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Shore Foundation
Proceeds to
the tsunami redevelopment
Invite you
To
Tea at the Abbey
In the refectory
All Welcome
On 29th June 2008
2.00pm to 6.00pm
Serving:
tea, coffee, cakes, snacks
and
Christmas card stall
Charity no. 1112998
Flag Days
On
Saturday 26th July the Shore Foundation will be holding a street
collection in Harpenden. Please look out for us and give generously! Our flag day in and around St Albans on
Saturday 14th April 2007 raised £146.27. Following this success, another flag day
was held in Harpenden on 14th July.
In addition, we have received £160 thanks to the efforts of a number of Sir John
Lawes School pupils, who took part in a Swimathon at Harpenden Pool.
Sri Lankan Evening and 2nd Anniversary Update
Amira Dillon and Vanathy
Gnanendran
Bharata Natyam (Asian
classical) dancers entertained guests at a special Sri Lankan evening
organised by Shore Foundation, to mark the 2nd anniversary of the
Asian tsunami disaster.
A very enjoyable evening was concluded by Cllr Robert Donald (Chair) who
gave an update on Shore’s current work and projects. Shore has become
focused on helping and supporting an area in Sri Lanka in particular Thirukovil, a town on the eastern coastline one of the
worst affected areas on the island.
Support from local donors has seen an important start to the
redevelopment, providing opportunities for those badly affected by the
disaster, and learn new skills to offer a brighter hope for their future.
The Vocational Training Centre in Thirukovil is
where we have started helping. This provides vital training skills in
carpentry, sewing/hand looming, IT, welding and engineering, motorcycle and
electrical repairs plus languages including English. This should lead people
to better paid jobs or start their own business to improve people’s
livelihoods and quality of life.
2006 saw the computer centre up and running with over 120 students taking
the opportunity to acquire an IT skill in its first year with many finding
better paid jobs locally, in the capital, Colombo and even overseas.
Livelihood development is an ideal way to enable poor and vulnerable men
and women to achieve greater sustainability, which in turn improves the lives
of whole communities who benefit through improved access to food, education,
medicine and other basic needs.
Together with support and donations from other sources, the end of 2006
also marked a very important step in the redevelopment of housing, with the
laying of the foundations to build a new housing development by local
dignitaries in a village that saw all their homes wiped out on Boxing Day
2004. Many of those displaced at the time are still living in camps 2 years
on. This major housing construction has laid foundations for at least 120
houses out of 340 needed while more funding is being still sought.
Money has been sent by local donors such as St Albans Priory Rotary Club
who support the Motorcycle workshop and its instructor’s annual salary.
Also, Aboyne
Lodge Primary
School in St Albans has
linked to a school in the area helping to provide items required for the
education of young children whose lives were so dramatically affected.
Looking ahead things look much surer for Shore with the ground work
already done, and significant projects ahead to be completed we continue to
raise further funds to help our cause.
Amira Dillon and Vanathy
Gnanendran
“Dancing on the Beach”
By Simone Ryder
It was the “dancing” that did it for me and the
“beach” too of course, I mean the shore, the SHORE FOUNDATION to
be precise. As an artistic person with a keen interest in charities, I like
to attend events that are for a good cause especially when they have an artistic
slant.
So I was very interested when I saw the advert for a Commemorative Dinner
with South Asian Dance display organised by the SF.
I arrived at the hall in good time and there were already a good number of
guests there. I was immediately impressed by the obvious care that had been
taken with the whole affair. The tables had been set with white and yellow
tablecloths and fresh flowers. Soft drinks and the starters had already been
served along with dainty succulent nibbles. Everything looked delicious and
it was hard to resist eating them straight away.
The best – too short a word to do justice – was yet to come.
Eventually the dinner started. The menu had been prepared with such love and
care. I could feel this straight away as I started to eat.
As a vegetarian I was very well served indeed. The menu was varied with
excellent choices and an absolutely delicious salsa; and the service was
excellent.
The evening was rounded off by a spectacular display of Asian dancing, one
of my favourite forms of entertainment. Asian dancing is a very fine art
indeed, requiring intensive training in the various elaborate finger, head,
toe and face movements which are characteristic of the art itself.
Sales of various Asian prints and foodstuff added to the fundraiser. There
was also a quiz about Sri
Lanka, with an excellent unusual prize
– Sri Lankan Tea.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself as I am sure everyone there did. I spent a
sociable, leisurely, interesting evening which was also very good value for
the price.
I look forward to the next “dinner dance” and convey sincere
thanks and congratulations to everyone who contributed to make the evening a
success.
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