A Great Trip!

Self-catering

This year we did all our own food shopping from the small local shops and all our own cooking. But everyone took their turn and it all seemed to work out very well. We were lucky to have our own water machine as the quality of the local water supply, which the Russians seem to drink with impunity, could not be guaranteed as safe for us.

Travelling in style?

The bus company who supplied our coach to take us to and from the Re-Hab Centre left a lot to be desired. The vehicle was so old it must have made its maiden trip during the second world war. On it’s initial arrival it came with a police escort! On another day it failed to turn up at all, and on one return journey it made an unscheduled stop at McDonalds! I think our crew had something to do with this latter event, but believe me they deserved it!

Our last supper

This was where we gave out the awards and it was held at ‘Odin’ a nearby restaurant. It was two days earlier than usual as Graham and Colin had volunteered to leave early to deliver the van back to Tallinn for shipping to Harwich.

Above: The massage therapy room after its refurbishment.
Above right: The main entrance hallway approaching the reception area after our paintbrushes went to work.

We seem to have a lot of people to thank for all the efforts of the past year, but none of them are undeserved.
Let’s start off with a few special thanks to a few special people:

Gill Thurston was given a beautiful Russian amethyst vase and a Russian jewel case as an award for her 10 years service to the charity. She is the first woman to achieve this and she received her award from Dr Alexander Okunev, the Directror of the hospital.

This year’s Achiever’s Award went to Paul Hynes from Liverpool and it is well-deserved. He not only turns his hand to most things when we are at work, but also raises a deal of cash for the charity back in the UK.
Our thanks go to the ‘early party’ – Ken, Graham, Steve and Colin who took an extra three days off work to get our van through customs and the equipment from Kingisepp to the Re-Hab Centre in St Petersburg.

Graham and Colin also gave up their time to drive the van back to the port of Paldiski in Estonia where it then went on to Harwich.

Four volunteers, Dave Doran, Sam Knowd, Paul Hynes and Ian Doran who went on the Liverpool Santa Dash. Dressed as Santa, they ran 5k through the streets of Liverpool to raise money so they could come on this year’s trip.

Our thanks also go to Liverpool City Council for their award to us in the ‘giving something back’ category of the City’s Be Proud Awards last June. Dave Doran, Dave Moody, Sam Knowd and Paul Hynes collected the award on our behalf.

Thanks to David Finch who pasted up all the pictures, some of which came in 16 pieces and were over 3m long by 2m deep. He even went back for a further day to finish off his work after the rest of us had left to return to the UK.

A big thank-you goes to Andy Lesse who managed to obtain a brand new measuring apparatus which has gone to replace the old rusty remains of a builder’s tape used, up until now, to measure the children’s height.

Thanks are due to Dave Simms of Alder Hay Children’s Hospital, Liverpool for all his advice and their kind donation of children’s crutches and shoes.

Dunny’s Club for money raised to buy sports equipment and accessories for the gymnasium.

One-Offs of Liverpool for supplying materials and manufacture of the much needed parallel bars, which will assist limbless and disabled children learn to walk.

Thanks to Peter, the manager of Tasker’s Sports for supplying equipment at much reduced prices and throwing in some additional complimentary items.

And finally...
A special thanks to all the children of Queens School, Kew, near Richmond, Surrey, who took part in our ‘mufti day’ and raised much needed funds for Komsokids.

Right: Graham and Colin in the van on the way back to Tallinn
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Charity Notes

WE HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A REWARDING NEW YEAR!