100% means every penny!

There has been a lot of publicity recently about charitable funds being used to provide people who should have known better with luxuries such as first class flights and the like.
Every penny that is given to GOES is used to benefit needy people in The Gambia. Every pair of reading glasses we receive goes first to a clinic then to someone with fading eyesight. We promise you that any donation given to GOES is used exactly as we promise. We pay our own way. We pay for our flights, accommodation and food. We travel about by local taxi. In addition we tithe our income to the charity.
Thanks for your time - just wanted to make things clear!
Best wishes,
Tom.

Here's a way you can help GOES (or most other charities of your choice) and it won't cost you a penny!

Just register with www.easyfundraising.org.uk and use it as your search engine when you shop on line. You nominate GOES (or any other charity of your choice) at that stage.

GOES will receive 0.5p for each search you do. Doesn't sound much? Well, so far we have received £48 this year! Believe me, every penny counts!

Goodbye, with many thanks!

Sadly we have to say goodbye to two of our loyal supporters. Both have contributed generously over a period of years and thanks to their efforts a young woman and a young man have gained a good education - a priceless gift.
Sincere thanks to both of you - you know who you are!

Well done Joyce!

Joyce has just completed a 25 mile sponsored cycle ride for GOES. Not bad for 70+ ! Very proud of her - well done!

Chance conversations

It's always worthwhile mentioning The Gambia when chatting to people. Today, for instance, I mentioned our work with GOES and found that the lady attending to my poorly toes is a member of a charity which funds medical work all over the world - including The Gambia. I looked at their wbsite, FMS - Festival Medical Services - so I've registered with them. Who knows what comes from a few words?
Joyce is riding her bike in a fund-raising cycle ride: about 20 miles on Sunday. She hopes to feed the GOES bank account before we go out again in December.
The first batch of Poems and Prose from VRWG sold well and we're hoping to have the next edition on sale in time for Christmas - wonderful presents!
The collection of old reading glasses is growing well, we could do with a few more old mobile 'phones, hint, hint!

I can see clearly now!

The pile of donated goodies in the spare bedroom grows steadily day-by-day. People, including complete strangers, are so kind. This time we seem to be specialising in reading glasses!
No reason, they're just coming in. We took some out last time - a selection of Poundlands £1 a pair reading specs. We divided them between two clinics and gave out a few ourselves. The results were wonderful to see - and old man cried as he realised he could read his beloved Koran again; an old lady's face just lit up in a huge smile as she held her baby great-grand daughter and could see her clearly. Other pairs went to school children ... the joy from things we, well, things I take for granted.
We've also some lovely knitted baby-hats (must report that a couple of the last batch were hi-jacked by a couple of young mums ...
Thanks again to everybody who supports us. We hope you'll be able to visit The Gambia one day soon. Do take some pencils for the schools, won't you? Old mobile 'phones, perhaps? Tin openers?
Books?

Writers to the rescue!

Our friends at Vale Royal Writer's Group have generously contributed their work to a small anthology - poems and short stories - to help raise funds for GOES. We sold the first batch at our Summer Wordfest when VRWG joined with the Dead Good Poets of Liverpool and performed at the Blue Cap Inn at Sandiway. We'll have the next edition ready for the Winter Wordfest in December. If you would like a copy - excellent value for £2.50 ( inc. postage) - send the money and you'll receive a copy of this original work! Fourteen poems and stories for less than 18p each!
Thanks to all the writers, and a special 'thank you' to the printers and publishers - Liz, Mark, Jenny, Tim and Co.
Roll up - collect in person and it's yours for £2.00 !