around the region, so that they can reach children in more remote areas. The SNUG play equipment, which is exclusive to Sutcliffe Play, is fully modular and can be packed up and shipped around. This will also benefit the children as it will encourage them to make their own structures, and stimulate creativity. TeensNet in Ghana will employ local people to drive the equipment around the region and they will receive payment from The SAFE Foundation through their ongoing fundraising activities.

Rob Whitelock, SNUG Creative Advisor in the UK says: “We believe that play is crucially important to the intellectual, social, emotional and physical development of children.  It helps them to develop their own sense of risk and teaches them how to work independently and as part of a team.

“Play for plays sake should be an essential part of childhood, wherever you live in the world, so we’re delighted to be working with SAFE on such a worthy project that will introduce play, and its benefits, to children across Ghana.

Having recently passed the twentieth anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this donation from SAFE and Sutcliffe Play is a fantastic opportunity for children in the poorest communities in Kumasi to experience the freedom, fun and access to play that every child is entitled to. It will also motivate adults of the community to take action in child development and to be more proactive in securing a bright future for their families.

Rae and I got back from Uganda yesterday after a mega long trip which was absolutely amazing.

We are both sorry that we could not let you know what we were up to while we were away, but there was no opportunity to send messages back home. And as we only in the villages for two days, the chances of stopping for five minutes wasn’t going to happen.

We were met on Saturday morning by Mrs Owor, she is one of main leaders of TOCIDA. She had planned an intensive itinerary for us as she wanted us to meet as many of the children as possible during the 48 hrs we were going to spend in the villages of Tororro.

We arrived at Doreen’s house at lunchtime, and were greeted by the best welcome we have ever had. The women have an awesome way of greeting you, and if you have ever visited Uganda you will know.

There is so much to tell you about every child we met, and I’m not sure I can go into detail in this post. But I will add their information to the Uganda page, so you can see how we are helping each individual child.

The main purpose of our visit was to assess the opportunities for volunteers out in Tororro. During our visit we visit went to the TOCIDA HQ, and saw the facilities that they have, or perhaps haven’t.

Rae and I are both overwhelmed by the welcome we received from each of the families. They were so grateful for the support that we have so far given them. Each of the children have all had simple things like school bags, shoes and socks. A few of the children were given money in order to receive medical treatment, Gabriel in particular is now able to hear after he was able to get much needed treatment for an ear infection that made him deaf.

We are grateful to the Owor family for the support they gave us during our trip; we have never felt so looked after.

The SAFE Foundation will soon meet up and discuss what Rae and I have seen, and there is a lot to discuss. We will also attend the next Vale for Africa meeting and will relay everything to them.

Stay posted for more updates, you can use the RSS feed thingamajig on our page.

Big love to all our supporters. xx Lou

Comm to the Safe Garden Party!

Title: Garden Party
Location: Dyffryn Gardens
Description: Tea, sarnies and booze with musical accompaniment and posh frocks
Start Time: 14:00
Date: 2008-09-07