At each club meeting the tin is put round to collect any small silver change for the Barbara Watts Volunteering in Pretoria project. We use the same tin every time, which (at great personal cost) was emptied of the double dipped chocolate almonds!
The project was born out of the Friendship Link between SI Southern England (region) and SI South Africa, and has been running for a number of years.
We are currently supporting a young woman called Leah, covering her living and working expenses. She is from a township, and had just graduated as a qualified social worker, but her skills would have been lost without this opportunity. In her work at Pretoria Psychologists she is improving her understanding of mental health issues and developing programmes to deliver support to those who suffer from these debilitating illnesses, particularly within the townships. She has brought benefit and added value to both her employer and the local community.
The club has collected small silver change all year, and will be donating a total of £30 to the project.