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Adventure-seeking Aussies sign up for Cycle India 2014

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

AN adventure-loving family from Australia admitted they simply couldn’t resist the challenge when they became the latest recruits for UK-based charity HEAL’s major international fundraiser, Cycle India 2014.

HEAL (Health and Education for All) has raised £220,000 from three previous Cycle India events in 2008, 2010 and 2012 and already has cyclists from India, Great Britain, Germany, United States and Australia signed up for 2014.

All monies raised go to help HEAL’s projects in rural Andhra Pradesh, southern India, where the charity offers many hundreds of impoverished, abandoned and orphaned children education and health care, as well as a roof over their heads. The charity, set up by UK medical practitioner Dr Satya Prasad Koneru 20 years ago, will shortly open the doors to its most ambitious project yet, HEAL Paradise Village, which will become home to one thousand needy children over the coming years.

Participants in Cycle India 2014 will stay at Paradise Village, near Vijayawada, and meet with the first intake of children, as well as visiting existing projects such as HEAL Children’s Village at Guntur.

When Australian Ben Pratt, 27, was looking for a new challenge after taking part in a 200km charity cycle ride in Perth, he came across Cycle India and quickly signed up, along with friend and work colleague Prateek Dua.

Excited by the prospect of a 400km bike ride along a stunning coastal route from Mumbai to the popular tourist destination of Goa in west India, Ben soon shared the details with mum and dad Stuart and Shirley … and they were hooked!

Stuart and Shirley Pratt, from New South Wales

“What can I say,” says Shirley, “we’re Aussies, and we love challenges. Stu and myself are both in our 50s and live in a little country town in New South Wales called Quirindi. We moved here about 18 months ago, as we now have a beautiful granddaughter to care for.

“Ben, however, lives in a remote area of the Kimberleys in western Australia, about 5,000km from us, so we are unable to catch up with each other all that often.

“We went to visit Ben in February and one afternoon we started to talk travel. He told us all about Cycle India and we just thought we could combine everything – travel, give to a charity, meet wonderful people, and have some family time as well … there were only positives as far as we were concerned. So for us from that point on it was ‘let the challenge begin!’.

“Stu and I have always loved travelling and have already done a few challenges along the way – trekking Fox Glacier in New Zealand, jumping out of a plane, trekking with the gorillas in Rwanda – all these exciting adventures were done with our daughter and son-in-law, so it’s going to be wonderful to be doing something with Ben.

“He competed in a bike ride last year to raise money for a cancer charity. At the time, he was living in Ayers Rock in central Australia, so training in 45-degree heat was very challenging, to say the least. It was extremely testing at times but when you have the reward at the end it, it is all worthwhile.

Ben Pratt, who signed up for Cycle India 2014, along with friend Prateek Dua

“The bike ride of over 200km in two days was held in Perth and it was a huge success. He enjoyed the challenge so much, he started looking further afield for another one to do, this time overseas, and that’s how Cycle India became his next challenge. His friend Prateek worked with Ben at the time and, coming from India, he also became very keen to do the bike ride.

“Ben loves riding, as does Stu, although he hasn’t ridden for many years. I never had a bike as a child, so I will definitely have my ‘learner plates’ on, but I’m ready to give it a go for the kids, or maybe walk some stages and help out at feeding stations along the way.”

HEAL founder and president Dr Prasad said: “I was very excited to learn that we will be welcoming a group of cyclists from Australia to Cycle India 2014 as this comes at a time when we are close to finalising the creation of a new arm of our charity, HEAL Australia.

“This event will be a chance to bring together not only supporters from HEAL USA, HEAL India and HEAL UK, but now HEAL Australia and other countries too.

“It promises to be a truly multi-national event and those who will benefit are the children in India, who will be given a chance of a brighter future by receiving an education which will allow them to stand on their own two feet.”

Cycle India 2014 volunteer organiser Jem King is already in talks with another group of potential cyclists from Hong Kong and is delighted to see the fundraising event attracting so much global interest this year.

“We are thrilled to have our friends from Down Under on board for 2014 and I’m hoping other like-minded Aussie cyclists might consider signing up as well,” said Welsh journalist Jem. “We’re aiming to assemble a group of around 30 cyclists for the ride from Mumbai to Goa. After all, the more participants, the more money HEAL can raise to get kids off the streets, out of the rubbish dumps and slums and into school where they belong.”

To learn more about Cycle India 2014, next year’s itinerary and how to register, go to www.heal.co.uk/about-cycle-india.html or get in touch via our contact page at www.heal.co.uk/contact-us.html

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Posted in Charity Events, children poverty india, Cycle India 2014, Fundraising, Heal Paradise Village, Heal USA | No Comments »

Going the extra mile for HEAL

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

ONE fundraiser is determined to go the extra mile for HEAL when he takes part in a long-distance event this June.

“This race promises to be an epic adventure,” says police officer Paul Harris. “It goes beyond marathon running and into the realms of ultra-endurance racing.

Paul Harris sets off on a training run

“It is called ‘The Wall’, running 69 miles along Hadrian’s wall, spanning from Carlisle Castle to the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. It’s a big, elite event and I’m so pleased to be running for HEAL.”

Paul has never even run a marathon, so how does he think he will cope with a race almost three times as long?

“Well, the time limit is 24 hours, but I’m personally aiming to complete it in 16,” he says.

The Wall ultra-run alongside Hadrian's Wall

“Having never run a marathon, this means some serious training and a massive amount of time and dedication. I run four to five times a week and have already clocked over 250 miles in two months.

“I want to earn as much as possible for HEAL as I feel it is a very worthy cause.

“I have obtained a text donation number, text WALL98 and then the amount to 70070, and anyone wishing to support me can visit my HEAL fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/Paul-Harris26.”

The Wall, which was held for the first time last year with 800 people participants, takes place over a mixed-terrain route that incorporates both on and off-road sections and some stunning countryside.

To learn more about the event Paul will be taking part in watch this short video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8U6wDbhpRY

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Posted in Charity Events, Charity Sponsors, Child Sponsorship India, children poverty india, Fundraising, Heal UK, Volunteers | No Comments »

HEAL Paradise Village taking shape

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

HEAL founder and president Dr Satya Prasad Koneru recently returned home to the UK after spending time overseeing the Paradise Village development and remains confident that the school will be ready for its first intake of children later this year.

“I am satisfied with the rate things are taking shape,” says Dr Prasad. “I had two days of meetings with the architects and the rest of the team in Hyderabad and Vijayawada. I am more happy now and everybody is content with the new designs.

Building work progresses on the primary school

“There has been some redesign work, such as changing the main roof to a flat roof to allow us to install the panels for solar power. It is a big financial layout, but all part of our commitment to an eco-friendly environment at Paradise Village.”

HEAL hopes to attract support from a specialist solar power company interested in funding or part-funding the cost of installation, estimated to be in the region of 2.7crore (£325,000).

“Our vision for HEAL Paradise Village is that it will be fully self-sustaining and embrace green technology wherever possible,” says Dr Prasad.

“As for the construction work, we aim to complete the whole primary school building by the end of June 2013 and are hoping to start the academic year with 100 children.

“Dorms should be ready by the end of this year and until that time some of the classrooms will be used for accommodation and offices.

“We will have 16 classrooms, an arts room, a computer lab, staff room, library and a laboratory. In addition, there will be a lobby/gallery, head teachers office, as well as three outdoor classrooms. It is a very large building which will also house stores and laundry on the lower ground level.”

Site manager Mastan Ann reports that work on the dorms has been started and landscaping is going ahead with bougainvillea plants and 150 coconut trees providing a green-wall boundary.

“Each coconut tree will produce hundreds of fruit and each fruit contains a litre of coconut water which contains sugar & minerals, so the children will be able to have a healthy glass of coconut water every day,” says Mastan.

Meantime, while the construction is being carried out, HEAL India’s educational committee will be responsible for buying furniture and stationary and recruiting well-qualified teachers in the coming months.”

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Posted in Fundraising, Heal india, Heal Paradise Village, News from the Village | No Comments »

Husband and wife event raises funds and awareness

Sunday, February 24th, 2013

A GOOD time was had by all when more than 100 people attended a recent HEAL fundraising
dinner and dance at the VIP lounge in Edgware.

Rakhi and Ash

Organisers husband and wife Ash and Rakhi Dhanani said that all proceeds from the night
would be presented to HEAL and that a lot of awareness was raised of the charity’s work in
helping provide shelter, healthcare and education to underpriviliged children in India.

Guests arrived to a champagne reception and canapes and were then taken into the main room
where they watched an eye-catching performance by Love The Beat School of Dance.

Next came a presentation all about HEAL from Rakhi and Ash, before a buffet dinner and then
lots of dancing.

“From the feedback that we had everyone had a great night!” said Rakhi. “And in addition to
raising approximately £650, we created a lot of awareness of the great work being done by
HEAL.

“As well as the money raised on the night, one of our friends has said she will be making a
donation of £200 and although some people could not make it to the event, they have told us
they will also contribute directly to HEAL.

“Furthermore, one person who attended our event has informed us that he has decided to
sponsor a child and we had lots of interest from others, so hopefully our event will prompt
a few more people to sponsor children.”

For more information on how to make a donation or sponsor a child with HEAL please visit our
‘how to help’ page on our website: http://www.heal.co.uk/how-to-help.html

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Posted in Charity Donations, Charity Events, Charity Sponsors, Child Sponsorship India, Fundraising, Heal Website, Sponsor-A-Child India, Volunteers | No Comments »

Fundraiser focuses on further education

Monday, February 11th, 2013

HEAL founder Dr Satya Prasad Koneru was delighted to attend a special fundraising evening in Boston, Lincs, where all money raised will be used to sponsor a young person through their higher education in Andhra Pradesh.

Many of the children in HEAL’s care, who are growing up to become young students, would like to go on to further education in order to help secure their futures.

'World of Colours'

Teachers within the HEAL Children’s Village school at Guntur assess those pupils who they believe are capable of going on to successfully further their education.

For £48 per month a student’s education can be sponsored through HEAL for 1-3 years at a higher educational facility.

Geetha Ramana, who organised the fundraising event in her home town of Boston, was keen to get involved in this programme and has asked Dr Prasad to put the money raised, £1,500, towards a child’s higher education.

During the fundraiser, children participated in a ‘World of Colours’ display and an attractive silk painting was auctioned off.

Geetha Ramana and her husband auctioned a silk painting at their fundraiser

“Both of my children have gone to university now and I know how very important higher education is for those young people in India,” said Geetha, who moved with her husband from their Andhra Pradesh home to the UK 16 years ago.

“I first met Dr Prasad and became aware of HEAL about 11 years ago when I attended one of the charity’s India Nights in Peterborough and I have been going every year since then.

“When I heard all about the new HEAL Paradise project I decided I wanted to do more than merely attend India Night and so in 2011 we held an event for more than 150 people in Boston and raised £3,000.

“This year we raised another £1,500 and I have been discussing with friends how we can come together to sponsor a child for three years through their higher education.

Children helping needy children in India

“I am going back to India in February to visit my mum and dad in Hyderabad and when I return to Boston I am planning to hold a coffee morning.

“I want to keep doing these events every year and see this as a long-term commitment to HEAL and the children in its care.”

For more information on sponsoring a young person in higher education please visit http://www.heal.co.uk/sponsor-a-child.html

Posted in Charity Donations, Charity Events, Child Sponsorship India, Fundraising, Further Education, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Have a great night out in support of HEAL

Monday, January 7th, 2013

THE stunning VIP Lounge in Edgware, Middlesex, will be the venue for a Charity Dinner & Dance to be held in aid of HEAL on Friday, February 15.

The VIP Lounge in High Street, Edgware

A night of good food, entertainment and dancing is promised by the event organisers, husband and wife Ash and Rakhi Dhanani, with all profits going to help HEAL’s work with disadvantaged children in Andhra Pradesh.

The VIP Lounge in Edgware High Street boasts impressive modern facilities and is a popular venue for banquets, weddings, conferences and formal dinners.

For the ticket price of £35, guests will be welcomed with drinks and canapés from 7pm-8pm, followed by entertainment from the ‘LoveTheBeat’ dancers, a buffet dinner and dancing.

“It should be a wonderful evening and anyone wishing to attend can get in touch with myself or Ash directly to buy tickets via email, facebook or telephone,” says Rakhi.

“We very much hope people will come along and support our fundraising dinner/dance, with 100 per cent of the profits being donated to HEAL, who are committed to providing shelter, support, education and healthcare for needy children in India.”

To purchase tickets please email ashkievents@gmail.com or telephone Ash and Rakhi on 07540 306714 or 07894 080030.

Posted in Charity Balls, Charity Events, Charity Sponsors, Fundraising, Heal UK | No Comments »

Taking up the challenge for HEAL

Friday, October 12th, 2012

HEAL would like to thank and congratulate some of its intrepid supporters who have
recently completed challenging events to raise well over £4,000 to help hundreds
of disadvantaged children in India.

Our charity relies heavily on the support of people who invite family, friends and
work colleagues to donate to HEAL by way of sponsorship for an event or challenge.

Most do this by creating a fund-raising page online at justgiving.com, where the
addition of gift aid can greatly increase the value of donations to charities like
HEAL.

HEAL is gearing up again for Cycle India 2014

Of course, fund-raising can come in all shapes and sizes, and HEAL has benefitted
through everything from bedroom clear-out sales to biking across India over the
past 20 years.

Car washes and cake sales are great ways for young people to get involved, while
planning is already going ahead for HEAL’s next major Cycle India event early in
2014.

People do the most amazing things to raise money for the causes they love and
among the more adventurous over the summer months have been challenges undertaken
for HEAL by the likes of Yashu Shah, who embarked on a tracking adventure in
Nepal, and another trio of travellers who have incredible tales to tell of their
journey across northern India.

Back home in the UK, Karen Rhandawa successsfuly completed the Ealing Half
Marathon, while our good friends at private jet charter firm Air Charter Service
have once again been pushing themselves to the limit by competing in the Great
River Race on the Thames.

No Plane, No Gain - the ACS Great River Race team

“HEAL is in its 20th year of helping underprivileged children in Andhra Pradesh by
providing them with shelter, healthcare and an education and we are marking this
anniversary with our biggest project to date for which we are urgently seeking
funding,” says HEAL founder Dr Satya Prasad Koneru.

“HEAL already looks after hundreds of children in Guntur and elsewhere through our
poverty trap projects, but now work is already well under way on Paradise Village,
which will become home to another 1,000 severely disadvantaged children very
soon.

“So the efforts of our supporters who who help to raise money in whatever way they
can are more important to HEAL than ever.”

Yashu Shah, a patient at Dr Prasad’s clinic in Peterborough, said: “I have just
come back from my trip of a lifetime. I managed to climb up to 5,200 metres and
although it was very tough, the whole thing was a fantastic experience. Raising
money for HEAL along the way made it even more special.”

Tracking through Nepal

Karen Rhandawa admitted that the many donations to her justgiving page had kept
her going as she trained for her first half-marathon. “It was one of my most
challenging achievements. I was proud to run the Ealing Half marathon for HEAL
because they do such wonderful work in taking children out of poverty. And I made
it round in a good time of 2:13:27 too!”

And there is still time to sponsor medical student Amrit Dhadda, who this weekend
will run the Cardiff Half Marathon on behalf of HEAL. His justgiving page can be
found at www.justgiving/amrit-dhadda0

Thirteen of Air Charter Service’s fittest athletes, glorying in the name No Plane,
No Gain, took to the Thames to row a staggering 21 miles. Last year they managed
to raise £3,168 towards an IT classroom at the new HEAL Paradise Village. And they
are hoping to better that figure this year to pay for a library, with ACS
promising to match what their staff raise.

Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to the ACS Great River Race team of Christine
Echeverria, Nakita Ogugua, Nicklas Danko, Oli Stravrakakis, Brendan Toomey, Joe
Gallimore, Joel Fenn, Chris Mansell, Ben Dinsdale, James Clark, Ella Melhuish, Amy
Irwin and Thea Goalen.

Last, but not least, well done to Chatty, Jamie and Olivia, whose attempts to
travel across India in a second-hand auto rickshaw may not quite have gone to
plan, but still benefitted their chosen charity, HEAL.

An Auto Rickshaw Across India

You can read about some of their adventures on their unusual 12-day trip,
including entries such as Stowaways on a Train and Sleeping on the Streets of
Pushkar, in their blog at www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/AnAutoRickshawAcrossIndia/

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Posted in Charity Bike Rides, Charity Donations, Charity Events, Charity Sponsors, Child Sponsorship India, children poverty india, Cycle India 2014, Fundraising, Heal Paradise Village, Heal UK, Sponsor-A-Child India | No Comments »

Child poverty motivates Cardiff student’s run for HEAL

Saturday, October 6th, 2012

A CARDIFF medical student says that every step he runs in next weekend’s Cardiff Half Marathon he will be thinking of the children who stand to benefit from him taking part.

Amrit Dhadda, a 20-year-old student at Cardiff University, completed last year’s half marathon in Wales’s capital city in around two hours and is looking to shave 20 minutes off his time from 12 months ago.

But his real motivation, he says, is raising funds for HEAL (Health and Education for All), after being inspired by the charity’s work in placing severely disadvantaged children in India into education for the past 20 years.

Amrit Dhadda, competing in last year's Cardiff Half Marathon

“HEAL’s mission is to give orphaned or underprivileged children shelter, healthcare and an all-important education, in an effort to break the vicious ‘poverty trap’ cycle,” says Amrit.

“More than a third of the world’s malnourished children live in India – and the UN has estimated every year more than two million children die before reaching the age of five – mostly from preventable childhood diseases.

“Living in the UK, it’s so easy to take for granted the opportunities that we are given, and to go through life encountering the problems which are thrown in our path which seem so huge whilst we’re going through them – when in reality many are so minor compared to the millions of underprivileged children living in places like India.

“All the money raised goes directly to projects in India as all staff involved in the administration of HEAL are volunteers.

“Running this Half Marathon is going to be tough – but it’s going to be incomparable to what millions of children in places like India are going through.

“I will be wearing a HEAL t-shirt during the run so I hope people will notice me and perhaps make a small donation – even if it’s not much it will do a lot to these children who have nothing.

“I am so honoured to run for such a worthwhile cause. When I came across HEAL I knew instantly that this was the charity I wanted to support and run for – the great work that the charity does is so inspiring and every step I run I will think of the children that will be better off.

“Doing the degree I do I understand how invaluable good healthcare is and how small interventions can make such a difference, as well as the fact that my heritage is from India, makes this charity personal for me.”

Donations to HEAL can be made through Amrit’s fund-raising page at www.justgiving.com/amrit-dhadda0.

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Posted in Charity Donations, Charity Events, Child Sponsorship India, children poverty india, Fundraising, Heal UK, Poverty Trap, Sponsor-A-Child India, Volunteers | No Comments »

India Night marks HEAL’s 20th anniversary

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

HEAL will celebrate two decades of transforming young lives through education when it holds its annual India Night get-together at The Cressett in Peterborough on October 6.

Dr Satya Prasad Koneru founded the charity Health and Education for All (HEAL) in 1992 with a mission to offer hope to needy children in his native India by equipping them with the tools to become masters of their own destiny.

Determined to break the seemingly constant cycle of poverty in his former home state of Andhra Pradesh, Dr Prasad has used HEAL to provide shelter, health care and an all-important education to hundreds of orphaned, abandoned and destitute children, knowing that this was the only way to make a lasting change in their lives.

And judging by recent success stories coming out of the Children’s Village in Guntur, HEAL’s supporters and sponsors are already seeing the fruits of their labour.

Children who came to HEAL from all manner of deprived backgrounds years ago are emerging as fully-rounded young adults, ready to stand on their own two feet, often seeking further education and looking to put something back into their communities.

HEAL now has around 1,000 children in its ever-growing family and is marking the charity’s 20th anniversary by embarking on its most ambitious scheme yet, the creation of HEAL Paradise Village.

Work has already begun on the £3m project, which will not only become a focal point for the local community in Thotaphalli, near Vijayawada, but home to 1,000 more severely under-privileged children, saving them from a life of poverty, ill health and deprivation.

All the monies raised from the HEAL India Night will go directly to the Paradise Village project and those attending will hear details of the progress already being made in Thotaphalli.

Tickets for the event are £20 (£15 for under-16s) and Dr Prasad is hoping to raise even more than the £6,700 that was made by last year’s Autumn Ball.

“The Autumn Ball was a change to the HEAL India Nights of previous years and it was good to see some new faces among our many regular attendees,” said Dr Prasad.

“This year’s event will be slightly less formal, but equally important in raising money which will make such a difference to hundreds of children’s lives.

“Fund-raising is obviously one of our main objectives, especially with work already well under way on Paradise Village, but we thoroughly enjoy getting together as part of the fellowship of HEAL.”

As well as authentic Indian food and musical entertainment, guests will hear the experiences of volunteers, including a child sponsor, who recently spent time visiting the Children’s Village in Guntur.

For ticket enquiries please call Helen Rome on 07863 178679.

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Posted in Charity Balls, Charity Events, Child Sponsorship India, children poverty india, Childrens Achievements, Fundraising, Heal Children's Village, Heal Finances, HEAL India Night, Heal Paradise Village, Heal UK, Volunteers | No Comments »

Across India by auto-rickshaw for HEAL

Thursday, August 2nd, 2012

THIS summer, three friends with a taste for adventure are embarking on an epic journey – and will raise money for HEAL along the way.

An auto-rickshaw

Jamie and Charity Knight and Olivia Bartleet will be driving 3,700 kilometres across India in an auto-rickshaw – the famous Asian ‘cabin cycle’.

Auto-rickshaws are familiar sights in all Indian cities and are basically three-wheeled motorbikes with a roof on top. Tuk-tuks – as they are commonly known – are an alternative to taxis as a means of getting from A to B.

The team will be travelling from Guwahati, a major metropolitan city in the Assam region, where they will buy their tuk-tuk and drive it all the way to the other side of the country to Jaisalmer, the Golden City, in Rajastan.

The journey will be anything but a guided tour, however, with the three adventurers being left very much to their own devices.

“This is not a high-end race event with uber-expensive, souped-up automobiles and a host of support teams,” says Charity, a graduate of Bristol University. “Our trip is being independently organised by the three team members, with inspiration taken from adventures by the likes of Charlie Boorman and the Adventurists.

“There will be no-one to help if our auto-rickshaw breaks down, or if we get stuck in a monsoon, with the cabin filling up with rain water due to lack of windows or doors.

“We shall be crossing through deserts, through the foothills of the Himalayas, across marshlands and through the most chaotic of cities, where we will no doubt fear for our lives as we dodge cows, people and buses.”

The team admit to having no car mechanic experience and language could be a problem, but the trip should nevertheless be an unforgettable adventure.

“It will be an experiment in survival,” says Charity. “Days will be spent in deserts, with petrol stations being a far off dream and sleeping in a bed a mythical tale. Our auto-rickshaw only travels an average of 30mph, so if injury strikes, we are in trouble.”

Charity Knight and team set off to the Mongol Rally

Two of this intrepid trio, brother and sister Jamie and Charity, from Ashurst in West Sussex, have already taken part in the Mongol Rally last year, driving across 10 countries and two deserts, passing along the River Volga, through the Ural mountains and into Kazakhstan.

“Our trip to India is not just about adventure and experience,” says Charity. “We are raising money for a charity close to our hearts, HEAL, which helps relieve under-privileged children, educating them so that they will never live a life of poverty again. We are aiming to visit one of their projects in India, so we can see how we are helping, and where exactly the money goes.

“We hope that people can help us support this charity and sponsor us on our adventure, whether it is through cash donation, or sponsorship in some other form.”

You can make a donation by logging on to www.justgiving.com/AnAutoRickshawAcrossIndia and you will be able to follow the trio’s progress on a blog here on the HEAL website later this month.

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