Here is the latest update on the special needs class in Lebanon, written by my dear friend who is responsible for planning and implementing the numerous lessons and activities. She has also produced THIS-VIDEO which I hope you will enjoy.
The children are continuing to make excellent progress. they are still receiving a good amount of education. We are still teaching them Arabic, English, Maths, drawing, music and sport.
We can see that they integrate very well with each other and are no longer isolated or shy to talk or answer questions. Also, there is very good progress in their pronunciation.
If you would like to donate towards this very worthwhile project, please feel free to use the link Pay.rrym.uk or you can pay directly into our charity’s bank account.
NatWest Bank Account: 71053743
Sort code: 51-61-14
Heartfelt thanks to those of you who are kind enough to donate towards this project on a regular basis, thus ensuring it’s continuity.
This summer Heulwen has decided to attempt climbing Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). This will be an official fundraiser for our charity Refugee Relief Ynys Môn, registered charity number 1184413. “If any of you would be kind enough to consider sponsoring me I would be extremely grateful.
All money raised will be put towards various projects run by our Syrian friends.
As many of you already know, I’ve always considered myself to be up for a challenge or two. It helps to keep me motivated when the going gets a little tough. If I can use any personal challenges as a means of obtaining financial support for friends in need, so much the better. It’s with this in mind that I have decided to attempt climbing Yr Wyddfa, (Snowdon) this summer.
I will be attempting the climb with the support of husband barry, daughter Sophie and her partner Jamie.
If any of you would be kind enough to consider sponsoring me I would be extremely grateful. I can’t give an accurate date for the climb as yet as so much will depend on the weather. Hopefully it will be sometime between the 24th June, the date that we have currently pencilled in for the climb, and the middle of August.
If you would like to help our charity continue our mission to support others in dire need of financial help, please use the DONATE link where you will find several payment options. Alternatively you can pay into our charity’s bank account, the details of which are as follows:
Refugee Relief Ynys Mon National Westminster Bank Account number: 71053743 Sort code: 516114 IBAN GB76NWBK51611471053743.
Heartfelt thanks to those of you willing to sponsor me. Never forget, but for circumstance of birth, this could so easily be us in desperate need of help!
On 16 December, our charity posted an appeal to raise funds so that Nour and her friends could organise a special party for 20 disabled youngsters living in the camps of Arsal, Lebanon. We reached our target in record time thanks to the generosity of Catherine, Carys, Laura and Betty, and the money was duly sent to Nour. She and her friends wasted no time in putting their plan into action! The party was held on Wednesday, 28 December and thoroughly enjoyed by one and all as you will see from the video. Nour tells me that one little boy is already quizzing his parents regarding when the next party might be!: Lebanon Disabled Party
It is our fervent hope to continue to support as many of these children as possible over the next few months, but we will need your support to be able to do this properly. If you would like to donate please use the pay.rrym.uk or contact me for details of our charity’s bank account. In the words of the video nothing is impossible where hope still exists. Will you please join us in our efforts to prove to these children that indeed it does?
Amongst the most vulnerable group of refugees living in the Arsal camps are those facing permanent disability. They are neglected and not provided with the proper care and resources that most disabled people would consider essential. Some suffered life changing injuries that resulted in them becoming long—term disabled whilst trying to escape the horrors of war. Others were born with some form of disability.
After witnessing their suffering under the harsh winter conditions of the Arsal camps, my friends and I decided to organise a party for 15-20 disabled youngsters, where we can provide them with a good nutritious meal and dessert, something they can’t get in their daily lives. Not only that, but we are also planning to design and teach them some simple exercises which they can use to reduce their anxiety or depression, thereby promoteing their general feelings of well-being. During the party they will have the opportunity to meet with others who face the same or a similar condition. Hopefully this will help to build their confidence and make them feel less isolated. It should also help them to foster new relationships. Our goal is to empower this weak category of refugees to the very best of our ability.
Yesterday was an extremely busy day for the Syrian families in Arsal, Lebanon. It was time to harvest the potato crop that they have tended and grown for the second year in succession. According to my friend Nour it was an excellent harvest! 300 families will be provided with 20 kg of potatoes as a result. Thanks to those of you who gave so generously to make this project feasible.
Here are pictures and a video of the potato distribution to families in some of the camps in Arsal, Lebanon. It never ceases to amaze me just how many miracles can be achieved when a few like-minded folk pull together, even over a distance of approximately three thousand miles in this case. Thanks to everyone who has supported this project, either by making a financial donation, or by putting in hours of hard work on the farm to ensure a successful harvest that has provided 20 kg of potatoes for 300 families! You are all heroes!
If you would like to donate to our work please feel free to use the Donate link or the details of our charity bank account.
Occasionally we are able to supply aid directly to displaced people, either in the UK or in refugee camps, who have been referred to us by a trusted volunteer or group.
However as we are such a small charity with few volunteers, most of the aid we collect is shipped to one of the organisations described in the accompanying “People We Support” document, who we trust to distribute the aid on our behalf. We receive frequent photographs of these distributions, which we show on our Facebook page and Website as evidence to our donors that the aid has reached its intended recipients.
The Trustees declare that the charity has no outstanding debts which are secured by an express charge on any of the assets of the charity at the date of the statement of assets & liabilities.
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the above report and authorised that it be signed on their behalf by the secretary.
The people we support
This document covers the period from 6 March 2021 to 5 March 2022.
Occasionally we are able to supply aid directly to displaced people, either in the UK or in refugee camps, who have been referred to us by a trusted volunteer or group.
However as we are such a small charity with few volunteers most of the aid we collect is shipped to one of the following organisations, who we trust to purchase or distribute the aid on our behalf. We receive frequent reports and photographs of these distributions, which we show on our Facebook page and Website as evidence to our donors that the aid has reached its intended recipients.
Hand in Hand for Aid and Development, Birmingham
We were able to Send another eight boxes of hand knitted and crocheted items to HIHFAAD before customs rules were tightened even further on the Turkish/Syrian border. Unfortunately we have been unable to send further parcels for the last few months due to customs constraints.
Freeshop Lebanon container
We have continued sending aid by way of clothes, footwear and blankets to the Free Shop, Lebanon, providing them with nine large boxes of aid during the past year. Our boxes are sent to their warehouse in Coventry, from where all in-coming aid is sorted into categories and put on to containers ready for transporting to Lebanon.
Sussex Aid Refugees
Sussex Aid have been instrumental in providing clothes and footwear for Afghan refugees residing in local hotels. We have been able to help them in their efforts by providing them with nine boxes of same..
Katy Last Parcel for Ukraine
At the beginning of March, 2022, we sent a large box of nappies, wet wipes, toiletries and sanitary towels to a fellow humanitarian living in Derbyshire. She was collecting these items to send out to Ukraine, courtesy of a local organisation.
Infant Medication for Turkish Border
In April 2021 we sent £300 to a trusted friend living on the Turkish border, in order to help him purchase special lotion for three young boys with a serious hereditary skin condition.
Heulwen Lebanon Potato Project
In February the charity donated £100 towards an agricultural project that Heulwen had helped establish in Arsal, Lebanon. The Refugee families were able to rent a plot of land on which they planted potatoes, beans, aubergines, tomatoes and onions. The project was very successful and helped to provide many families with a variety of fresh vegetables. Thanks to our contacts on the ground we were able to regularly update our supporters regarding the progress of this project by posting pictures and videos both on our Facebook page and on our Website.
Heulwen Fencing for P4T Primary School, Uganda
Another of Heulwen’s projects was to finance secure fencing for P4T primary school in Uganda. The charity was happy to donate £100 towards this project and the money was transferred towards the end of April. Following discussions with the school principal, Mr Joseph Sindani, the fencing was duly erected. Prior to this the school had been encountering problems with older men entering the premises to try to tempt local girls away from their studies and offering them money for sex.
Nappies and Milk for Turkish boarder
At the end of April we were able to donate the sum of£72 towards the purchasing of nappies an baby milk on the Turkish border. Again pictures were taken and posted on our Facebook page and Website for the benefit of our supporters.
Love Without Boarders, Athens Food Vouchers
In May 2021 we sent £180 to the American charity, Love Without Borders, who had launched a project to provide much of the refugee population residing in Athens with food vouchers. The money was sent using their Paypal charity account.
ThereYouGo Soap and Toiletries
In June we sent £110 to the small Greek organisation, Thereyougo. Our donation enable them to buy soap and other toiletries for residents of the new refugee camp which has recently been built on the island of Samos.
Love Without Boarders, Community Centre Rent
In July 2021 we sent £176 to the American charity Love Without Borders, to help them with the renting of their newly established community centre in Athens. Again we used their charity Paypal link in order to transfer the money.
Gaza Desalination Plant
Last year we embarked on a project to raise funds which would facilitate the digging of a well and the installation of a desalination plant in the village of Cuza, Gaza. We succeeded in raising £1132 which we transferred directly to the company carrying out the work, Abdul Salam Yaseen and sons, who were involved in organising and carrying out the work. The money was transferred in July 2021. As ever we posted a number of pictures and videos on our Facebook page and Website showing how the work was progressing, and again once it had been completed.
Infant Medication for Turkish Border
Another £35 was sent to our friend on the Turkish border in August 2021 to cover the cost of infant medication. This was to help him purchase medicine for a small baby with digestive issues.
Bridge2 Haiti
Following the earth quake in Haiti, it was decided that we should donate £100 to the charity Bridge2 to help with their emergency restoration work. The money was transferred to them in October 2021.
Humming Bird Toy Appeal
Last December we purchased toys and games totalling £53 from Amazon. These we duly donated to a local community organisation, the Hummingbird project, who were running an appeal to provide less fortunate children with Christmas gifts. Having purchased the items on Amazon, we arranged for them to be delivered directly to the Hummingbird project who are based in Abergele.
Lebanon Global Helping Hands
Towards the end of last year we launched another fundraiser to help purchase food baskets for families living in the camps of Arsal, Lebanon. We succeeded in raising £1350 which we transferred to the British charity, Global Helping Hands who were responsible for setting up the original project. The money was transferred to them at the end of December. Again pictures and videos of the distributions were posted both on our Facebook page and Website.
Care4Calais
Care4Calais is a volunteer run charity delivering essential aid and support to refugees living in the worst conditions across Northern France and Belgium. We believe in a fair and tolerant British society and advocate for a welcoming and inclusive attitude towards refugees. Care4calais.org is a UK Registered Charity #1169048
RRYM has supplied second-hand winter coats, men’s jeans, winter hats and socks. These were sent via Rob Lorrie by courier in 4 20kg boxes in November 2021.
Pobl i Bobl – Bangor (Cefnogi Ffoaduriaid/Refugee Support)
Founded as a response to the beginning of the European refugee crisis in 2015, Pobl i Bobl (Welsh for People to People) aims to help people in crisis by providing physical aid and personal support, regardless of race, religion and location.
Barry Dickinson Chair 12/05/2016 NA Mary Elizabeth Williams Trustee 11/02/2019 NA Neil Gavin Bannigan Trustee 11/02/2019 21/10/2021 Carys Thomas Trustee 03/03/2020 NA
The prevention or relief of poverty anywhere in the world by providing: grants and items to individuals in need and/or charities, or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.
Our mission is to supply regular shipments of food, warm clothes and other life essentials.
Statutory Declaration on Public Benefit
The trustees declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers or duties.
We use Social Media to keep in regular contact with volunteers and organisations working on the ground in the countries we support. This gives us an insight into exactly what is needed and where. It also enables us to confirm to our donors that the aid we send reaches the correct destination.
A list of the “People We Support” can be found at the end of this document. We hold regular meetings and work alongside several other charities and groups from Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales. This enables us to make informed decisions on when and where to provide aid and to make the best use of our limited resources.
Although most of the aid we supply is sent from the UK, it is sometimes more economical for us to grant funds to charities and groups operating in the areas we support. This money is then used to purchase food and essential items locally, reducing transport costs and supporting their local economy. We obtain original receipts for such purchases whenever possible.
At the beginning of March, 2021, Barry and Heulwen moved to their new home in Llandudno as planned. All donated items had been sent out to organisations various or offered to local charities prior to their move, which made the task of packing much easier. Since then we have had two of our four trustees, Betty Williams and Carys Thomas continuing to collect and pack donations on Anglesey, with the other two trustees, Barry and Heulwen Dickinson working from Llandudno. The fact that Heulwen has been obliged to receive chemotherapy treatment on a regular basis means that Carys has stepped up to take care of most of the packing duties, with Betty continuing to play a major role in receiving donations at her home. Our charity continues to work efficiently despite the miles between us. We have been holding our meetings online, including our AGM which was held on 22/11/2021. In October 2021, our wonderful friend and fellow trustee, Neil Bannigan, sadly lost his battle against cancer. To say that he has been sorely missed by us all is a massive understatement. We wrote to the Charity Commission at the time to inform them of Neil’s passing. Between March 2021 and March 2022, we did not ship any boxes of aid to other countries. Customs duties ETC have continued to pose multiple problems which have yet to be resolved. We have kept monitoring the situation in the hope that things may change for the better, but I fear this has been more in hope than expectation. Not to be totally thwarted in our attempts to provide aid to those who so desperately need it, we came to an arrangement with several other charities that allowed us to send aid to their depots in the UK. From there it is put on to pallets or loaded on to containers for shipping abroad. In December 2021, Barry and Heulwen were invited to take the charity stall to a Christmas fair in Llandudno. We were able to raise a modest amount through the sale of donated items which were not suitable for shipping abroad. We have yet to set up regular fundraising events similar to those we organised on Anglesey. If we decide to do so in the future it will certainly need to involve the recruitment of more volunteers in order to make manning the stall feasible.
Cash Donations and Collections
We showcase the work of our charity and request public donations on our Website https://RRYM.UK and on our Facebook page refugeereliefynysmon.
This year we have received Donations of £4,816 and Other income of £166.
This includes £360 from our Facebook “Gaza Desalination Plant Appeal”.
Fundraising activity
Items which have been donated but which are not required by the displaced people we support are sold either at local events or on social media to raise funds.
Talks and Presentations
Only one event was held this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. In December 2021, Barry and Heulwen took the charity stall to a Christmas fair in Llandudno.
shipping costs
Due to problems exporting to the EU following Brexit, together with Covid-19 restrictions, we have been able to ship far fewer donated items for distribution to refugees in Europe and beyond. As a result, our expenditure this year on shipping costs was reduced to £335.
We posted 31 20kg boxes of clothes, some going to Athens, others to Lebanon, all courtesy of UK charities.
Purchasing Aid
Our main expenditure this year has been purchasing essential items and funding local support projects. Some items are purchased in the UK and shipped in the boxes and containers, but most are purchased on our behalf by trusted volunteers in the countries we support. These totalled £3,700, which included £1,133 towards the Gaza Desalination Plant and £1,350 to Global Helping Hands to purchase food baskets for families living in the Arsal refugee camps.
For an explanation of these items and details of their recipients, please refer to the accompanying “People We Support” document.
