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We Failed!– maybe...but only by 1%

Our autumn trip may have been larger than usual, but it was just as successful as our previous trips. In fact we succeeded in completing 99% of the work planned beforehand.

The work included the main entrance lobby, the main staircase and landings, and the Radiological Department. We would like to say a special thankyou to all of you for your superb efforts, especially those of you who gave up some of your evenings and your free Saturday to help achieve this goal.

It is important that we continue, as last year, to raise money for materials etc for next year's trip in May 2003. Don't leave it to the last minute. Start now! If you can arrange to pay for your next trip early the charity will benefit from any interest we can make by stashing it away. We are already planning our next trip which will be at the end of May 2003, timed to co-incide with the city's tricentenial festivities. Unfortunately due to this event, hotel accommodation may well be limited, and perhaps there will be less than we need to cater for everyone. We will do our best to avoid disappointment, but advise you to keep a close eye on our future plans and dates for ticket payments etc.

Pictures of the the whole of the volunteer group

New recruits...

More new people are steadily coming forward to offer their help as volunteers. Some of you have friends and workmates who are also interested in joining us. So, if you want to be considered for the next trip, please get in touch with Ken as soon as you can for a database form.

We would like to point out that this year saw an increase in the number of new volunteers accompanying us on our recent trip to Russia.

In addition to our much-valued existing volunteers, this is very encourging and shows a positive and healthy future for the charity.

New Proposals for Work

Some of you have expressed a keen interest in working on a larger, more demanding, project which possibly makes more use more of your skills. Well, we are planning to renovate the badly run-down main entrance, including the porch, with our work designed to blend in with the rest of the building.

The main entrance to the hospital showing the general dilapidated condition of the porch, parapet walls and the steps

To complete the work we will need one more bricklayer, and another plasterer: John Lay and David Finch will be ideal for the hod carrying! (We've had some input from Isabelle and hope Big Michael is the man for thehandrails). A major factor of the entrance renovation is our plan to build a wheelchair access ramp to the side of the main staircase. If anyone has experience of wheelchair ramps or contacts regarding their construction, let us know. We also plan repairs to the front steps, the complete refurbishment of a new mother's room in the Poly-Clinic, some carpentry work in the Radiology Dept, and as a special treat for the new recruits, some painting in the Diagnostic Dept.

We will have time to think about alternative projects when Ken goes back in May 2002, and these will dictate the size of our group. If any of you would like to accompany Ken on this trip, please give him a call. We hope this bigger project will be the challenge you've been asking for, but please remember - we need to raise more cash before we go back to Russia to accomplish this. Fortunately we have time to raise it!

Volunteer News

• As we have already indicated May 2003 sees the celebration of the city of St Petersburg's tri-centennial. Consequently, and as a result of our good relations with our Consulate over there, we have been asked by the Consulate General if we would like to participate in the UK part of the celebration programme. We are awaiting more information on this and will keep you informed when we receive further details. Some volunteers have asked about the possibility of staying on in St Petersburg, after the work is completed, to take part in the celebrations. These are planned to last for nine days and will feature tall ships docked at the city quays, street processions, song and dance, food and drink a-plenty, and much, much more - we will pass on details as we receive them.

• Katya, who is 85% deaf, has now got two new hearing aids which have greatly improved her quality of life. All thanks to a donation from Mr L Lavis, Chairman of Lavis Medical Systems, and the help of Gillian Ross, Senior Chief Audiologist at the West Middlesex Hospital.

• This year our seasonal trip to the Marinsky Theatre (to see the Kirov Ballet in La Bayadere) was arranged by the hospital to show their gratitude for all our good work.

• The trip to Petrovets (Peterhof), the palace of Peter the Great, enjoyed by those who stayed on, proved to be most successful. We have been asked to organise a return trip in the summer to see the gardens and fountains - maybe by hydrofoil.

• For those of you who remember Rowena, our interpreter on our previous two trips, we have had a letter from her to tell us she is now working for the Red Cross in Chetchnya.

• This year, our last evening meal and cabaret (with Trigger topping the bill), was fully attended by volunteers. It was held at the St Peterburg Lodge Club. It was enjoyed by all and we have already had requests to go back again for seconds!

• Did anyone realise that it will be our eighth anniversary in April 2002? Can anyone recall the actual date this all started?

• We hope to organise a farewell party in late April for Dayle, Daryl & Sally before they go back to Oz. It appears they enjoyed their trip to the hospital so much, and made so many friends that they will be coming back for the May 2003 trip.

THANKS … all round

The charity would like to express its thanks to all the volunteers for their contribution in raising money, and for all their efforts on behalf of the charity this year. Thanks to you, we now have money in hand (cash was raised by Ken's speech and showing the BBC video to interested groups; savings were also made by cutting back on volunteer's executive breakfasts and also by forgoing their evening meal). Since our return these left-over funds have enabled us to supply the hospital with some much needed medical instruments for the Ear, Nose & Throat department and some important equipment for the Diagnostic Department.

We have also sent some much-needed clothing to one of the orphanages in Kingisepp near the border with Estonia.

And our special thanks to…

Some of the volunteers who distributed toys to the kids (left to right) Mike (Ferrier), Dave, Angie, Big Michael, Ian and Robbie

Jane Hollingdale for finding herself on the spot at the last minute - she acted as our interpreter and did a brilliant job.

Daryl for coming all the way from 'Oz' to lay tiles on the main entrance hall floor.

Mike Lee for his help in collecting the visas and going to the airport to hand them out together with the air tickets to all the volunteers. Bob Mathias and Dave Wilson for their help in the design of our Newsletter and web site.

Much to the delight of the kids, Dave Doran and his Liverpool group, plus adopted scouse Mike Ferrier, dressed up as Superman, Batman, Fred Flintstone. when giving out the presents to children. Mike looked particularly good as a clown! Not that he really needed to dress up!

Last day speeches and awards at the hospital went well with Peter Annetts winning the achiever's award this year for his tireless work including coming out four days earlier to help organise things. Also we were very grateful to Ms Barbara Hay (the British Consulate General) who, although unable to attend personally, sent Kesenia Koloshtivina - the project manager for the consulate - to represent her. Kesenia was much appreciated by the gathered throng and gratefully stayed on and helped with the translation for us.

Artistic endeavours: (left to right) Danie, Rene, Colin and Katie at work on the new entrance mural

And finally, let's not forget the lovely Olga who sang Whitney Houston's hit Bodyguard and the Celine Dion theme from Titanic for us.

The presence of Dr Denis was sadly missed, but so that we would not be without medical help during the trip he sent Dr Phillip de Whalley… Thanks Phillip!

Renee, Colin and Daniel - whose efforts have earned many complementary remarks for the splendid mural which now adorns the main entrance hall.

WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT!

Some of you may not be aware, but soon after our return from the last trip, Ken was asked to attend a meeting called by Roger Davy, Barry Sweeting and Chris Mitchell. The meeting, including the usual free hospitality, was held at Ken's.

It transpired that the purpose of the meeting, according to the agenda submitted, was to register their concerns about the way the charity was being run. It included numerous points for discussion, some of which were already under consideration.

However, it would appear there was a hidden agenda - to volunteer themselves as a governing committee, to take over the running of the Charity, and - according to their logic - to improve its performance. Oh, and they would kindly retain Ken as a figurehead chairman.

Ken reminded them that a committee already existed and, if any question stood over the charity's efficiency or how it was managed, one need only to look at the unqualified success of the last three trips.

These three recalcitrant musketeers - who, by the way, actually had the gall to lay down a deadline for answers to their demands - have since shown their true colours by declaring themselves a breakaway group.

There's loyalty for you !

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