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Frishta News - Issue 5 - January 2006

Happy New Year

It gives me great pleasure to send you a copy of our latest Frishta Newsletter. Thank you for your ongoing support for our work. 2006 promises to be an exciting year for Frishta with some exciting events planned and the start of our first ever campaign.

50 Friends Campaign

This year we are running a campaign to attract 50 new Friends of Frishta (standing order donors) - that's about one a week. Regular donations are a vital source of income for the charity as we plan ahead to 2008 for the opening of the children's village and homes.

We all have the instinct to help those less fortunate than ourselves, so if you are not already a regular donor, why not become one?

Any amount would be welcome, but as a guide, see below what your contribution would buy - we plan to have 72 children in the first phase of the Frishta Children's village:

To keep you up to date with how the campaign progresses throughout the year, there will be a special counter on the Frishta web site home page with the latest information.

Who better to encourage you to support Frishta regularly in this way than Julia Flegg, the very first Friend of Frishta who started contributing in September 2004:

"I was introduced to Frishta 1.5 years ago through Nigel, whom I met on a course with work. When I heard Nigel talking about the charity, it was with such passion and enthusiasm it was hard not to be captivated by his vision for the children's home and school. Although I supported another main charity at the time, I felt that I could easily contribute a small regular donation to Frishta, which would help this vision become a reality.

A couple of things were particularly important to me (and I'm sure they would be for most people who regularly give to a charity):

Unfortunately, I find that when I am contributing to more well-known, larger charities, I do not experience the same feeling of involvement, and I cannot be certain how I am helping. With Frishta I am not only kept informed of progress through the regular newsletters, such as this one, but it also reminds me of the effort that people are making to ensure Frishta's success.

One of the main reasons I joined Frishta was that it had a face and therefore felt more personal, and by talking about the charity it brings it to life for me. So please tell your friends and family all about the children's home and what this will mean for the local children, and I'm sure they too will want to become a part of such a good cause."

One last encouragement: Frishta has no offices or paid staff, but even our modest administrative costs are met by the Frishta Trustees, so you can be sure that 100% of your donation will go towards the vital work of giving former street children and orphans a home, an education, a hope and a future. A standing order form is attached at the end of this Newsletter for you to print and post to Frishta - full details including Gift Aid are in the attachment.

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, for all the people you can, as long as you ever can."
John Wesley

 

Past Events…

 

Canary Wharf Charity Night

In the run up to Christmas, the three shopping malls of Canary Wharf were given over to a special Charity Night. Frishta was one of fifty charities that participated by selling Charity Wristbands to shoppers who could then take advantage of the free gifts and discounts of up to 30% at shops and restaurants! Ramita Mehta and I 'manned'

the Frishta stall for the evening - see photo. Despite suffering from a heavy cold and sore feet, Ramita was a determined sales person. We distributed three hundred leaflets, sold Christmas Cards, received donations and made some useful contacts.

Thanks also to Kate Kugele for selling so many wristbands to her HSBC colleagues, and in all we raised £550.

Charity Golf Challenge

HSBC Bank Corporate & Institutional Banking held Charity Golf day and raised £229. Thanks again to Anne Boswell and her team.

2005 Financial Position

Our funds really took off in 2005 and we finished the year with a bank balance of £54,409. Thank you to everyone for their hard work and contributions to Frishta. In the next Newsletter we hope to give more details about the Frishta Children's Village Project plans and costs.

 

Future Events…

 

Frishta London Dinner & Dance Event

After the tremendous success of our first ever fundraising event in Birmingham last February, we are planning another, this time in a West London Hotel - venue and date to be confirmed. Film producer Raman Gharu is leading the preparations on behalf of Frishta, assisted by Ramita Mehta. Raman is determined to lay on a spectacular occasion and there will also be an update on Frishta's progress and future plans:

Publicity is planned locally and on Sunrise (Asian) Radio so demand for tickets is expected to be high - first priority will be given to supporters and Friends of Frishta - email info@frishta.org.uk to register.

Frishta has purchased a debenture that guarantees us six places in the prestigious British London 10k run, which takes place on the 9th of July. The race is oversubscribed every year, attracting 20,000 runners. The route includes many of the historic landmarks of central London, starting at Piccadilly Circus, through Trafalgar Sq., past St. Paul's Cathedral, on to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and finishing near Downing Street in Whitehall.

If you have considered running a middle distance race why not run London in aid of Frishta? Places are £30 each and Frishta can supply a T-Shirt, colourful sponsorship forms, fundraising and training tips. Apply to info@frishta.org.uk - first come first served! Click here for more info on the race...

www.frishta.org.uk

We continue to enhance the content of our web site and have now added an on-line donation facility to the Donate page. Anyone can use their Credit card or Switch/Maestro card to donate securely to Frishta via the free service offered jointly by Charity Choice and The Cooperative Bank. There are no fees deducted from donations and you can even choose to Gift Aid it. Click here to try it out!

"Don't let what you cannot do stop you from doing what you can do."
Ram Gidoomal

 

And to close…

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." Proverbs 31:8

I am very grateful to my friend Cheesiong, a trainee Doctor who is just back from working in Indian hospitals, for sending me the picture and prayer below.

Prayer for the Hungry

Dear God,

Help me to never waste my food. I pray that you will protect this little boy and guide and deliver him away from his misery. I pray that we will be more sensitive towards the world around us and not be blinded by our selfish nature and interests.

I could not get the picture out of my mind for days. I expect that everyone of us ate more food then we needed to over the Christmas holidays?! But there is no need to feel guilty about the privileges we have, as long as we are doing what we can to help - see the quotations above. I'm sure that if every person or family in the wealthy west sponsored an orphaned, abandoned or under privileged child in the developing world, then the poverty of this little boy and those like him would soon be abolished - so please don't forget our 50 Friends Campaign.

How to become a Friend of Frishta

If you have any comments, questions, offers of help or you no longer wish to receive our Newsletter, please email us.

 
"Jesus said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the kingdom of God." Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them!"
Mark 10:14-16