Slum kids' health check

[Social media post for Charity Child of Hope]

Last week we carried out a health survey on our pupils, some other schools’ pupils and on children in the community, to find out how our kids are doing in terms of health and growth.

Their temperature, weight, BMI, skin, legs, height and various body parts were all checked by the health team from nearby Joy Hospice, with the help of their volunteers and our welfare and health team.

You can read about the social impact we are having on the health of our pupils here. It is clear that the overall health of the children attending Child of Hope School is better than that of the children who do not – which is something we are hugely proud of.

The findings from this year’s survey will be added as soon as they available.

Wooden you love to see them get real skills?

[Social media post for charity Child of Hope, building a huge school in the heart of the Namatala slum of eastern Uganda]

We thought you’d like to see some of our older pupils in their carpentry class… as you can see they take it very seriously!

These lessons take place twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursday – and aim to equip some of our kids with carpentry skills (particularly making furniture) from which they can eventually earn a living.

As in everything we do, the sessions are provided for free, no child or parent pays anything.

Primary headteacher Peter said: “The lessons are for our P5 and P6 pupils and represent a big step forward in their creativity. They are led by one of our parents who is a carpenter, and he loves to train them for free. The children can now make simple furniture such as benches and tables.”

Meet Prism at the CIPD annual exhibition in November

[Social media post for client Prism Project Management Associates Ltd]

We are making great claims about our all-new service to boost competence in project managers – so why don’t you come and meet us at the CIPD annual exhibition in November, and find out if it’s that good or not!

While you’re there, you can meet 180 or so other leading HR suppliers, get advice and tailored solutions to everything from OD to coaching, and talent management to training delivery. It takes place November 5-6 at Manchester Central (formerly GMEX), Petersfield, Manchester M2 3GX. Entry is free.

Clean path

[Social media post for charity Child of Hope]

Since we fitted our new kitchen onto the side of the school last year, the access path to it (for pupils and staff at breaktime and lunches) has simply been on soil… but now we have a new concrete path!

It often rains in this part of Africa so the old path was regularly getting very boggy, which didn’t help in keeping the kitchen floor clean, nor the school floor. Now rain runs off quickly and helps keep it clean! That’s the kitchen in the background of the photo.

The sky's the limit for Elizabeth

One year ago, Elizabeth Mujehe was successfully running her vegetable stall in the local market, which she had set up with a business grant from Child of Hope. This enabled her to provide for all her family, including a child that attends our school. However, Elizabeth wasn’t satisfied with just survival. After further training and through careful use of her hard earned savings, she has now dramatically increased her income.

Child of Hope's Income Generating Activity (IGA) co-ordinator Betty explained how she has done it: "Firstly, she managed to increase the turnover and profit on her stall through careful and strategic adding of items such as cassava flour and cooking oil to her stock.

"Secondly, she is now growing rice. This involves her renting a quarter of an acre of land that is suitable for growing rice. Rice growing is very tough work but it can be profitable. Elizabeth pays other people to help her, as the land has to be ploughed twice before she can plant the rice. The rice itself has first to be planted in nursery beds before being transferred into the field after the first month. After a further month, the rice has to be weeded. A month later, the rice is ready to be harvested. There are two harvests a year. In her first harvest, Elizabeth managed to obtain around 300 kilos of rice, which she then sold for around £125; a very large sum in Uganda.

"In addition to the two children attending Child of Hope School, her market stall had enabled her to send her other two children to local government schools. Now, with the rice business, she has been able to move them to better schools. With her ever-increasing savings, the sky really is the limit for Elizabeth.

"Thank you all donors for the support you are giving us. May God bless you all."

Store & Secure doubles its size with additional 27,000 sq ft of storage space

Bournemouth-based self-storage company Store & Secure has doubled its size with the addition of 27,000 square feet of storage space.

The latest fit-out of storage units cost £300,000 and provides bigger units for local businesses, which can now self-store from three square feet up to 450 square feet.

The company – located behind Castlepoint – also provides suites of serviced offices of various sizes, available for rent at short notice and for any length of time, and 120 24-hour, drive-up storage units. It is also widely used by families and individuals needing temporary storage.

Managing director Brian Maidman said: “The company is expanding well – this phase is a year and a half ahead of schedule in our first five years’ plan. What comes next is growth around the south of England with further locations. The concept is very popular with businesses as they can easily up-scale or downsize for short periods, and are never tied to a fixed space, both in storage and our serviced offices. We will receive deliveries on their behalf and provide full handling facilities – forklift, pallet trucks and trollies. Even a mailbox. Start-ups can try a business idea by beginning as small as they like and without being locked into a contract.”

Brian launched Store & Secure in 2010 while he was MD of removals company Maidman’s, which he sold in April. He has been joined in the business by daughters Lucy and Sophie.

The business is a member of the Self Storage Association which sets the standards for the industry. It has inspected and approved Store & Secure as a professional self storage operator.

The extra space for this expansion phase lies within its existing building, in an area previously let to Maidman’s Removals.

Security is better than ever

[Social media for clients Store & Secure, Bournemouth]

With our additional 27,000 sq feet of storage units about to be opened, we have beefed up our 24/7 security with upgraded alarms and extra CCTV – to make sure your home and business storage is ultra-safe!

Dry… bright… clean… friendly… secure… 7 days a week.

Declutter = donations!

[Social media for clients Store & Secure, Bournemouth]

We support three local hospices, and many of our lovely customers donate unwanted items to them while having a clear-out at home. 

 We love helping our adopted charities –Lewis Manning, Julia’s House and Forest Holme – we’ve held yard sales, BBQ breakfasts and coffee mornings for them and we provide complimentary storage for their shops when they are full of stock. Watch out for more events this year! 

 

Dry… bright… clean… friendly… secure… 7 days a week.

Quick response saves a life

Thanks to an amazingly fast response from UK donors, Child of Hope was able to rescue slum-born baby Peter, who was orphaned at six weeks old when his mother died following childbirth.

His mother was terribly ill all through her pregnancy. She gave birth to Peter but couldn’t feed him at all – he was given just sugar-water and was terribly malnourished...

Read the full story.

Dairy boost

Jennifer and her family are moving to the next stage of success in her Child of Hope-funded business – she’s bought a cow.

The family originally came to the Namatala slum after losing their home in the Bududa landslides of 2010. She joined CoH's Income Generating Activity scheme (IGA) to set up a tailoring business after her child joined its school. You can read her story here.

Her hard work is paying off and now she has managed to buy a cow out of the small savings from the business. It will produce milk for the whole family and enough to sell to boost her IGA income.

She said: “I am very grateful to the donors who help sustain the lives of the children of the slums of Namatala through the mums of Child of Hope school.”

Business start-up grants help mums like Jennifer to lift their families from the worst strangleholds of poverty. They cost just £25… in case you’re interested! Could be the best investment you ever made…

Largest pre-book

Social media post for client Store & Secure:

With our current huge expansion, businesses can hire larger spaces than ever… in fact there’s no size limit. One of our earliest pre-bookings for the new units is a company wanting 900 sq feet of our larger units. 

Dry… bright… clean… friendly… secure… 7 days a week.

Bridge the project management gap

Launching this summer for project managers… a service from Prism PMA that will strengthen competence – and bridge the gap between the knowing (qualifications) and the doing (practical application). Up-skill, gain confidence and become a more effective project professional.

[Social media post]