Sunday 26 September 2010

We now have a "Justgiving" page

The best way to give to Kasese Street Kids now is by going to http://www.justgiving.com/KaseseStreetKids.
That way you can instantly give whatever sum you like by Credit Card or Debit Card. If you are a UK taxpayer, you can automatically give by Gift Aid, so that your gift is made 28% more valuable!

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Mary drives again!

A bobcat
skid steer
...














A 3-gang
lawn mower
...


and a JCB
Loadall.

Only about fund raising?

We had a comment passed to us yesterday, from someone who had recently visited this blog: "It's all about fund raising! It doesn't say anything about what it's actually for..."
That is the trouble with a blog - the most recent posts are what you see! May I say for any new readers or visitors - if you want to know more about the Street Kids, and how we got involved, go to the right of the screen, to "Blog Archive", and click on the earlier posts, especially March and April.
Fund raising is still going on, particularly Mary's Multi-vehicle Charity Challenge: today she was 41 metres up on a "cherry-picker", properly called a "Access Boom".
The scariest one for her was yesterday - a friend's motorbike! (pictures soon.)

But the friend's comment about the Blog has made me decide - we need a website, which will let people see at once what they want, without having to search through dozens of blog postings. I am not skilled at this technology, but I hope within a week or two (with a little bit of help from my friends) to have a Kasese Street Kids website online! Watch this space...

Wednesday 15 September 2010

More vehicles for Mary to drive

Mary's Multi-Vehicle Charity Challenge is going on apace! Here she is driving a steamer on Ullswater - she even took it out from the jetty, and most of the way to Glenridding. I was allowed to go round the passengers - no, not with tranquillisers to calm their nerves, but with a collecting box, and this raised £80.


Other vehicles she has driven include a fork-lift truck, a 3 1/2 ton van, and a shopmobility scooter!


Today we booked her to drive a diesel locomotive, and a hearse; we are also negotiating a penny-farthing bike!
The hard bit is turning all these into cash - all sponsors welcome, whether "per vehicle driven", or a lump sum.
Contact her on kskjenkin@hotmail.co.uk.

Saturday 11 September 2010

Mary's driving challenge has begun






Mary has started her Multi-Vehicle Charity Challenge, with three successful drives.



First, she drove a tracked ditch-digger, and used the controls to wave its shovel around! Thank you, Border Construction Ltd.











Then she drove a 42-seater coach (the passengers had all got out - not in order to escape but to go to the tea shop!). Thanks to Apollo 8 Travel.




Finally today she drove a 1937 London taxi.


We have also arranged for her to drive a 1955 double-decker bus, other classic vans, a steam traction engine, an Ullswater steamer and a recovery truck. More to come!

Thursday 9 September 2010

Mary's Multi-Vehicle Charity Challenge

I mentioned in my last post that Mary was wanting to do some stunt to raise funds, and one idea was to drive an HGV.
This suggestion has been enlarged and developed. She is now aiming to drive as many different types of vehicle as she can before the end of October
She has already arranged to drive a tractor, a digger, a dump truck, a quad bike, and a steamer on Ullswater! We still hope the HGV can be arranged (not on the highway - she has no HGV licence).
We are also trying to negotiate for a tank, a shipyard crane, a fire engine, and some airport vehicles - you know, those weird flat things, fuel bowsers, and mobile gangway stairs.
All suggestions and offers gratefully accepted! (kskjenkin@hotmail.com)
Photos will be published here as and when available!

Saturday 4 September 2010

Ways of raising funds for KSK

We have in mind several ways of raising more money for the Kasese Street Kids hostel.

1. We are hoping to publish a book, called (perhaps) "My Favourite Things". We have written to dozens of people - not only family and friends but quite a number of celebrities. We ask them to write a few lines about their "Favourite Thing" - whether a favourite place, or favourite recipe, or tune, or film, or book, or pet, or pastime... Where appropriate, we ask for a photo of the "Favourite Thing", as well as a picture of the contributor.

So far a number of well-known people have answered - John Sentamu, Archbishop of York; Cliff Richard; Boris Johnson, Mayor of London; Chris Bonington, mountaineer, etc. At the other end of the scale is Georgie, Mary's 2-year-old godson - his favourite thing is splashing through puddles!

We think the book might be quite entertaining. Contributions, anyone, to kskjenkin@hotmail.co.uk!

2. We have a number of speaking engagements booked - churches, WI or Mothers' Union groups, etc.

3. We are approaching schools which our children attended, suggesting a fund-raising event like a non-uniform day - and of course we would be happy to speak to the youngsters and show pictures.

4. A classical concert is booked for next June.

5. Mary wants to do some fund-raising stunt - a parachute jump, or an abseil, or driving an HGV truck, or a sponsored walk round our five local churches - a 36 mile walk. Ideas, anyone?