Category: Archive

The Ragbag scheme has provided a regular source of income for the work of Health Help International over the past ten years and has been well supported by the members of both the Avondale and Trinity churches and by the Strathaven community generally, raising around £1000 per year. Now, thanks to the generous cooperation of the Hamilton Bridge Club and St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Hamilton, SFHHI hopes to increase the amount of money raised in this way for HHI. An external collection unit has been set up in the car park of the Bridge Club and this is easily accessible to both its members and to the members of the adjacent Church. 

In the run up to Christmas SFHHI are focussing their efforts on Christmas Card sales. We will be selling cards in several churches and schools in the Strathaven area throughout November and December. The Christmas cards proved very popular last year and already there has been a lot of interest for 2019. The Christmas cards can be ordered from the “shop” on this website. Order early as they are going fast.

The SFHHI committee hopes to expand the sale of the painted leaf cards next year to a wider market around Scotland. They will be aided in this by the generous support of the Church of Scotland’s Life and Work Magazine which has printed a full page article about the leaf cards and the work of SFHHI in the December issue of the magazine.

£3000 was recently donated to Health Help International from this year’s Round Strathaven 50 annual charity cycle event.

This has already put to use and was the answer to HHI’s prayers in enabling a much needed borehole to be drilled in the ground’s of the Charity’s HQ building in Monze.

Zambia is currently experiencing a severe drought causing famine and hardship in many areas of the country and those working for HHI in Monze and many of those whom the charity helps have been without a regular supply of water for many months.

• 

• 

• 

The photos show the borehole being drilled and it should produce water shortly.

The annual bridge drive organised by SFHHI to raise funds for Health Help International which was held at the end of August proved once again to be a great success. It was well supported by players from the two Strathaven Bridge Clubs and also from the Hamilton Bridge Club. The committee thanks those who took part and all those who gave donations or who provided prizes for the raffle and helped raise the excellent sum of £1,065 for HHI.

The money has been used to purchase a defibrillator which will be used in a new hospital nearing completion in Zambia . Dr John Phiri, the District Health Director responsible for  the new hospital was supported through medical school by HHI and some of its loyal supporters.

The SFHHI Committee has been strengthened by the addition of a new member, Margery Menzies. She has agreed to take on the role of Treasurer.

The recent Silent auction was a great success, allowing SFHHI to pass the money raised to HHI to be used in their work supporting sick and disabled children. We are delighted to share their thanks.

Dear Friends at SFHHI,
 
Thank you so very much for the cheques we have just received from you for the amazing sum of £700 raised from your recent Silent Auction.  Thank you, too, for agreeing to Gift Aid some of the money…the additional income will make a real difference to our spending power.
 
We understand that the event was very enjoyable and that many interesting high-quality items had been donated. To collect and store such a large number of items requires a lot of hard work so thanks must be given to those who work quietly ‘behind the scenes’. We also heard that the range of refreshments which were served were wonderful and typical of the hospitable nature of the generous Str’aven supporters.  Thank you very much.
 
As a result of all your hard work, many children who are needy, sick and disabled will be given more hope, health and healing.
 
On behalf of everyone at HHI, may |I again say a huge thank you and send you our Christian love and best wishes,
 
Diolch yn fawr a chofion gorau,
 
Hilary and Jute and the Newport Team

Strathaven Friends of Health Help International

are asking you to save all your unwanted

OLD CLOTHES, LEATHER ITEMS &

PAIRS OF SHOES (Tied Together), 

SORRY NO CURTAINS or BEDDING, DUVETS or PILLOWS

and let us have them

(we’ll collect or you can deliver them to either the Trinity Church Hall or Avendale Church Halls 

The funds we raise using the ‘Ragbag’ charity support organization will be donated to Health Help International’ to help with its work in Zambia and India

Please Help our Effort

To arrange for collection of items 

please telephone 520204, 521059 or 529755

HHI have been supporting the Tuition Groups run by the Banyan Tree in Kerela for many years but at the end of 2017 financial restrictions resulted in the number of these groups having to be severely reduced despite the high demand.  These Tuition Groupssupplement state education and have helped school pupils achieve academic success beyond their expectations and given life changing choices to deprived young folk. 

HHI recruits and pays the salaries of the teachers and atthe start of the school year provides the funds for the students to be given school supplies including notebooks, pencils, pens and other learning aids. 

The young people come in before and after school with great enthusiasm to take advantage of this additional learning opportunity

During the year 2018 Strathaven supporters have eased the financial shortfall by funding four Tuition Groups for the entire year and we hope to equal or surpass this level of funding for the year 2019. These donations to fund the Tuition Groups varied from £1.00 to £10 per month and one off donations from a number of supporters helped boost our total.

Can you help to give some Indian pupils a better education?

The painting of the leaves of the Peepal Tree is a traditional occupation carried out by the lower caste women in Southern India. They paint them in craft centres or in their homes and they are sold, mainly in the form of greetings cards. The money they earn is vital in helping them to raise their families.

Health Help International supports a number of womens’ groups in Kerela by providing them with the materials, training them in the painting of the leaves and by organising the production of the cards.

Strathaven Friends of HHI supports its parent Charity by organising the sale of the cards both locally and to a wider market.

• 

• 

• 

The designs are generally of birds, flowers and butterflies or of Indian people and scenes but a number of Strathaven scenes have been specially designed for us and other Scottish themes are planned. In 2018 several Christmas card designs were added to the range and proved very popular. These cards will be available again for 2019. The ladies in India are currently working on these designs and they will be here in good time for Christmas.

All monies raised by us from the sale of the cards is returned to India to help the women continue with their work and to support HHI in its other humanitarian work in Kerala.