Cycle India 2010 is now complete for another year or two, but Heal would like to thank the outstanding fundraising efforts of best friends Carly Gilchrist and Laura Roberts.
So far they have raised £5780 for Heal through various fundraising activities, including street collections and holding an India night at a local restaurant in Leicestershire.
They’ve even been featured in local newspapers, and on BBC Radio Leicester.
Riders from the United Kingdom and the USA will be leaving their New Year festivities behind and travelling to Karnataka in Southern India on 1st January to take part in the now biannual Cycle India bike ride to raise money for Heal.
At present there are 22 people from the UK, and 8 people from the USA taking part. With those joining Heal from India there should be around 35 people cycling for this worthwhile cause.
All the cyclists taking part are currently working hard, both training for the event and fundraising for the charity. The reward for all this effort is cycling through the beautiful scenery of the Coorg, and afterwards visiting the Heal Children’s Village in Guntur to meet the children, which is really the highlight of the trip and the thing that makes it all worthwhile. We have enjoyed excellent support but there is no limit: the more money that is given means more kids are helped – it all goes to the children because Heal is run by volunteers.
We have already received interest from the media in India with one of the cyclists, Jeremy King’s fundraising activities being noticed. Jeremy, a sports journalist from Wales, has been auctioning various sporting memorabilia and even an Anthony Hopkins original pencil sketch on eBay.
Closer to home Jeremy’s efforts were featured in the South Wales Echo as Cardiff City footballer Michael Chopra, who is of Indian descent, donated a signed match-shirt and this raised £222 for Heal.
Laura Roberts and Carly Gilchrist have also been working hard with various fundraising activities, such as street collecting in Sheffield, a jewelry sale, a raffle, non uniform days at a couple of schools, and putting posters up around their local area to promote the ride:
Dean Hunt, an internet marketing expert, has been combining training, fundraising and providing internet marketing all at the same time by filming himself live, and live streaming to an audience of online viewers. Here’s a recording of the event:
Heal would like to thank all those taking part in Cycle India for all their hard work both fundraising and training for our second Cycle India event. We will be updating the Heal news section with updates about Cycle India, and we are even planning a web TV channel, so please stay tuned for more information.
WITH a bit of elbow grease charitable youngsters helped raise almost £200 to help fund a 200 mile sponsored bike ride across India.
When children at the Salvation Army Citadel, in Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, heard their former youth worker Ann Garrett was embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime cycle ride across India to spend three months at an orphanage – they set up a charity car wash and cleaned dozens of vehicles.
They also held a coffee morning.
Ann (55), from Werrington, Peterborough, will set off to Guntur, in Andhra Pradesh, on January 1.
Her trip will begin with a 200-mile sponsored cycle ride, before she spends the rest of her time working for charity HEAL UK.
The charity was founded by Dr Koneru Prasad, a GP at Westwood Clinic in Wicken Way, Peterborough, to provide shelter, healthcare and education to destitute orphans.
Ann said: “I used to work with the children from the Salvation Army and therefore they have been keen to support me.
“I am really excited about the trip, but it has been hard work.
“I also want to raise extra money which can be spent on children at the orphanage.”
Ann is holding a quiz night at Club Caliente in Saltersgate, Parnwell on November 20 from 7pm.
To enter or to sponsor Ann, email anngarrett@hotmail.co.uk
The annual Heal India Night was a resounding success again, thanks to the hard work of Helen Rome and Peterborough Renewable Energy Limited. Over 400 people attended the event, including Stewart Jackson to celebrate the hard work of Heal with home cooked Indian cuisine and bhangra music.
The following article in the Evening Telegraph features Helen and Dr Prasad, the founder of Heal:
Heal’s annual India Night fundraising party is becoming a permanent fixture in the charity’s calendar, and this year the event is sold out again.
The fundraising event, organised by Mario D’Andrea and Helen Rome, will take place at The Cresset, Rightwell, Peterborough, PE3 8DX on Saturday 3rd October.
Proceedings begin at 7.30pm and finish around midnight. There’ll Authentic Indian Food and a bar with live entertainment as usual.
Steve Sargent, one of Heal’s keen supporters, has recently held a highly successful Easter Concert with his choir ‘The Free Radicals’ at St. Laurence’s Church, Petersfield.
The event was billed as an opportunity to listen to ‘the pure sound of glorious Passiontide anthems sung unaccompanied in a luxurious accoustic. A short, dreamy and contemplative pre-Easter wallow in rich choral music and readings.’
As this was the first time Steve had organised a concert he worked hard on publicity and the church was filled. The songs were mainly Latin church anthems written for Easter between 16th Century and 20th Century, with a couple of spirituals thrown in. Here’s an example of one of the songs – O Crux Ave:
There was a retiring collection for HEAL and it amounted to an amazing £561. Many thanks from Heal!
Following is a review of a recent fundraising birthday party:
At Arun’s 50th Birthday party in March, we decided to ask for donations instead of getting presents. We had a ceilidh band, and over 100 friends and family came. Everyone had a swinging time and enjoyed the home cooked Indian food. Asha (our daughter) stood up and talked about the two charities we were supporting, and posters about HEAL were put up around the hall. It was a huge success as everyone had a lovely time, and over £1200 was raised, half of which will go to HEAL. We like the fact that this money will go directly to the needy children, with minimal spent on administration, and we wish HEAL every success with their growing plans.
Heal would like to thank Arun and his family and friends for helping the Heal cause, while at the same time having a great birthday party!
Being a foreign born Indian myself, with the opportunity to access educational resources without difficulty or visiting the doctor would be as simple as 1,2,3. Yet there are numerous populations throughout the world who are unable to access the simplest necessities in life. I first came across Heal whilst browsing the internet and felt uplifted with the differences that Heal had brought to the lives of under-priviledged children within India, how could I not help?
In recognition of Heal and their aims, a night of fun and giving is being organized to help in as many ways possible.
For the first time, in Sydney an eventful night showcasing ‘Extraordinary Talents’ in dance, singing, acting and comedy all aimed for a good cause. This night will surely sweep audiences off their feet, in awe of hidden talent from our junior and senior Australian – Indian individuals.The event will be hosted by Miss India Australia 2008, Kanchan Verma and will be held on the 26 July 2009 at The Grand in Baulkham Hills Community Centre, with auditions being held on 30 May 2009.
Congratulations to all HEAL members for their countless efforts so far and I hope that this event will bring more smiles and success to many more children and projects to come.
Kanchan
For any inquiries about this event, please feel free to email kanchizzz@hotmail.com.
Mr Anil Nijhawan, 63, a volunteer at Slough Age Concern, embarked on his second Flora London Marathon this year.
Mr Nijhawan’s first marathon in 2004 raised money for Age Concern. This time around we are very greatful that he managed to raise the wonderful sum of £1,210 for Heal.
Before the race, he said: “Three years ago the nearest to running I had done was to run for a bus, but in 2004 in a moment of madness, I decided that I was going to take part in the marathon.
“Then it dawned on me that I would have to get fit to run. So, with gritted teeth, I joined a gymn and started training. Hard work, dogged determination and foolhardiness are a prerequisite for marathon running!”
We thank you so much for your efforts!
If anybody wishes to run the London Marathon next year, or undertake any other energetic pursuit, and are looking for a charity to support in your quest, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Kathleen Bardell at healsec@lineone.net.
Read the latest news on fundraising events, latest projects undertaken in the local villages and general chit-chat from the children and Heal trustees.
