Sunlit Sunday 2

January 24th

Fundraising again

Those that follow the blog may remember that my 15 year old daughter travelled to Kenya last year to help in an orphanage for 10 days. Kenya experience at 15 Along with 11 others they had to raise the money for the 12 months leading up to their visit to fund their travel, accommodation AND any charitable projects they wanted to help out with.  Every week for a year there was some form of fundraising and they managed to raise over twenty thousand pounds.  It was hard work and the youngsters learnt much about themselves, each other, working alone and in teams.  They began to realise the value of money and once they travelled to Africa, began to realise how privileged they are.  This is of course just scratching at the surface about what they learnt, did and experienced and how it changed, I think all of them, from youngsters to young people.  The next generation. 

Why mention it again?  This group of exceptional characters, I am of course biased, are the first group that this ten year old charity have led, have decided collectively as a group to return to Africa. To continue fundraising and to help as much as they can.  I am immensely proud and tearful about it all. Many who have been return as individuals, but not one group has returned in it's entirety.  These young people are now not led by a teacher or mentor.  They are now not reminded about deadlines for fundraising or helped to think of ideas, but as a group of now 16 year olds they are organising everything from flights, dates and money raising.  They have worked out how much each individual has to raise a month and how much as a group on top of that they need to raise a month to reach the dead line of returning in the summer of 2017.  Fundraising has begun again in earnest and they are in conversation with the charity about which projects they will undertake this time. 



My daughter as her monthly individual fundraising is offering to paint people's nail with gel polish and needs to make sure that every  month she has a minimum of five 'clients'.  So far she is on track having also painted several teachers nails, friends and family.  One lovely teacher posted a picture of her nails on Instagram recommending her and from this she has a few more orders.  All the money will go directly into the fundraising pot.  This may not be the 'norm' for a sunlit post, but it warms my heart that there are so many more 'good' people in the world than not and I just need reminding of that sometimes. 

Elsewhere in life it's the small things that cheer me.  We've had a mixed bag of weather this past week from crisp clear blue skies to -8 degrees and deep frost, that's not so usual for us.  Each brings it's own beauty.  It's looking out for these small things that help my well being, are you the same?  They are so easy to miss, but Sunlit Sunday posts really focus me in.  Below I share with you my photos from out and about and at home that have warmed my soul for one reason or another.  I hope they do the same for you...

Saved some of the daffodils from
 the garden before the heavy frost

Tulips are now in the shops, I love these flowers

The sun streaming in through the windows

Crisp cold clear blue winter skies

The snowdrops are out in abundance and Snowdrop
walks with afternoon tea are advertised everywhere around
here, a great Sunday afternoon treat

 

Amazing colours in the sunset and the days
 are slowly becoming noticeably longer!

This week at school we gathered all the children into the hall and watched the 'live' space walk. It brought back memories of my childhood being marched into the hall in anticipation of big world events to watch on the screen.  Memory making moments.   It's so magical and frightening at the same time to think that someone is up there on that beautiful moon.  It generated much talk amongst the children all week. 

 

  

This week saw the first UK space walk by Tim Peake, but
let's not forget Helen Sharman the first UK
person in space in 1991 though

 

And then the cold came in and we lit the fire... although I may just have

put on a log slightly too big for the study fire place, oops!

 

 

 

 

 

...and just yesterday I noticed the first buds of blossoming opening up.  I have mixed feelings about this though, on the one hand it means Spring really isn't far away but on the other it is far too early and nature really has been confused by the mainly mild winter we are having...

The blossom is bursting out

Joining in with Karen for another sunlit post. Pop over and see what everyone is sharing to brighten up the winter months:  Karen
 

♥   Until next Sunday, have a very 'sunny' week   ♥