Since January, schools across the country have keenly supported us by donating warm winter coats and other warm items. We have also received monetary donations to help us with purchasing gloves and hats at a reduced price. I couldn’t have imagined this whole thing coming together so beautifully.

Coat collection video clip

Loving Hands (Knitting for charity) group have generously agreed to help us in our plight to keep these children warm, by knitting (and making) blankets and scarves, as well as donating other items essential for the winter. If you would like to help them by knitting/sewing for charity, please click on the above link.

Big Yellow Self Storage company have given us an amazing discount to help us store everything until we are ready to send it after the summer.  

Our local sixth form at Chilwell Comprehensive, Lakeview College, have kindly made it possible to package the kits. Together with their student body we will be spending a week before the end of term, sorting, packaging and labelling these kits, before taking them out to Serbia, Hungary and Moldova to some of the most desperately needy children.

Thank you to all the individuals, schools and businesses for helping us to turn our dream into a reality.  We are calling this initiative Keep a Child Warm and from the amazing response we have seen this year it will most likely become an annual initiative, impacting the lives of many more children in great need!

Suitable for all ages and abilities you can choose either 10km or 4km and experience the beauty of the Peak District before crossing the finishing line on the lawn at Thornbridge Hall nr Bakewell. The perfect opportunity to have a fun day out and raise money for Operation Orphan at the same time!

If you would like an information pack, please email vanessa@operation-orphan.org

THANK YOU!!

Click on the link below to view…

http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10426~2656992,00.html

Altogether an amazing £1434.30 was raised for Operation Orphan!

Thank you ladies for coming. Thank you Village Hotel for your generosity. Thank you to all the companies and individuals who donated raffle prizes, gift bags, gold envelopes, cakes…. we couldn’t have done it without you!

Same time next year?

Some of these schools are focusing on the urban slum and Pencott Valley Primary School, others are collecting warm coats for us to send to Eastern Europe. Jess and I are having a very fun yet busy time taking assemblies and lessons to teach the children, showing them the MASSIVE difference they are making!

A huge ‘thank you’ to Cottam, Cop Lane, Brindle St James, Trinity, Eccleston and Higham for your support! We really do appreciate all you are doing.

Cyrilyn

If you would like to get involved (or get your child’s school involved) in this initiative we would LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

With your help we can…. ‘keep a child warm’
Thank you,

Cyrilyn

There will be discounted beauty treatments, Starbucks coffee and homemade cakes, a wide selection of gifts to buy (in time for Mother’s Day), an awsome raffle and much much more!

Tickets are £5 and with each ticket you will receive a free day pass for The Village Health & Fitness Club! (Sold on a first come first served basis).

100% profit from this event will go to support orphans and vulnerable children through the work of Operation Orphan. For tickets please call Vanessa Riley on 07542 782664 or email vanessa@operation-orphan.org

The Nutrition Centre works to rehabilitate malnourished children and educate the carers (often the mothers, but occasionally grandmothers or older sisters).  Every day the centre deals with children who are severely malnourished, ensuring that they are carefully re-hydrated and then gradually reintroduced to the right foods.  The carers are taught how to make up a porridge called Weanimix from ground nuts, soya beans and maize.  This supplies the children with a good mix of the right things to help them grow into strong and healthy children.

I was in awe of the guys at the Nutrition Centre who work very hard, sometimes getting up at 2 hourly intervals throughout the night to ensure that these tiny babies are brought back from the brink of death.  There have been numerous success stories from the centre.  I had the privilege of meeting Alhassan and Fusina who, having been thrown out of their village with their grandmother 3 years ago are now living at the Nutrition Centre and are walking proof that this work is saving lives.  This is Alhassan and Fusina now, click here for their story.

We also saw the other end of the story when we visited one of the villages and were bought another set of twins.  These two little ones are 16 months old and weighed in at 3.9 and 4.2 kilos – less than their original birth weight.  They have been admitted into the Nutrition Centre and will hopefully make a full recovery.  But as you can see, these little lives are quite literally in the balance.

So thank you again to those who knitted teddies and gave kind donations.  You brought a smile to mums, babies and children.  There was much clapping and singing at the end of our little teddy giving ceremony and they will bring joy for much time to come.

Jess Taylor

As part of this challenge, Angela has generously agreed to raise money for OPERATION ORPHAN to go specifically to help provide a proactive and permanent health care response to the needs of the most vulnerable children and families within the developing countries that we currently serve. Her target is £1,000 so if you would like to support Angela and Operation Orphan by making a donation, please visit her Everyclick fundraising page at: http://www.everyclick.com/angelatourdefrancechallenge  Thank you in anticipation!

And her support for Operation Orphan doesn’t stop there! Angela will also be part of a team that will visit Uganda later in the year to physically take the development of this project forward.  Thank you Angela for being willing to support us in this way, we think you’re amazing!!

Vanessa Riley, Fundraising Development Manager