Donna writes
 | I first heard about the Beulah Education Institute in June 2006 when Jo Richards spoke passionately about this fabulous organisation. I sat in Saint Andrew's church and listened to Jo tell the story of the school's principal Grace and her determination to build a school that would deliver a Christian based education for children whose lives were dominated by poverty and corruption. Jo's speech was very moving. As I sat and gave thanks for the education that my three children have been so very lucky to receive I felt compelled to try and do something to help Grace's mission. About three weeks later I hosted a lunch at my home for some 100 people to raise funds for Beulah. This was an interesting challenge within a short period of time but I am blessed with a very supportive network of family and friends who were incredibly helpful and enthusiastic. We managed to source sponsors, caterers, a private concert by the fabulous tenor singer Martin Toal, and a host of raffle prizes. The day was successful insofar as we managed to raise almost £3,000 and spread the news of Beulah's great work and its needs. That was last year. I have continued to keep in touch with Jo about progress at Beulah. It is clear that we can do much more to help. They need to fund their teachers. They need ICT equipment. They need musical equipment. They need a kitchen. They need to improve the buildings. They do not have the funds to pay for these essential requirements. |
This year, my goal is to raise £5,000 for Grace and her team. I would like to host another lunch and I have had several discussions already to try and make this happen. Coutts bank have kindly offered to cover the costs of staging another event if we are able to prove that Beulah is a registered charity. Coutts, the Queen's bank, is a highly respected organisation and I believe that if we can gain their support this year we may be able to foster a longer-term, effective partnership. I have provisionally booked Willington Hall for lunch on Monday 11th June, 2007. Once again, we will provide a champagne reception followed by a two-course summer luncheon with wine and coffee. Martin Toal will be accompanied by a superb violinist and will entertain us with a private concert comprising many well known arias. Martin's voice has been described as "phenomenal" by Chris de Burgh and he has sung with Lesley Garret amongst other respected classical singers. Tickets will be priced at £20. I would like to sell 120 tickets and will need lots of help to do so! If we are successful in raising £5,000 this year Grace will be able to fund the salaries of her teachers and this will enable her to plan much more effectively. Jim Wigan, Jo Richards and myself met recently to discuss how we can better help Grace both in terms of raising funds and in terms of helping her with planning and administration. We plan to formalise a committee that will make both raising of funds and their deployment more effective and transparent." | |