Mud hut arson hits the poorest

[Online PR for Africa slum charity Child of Hope]

Last night more than 20 huts were deliberately burnt in Namatala – families woke up with burning embers falling on their heads and were just able to escape with their lives. 

This despicable act hits some of the poorest families, who weren't able to save any of the few belongings they call their own. At this stage it’s not known who is to blame.

We think only one of our families was directly affected and today we organised to move them to a safer house and replace some of the bare essentials. Frustratingly, this this is one of the homes that a team from the Lighthouse Family Church worked on when they were here last year repairing the roof.  

We are also giving out donated clothes to the various families that have been affected. 

Stuart to run London marathon

[Photography and online PR for Groveley Precision Engineering]

Groveley’s operations manager Stuart Leaper is to run the London Marathon in April to raise funds for Poole Hospital Charity.

It’s his first-ever marathon and he’s training hard, running every other day and gradually increasing his distance. He’s on a tough 16-week regime to get him up to speed.

Stuart aims to raise in excess of £1,500 for for the hospital, where 15 years ago he had life-changing surgery for his hearing. Both his children were born there, too.

He has always wanted to run the London Marathon, especially since his wife ran it in 2015.

He has set up a JustGiving page for people who want to sponsor him… could you cheer him on by visiting the page and making a donation? Here it is… www.justgiving.com/stuartleaper

Online business success

Photography and online PR for Store & Secure self-storage]

We’re really pleased to have helped online business The Basket Company in its early days – it was so successful that it moved out! 

The company grew fast and soon needed its own warehouse and offices, which it moved into last year in nearby Ringwood. It’s now one of the UK’s largest online wicker basket retailers, selling to the public and trade (hotels, restaurants, pubs, etc).

The Basket Company has nearly doubled in turnover since moving into its 3,500 sq ft premises. It has expanded into homeware as well as the ever-popular basket ware and is about to launch a new website. Some of its basket sales are seasonal…over the winter log baskets have been big sellers, soon that will swing to Easter baskets and then to picnic baskets.

For three years the company hired two large storage rooms with us, while working from an office and packing department just five minutes away from Store & Secure.The flexibility we provided – of expanding its storage for seasonal demands – was very useful and at one point the company was hiring three large rooms.

We received deliveries and moved them to its storage area, where its staff would each day unpack goods, check them in, pick the orders for delivery that day and take them to their own packing department for sending direct to customers.

Director Ian Newey said: “The storage rooms at Store & Secure were just right for us at the time – the flexibility allowed us to grow well while keeping our property overheads to a minimum. The free goods-in service saved us a lot of time, and we used it for returning faulty goods too.”

Check out The Basket Company online – its range of basket ware and homeware is wonderful!

Jo’s marathon

[Online PR for Africa slum charity Child of Hope]

Kind Jo Smith is raising funds for Child of Hope by running in the Surrey Half Marathon on March 13.

Jo came across Child of Hope after her dad visited the school in 2015 and, as a teacher, she was really interested in how the children are educated in Uganda, as well as how they overcome daily challenges.

She said: “Bex came to visit the school where I teach last year and held an assembly for all our children, telling them what Child of Hope is, and this inspired many of our girls. Since then, my Year 6 girls have written letters to some of the pupils who attend Child of Hope school and there has been a little correspondence between the two sets of pupils, which is fantastic! A little overwhelming for both parties I think! Bex and I also set up a Skype session where both classes had the opportunity to chat to one another, again, very moving. 

“Rydes Hill Preparatory school has chosen to help Child of Hope school on a number of occasions and I feel every little helps – so I'm rallying all my friends and family to find a little to put a little bit more into the outstanding school in Uganda.”

If you’d like to support Jo and cheer her on, you can easily donate to her Child of Hope appeal on JustGiving… click here: www.justgiving.com/Jo-Smith32/

Any monsters around?

[Online PR for Store & Secure self-storage]

Nope, there are no monsters lurking in the corridors of our self-storage facility… you know how we like to keep it clean and bright…

But this facility in America might have a few – because the building is the former design studio of legendary animatronics and special make-up effects artist Rick Baker in California, who retired last year. He’s the guy who designed and built iconic monsters for movies such as Gremlins and Men in Black.

He also made puppets, models, moulds and suits for dozens of other films such as Harry and the Hendersons, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Planet of the Apes, Batman Forever, Coming to America, and The Nutty Professor!

Jennifer expands her business

[Online PR for African slum charity Child of Hope]

We love it when our Income Generating Activities (IGA) make a significant difference to mums and their families. A business start-up can help lift a family from the worst effects of poverty in just months, and the benefits just keep coming. Jennifer is a great example.

We told the story of how she started a tailoring business in 2012 in one of our case studies. Then in 2014 we gave an update showing how her hard work was paying off and she had managed to buy a cow out of the small savings from the business. It produces milk for the whole family and enough to sell to boost her IGA income.

Well, now she has expanded her business with a second sewing machine used by an apprentice, to whom she is passing on valuable tailoring experience and tuition. Her aim for the future is to train even more people.

Two of Jennifer’s five children are at the Child of Hope School and she is happy that she is able to educate two of her other children locally. Proudly, she says that having her own business has changed her life and now she feels secure. She has been able to build her own house and has even become a landlady – and now owns two cows!

Sell or scrap a car… to help slum kids in Africa!

[Online PR for African slum charity Child of Hope]

Do you own a vehicle in the UK that you want to sell or get rid of? Then please think about donating its sale (or scrap) value to us through Giveacar!

Giveacar raises money for charities by scrapping and selling old cars. They provide a UK nationwide FREE service which:

• Arranges the collection of the vehicle from your home for FREE; and

• Recycles it at an authorised facility or sends it to auction (depending on its age and condition).

Regardless of their condition, cars are collected free-of-charge nationwide by Giveacar then sold through an online auction or disposed of at an authorised treatment facility.

Scrap donations raise about £35 for the charity (depending on the price of metal) while auction cars can raise much more.

Many car owners want an easy and completely free way to get rid of their old vehicle. Giveacar will help them to do this in a legal and environmentally friendly way that benefits the slum children at Child of Hope’s school!

To arrange the donation of a car, visit www.giveacar.co.uk or call 020 7736 4242, quoting Child of Hope as your preferred charity.

Record order book sees in new apprentice Ben

[Photography and online PR for Groveley Precision Engineering]

With a surge in orders and a record order book across all industry sectors, we have recruited our sixth apprentice, Ben Holland.

Orders are buoyant across the automotive, aerospace, defence, oil/gas, OEM and energy/nuclear sectors.

Ben joins us nearly at the completion of his apprenticeship, which he started at a local engineering firm before it was sold and staff laid off. Groveley will maintain his apprenticeship including day release and evening course at college.

Apprenticeships are a proven way to develop our own people – that’s a long-term view we hold to help ensure our future as a precision engineering company.

150 sq ft serviced office – now available in our business centre

[Online PR for Store & Secure self-storage]

A high-quality, 150 sq ft serviced office has become available in our business centre… and it comes with no fixed-term contract for you to be as flexible as you like.

Store and Secure’s office accommodation is ready to go as a workplace. This office is built to modern standards and comes complete with fitted carpets, suspending ceilings and power. It is also securely protected by access control and CCTV. You’ll enjoy free use of on-site toilets, kitchen facilities and a main reception area. And it’s available seven-days-a-week.

So, what are you looking for – a cost-effective and highly flexible workspace, or a temporary location from which to run an organisation or business? Get in touch with us to discuss hiring the new serviced office on 01202 520 220, or by e-mail.