News

Wanna know a fact? Oxfam are brill. Fact.

Wanna know another fact? Oxfam think SAFE supporters are brill. Fact.

So they asked us to ask you if you want to do something different and get involved in campaigning – here’s what they’re offering…

“Each year Oxfam runs a free residential course for keen young activists to give them knowledge, confidence and drive to engage in campaigning activities. This year the training is taking place between the 10th and 13th of September in Birmingham. If you might be interested in applying to participate in this training. Please see the following link for further information http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/campaign/activists/change“

Please contact Bethan Harper at bharper@oxfam.org.uk if you want to have a chat about the training or application processes.

THE S.A.F.E. FOUNDATION IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS!

The S.A.F.E. Foundation is looking for volunteers to work overseas and help make a difference to the lives of impoverished people around the world!

Volunteers will be placed in one of our projects in Africa and will have a choice of a range of duties including construction, teaching, health outreach and cultural exchange. Placement dates and times vary and interested parties should get in touch for more information.

We are also looking for project leaders, who should have experience of volunteering abroad and be over 18.

Volunteers should be members of The S.A.F.E. Foundation

For more information or to request an application form, please contact info@thesafefoundation.co.uk

The S.A.F.E. Foundation is looking for members to join our charity and help make a difference to the lives of impoverished people around the world!

Membership will get you lots of blummin’ good stuff, including;

• SAFER pack and merchandise
• Invitation to SAFE meetings
• Entitlement to vote at AGM
• Monthly newsletter
• Volunteer opportunities
• Opportunity to participate in pilot projects
• Discounts to SAFE events when applicable
• Regular opportunities to feedback and give suggestions at group forums
• Lots of SAFE love.

There are a few ways you can become members – You can pay us £15 a year if you’ve got a job, or £12 if you haven’t, OR you can throw your own fundraising event and become a member for free!

Failing all that you can recruit 10 new paying members! Easy as lush pies!

Membership is also free for those who have been regular donors to The S.A.F.E. Foundation for six months or over.

Becoming a SAFER will mean you will become part of a large family of SAFE people who meet regularly at different events that help the charity to raise funds whilst having a whole lot of fun!

For more information or to request an application form, please contact info@thesafefoundation.co.uk

Us ‘ere in SAFEland fell in love over Easter. Deep fantastical love with all the magical folk at The Waterloo Foundation! Not only are they delightful chaps, they blummin’ gave us some money!

A grant from them will help our projects in Africa and Asia, so we want to send out a massive big up! We haven’t got any rooftops to shout out from, but we’ll gladly shout out on this here tinternet!

Thank you, Waterloo Foundation! Even though we’ve now got that hideous ABBA song floating round our brains, we’re very grateful!

Big love x

Here is our recent press release with news of the playground equipment that is ready to ship to Ghana.

A large number of children in Ghana will soon be the first to enjoy a mobile playground, which has been donated by Sutcliffe Play. The company were contacted by The SAFE Foundation, a charity set up in the UK to help implement sustainable development projects to marginalised people in developing countries.

Almost two years ago, in Kumasi, Ghana, the charity teamed up with a local organisation, Teens Net Foundation, to combine efforts to help marginalised communities have access to health care in a ‘Centre of Hope’. The mutual aims of both charities are to especially help children suffering from HIV and AIDS who require ongoing medical treatment. A team of volunteers has recently returned from a trip which saw them build a new school.

“The SNUG play equipment donated by Sutcliffe Play, will give a new lease of life to underprivileged children who have no access to the very basic of human rights – happiness,” explains Lucy Dickenson, Managing Director of The SAFE Foundation. “There are no recreation facilities at all in Kumasi, and the introduction of this innovative type of playground will combine fun, education, physical activity and social engagement to children contributing to an overall improvement in their quality of life.”

With the help of TeensNet, the charity plan for the play equipment to be transported around the region, so that they can reach children in more remote areas. The SNUG play equipment, which is exclusive to Sutcliffe Play, is fully modular and can be packed up and shipped around. This will also benefit the children as it will encourage them to make their own structures, and stimulate creativity. TeensNet in Ghana will employ local people to drive the equipment around the region and they will receive payment from The SAFE Foundation through their ongoing fundraising activities.

Rob Whitelock, SNUG Creative Advisor in the UK says: “We believe that play is crucially important to the intellectual, social, emotional and physical development of children.  It helps them to develop their own sense of risk and teaches them how to work independently and as part of a team.

“Play for plays sake should be an essential part of childhood, wherever you live in the world, so we’re delighted to be working with SAFE on such a worthy project that will introduce play, and its benefits, to children across Ghana.

Having recently passed the twentieth anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this donation from SAFE and Sutcliffe Play is a fantastic opportunity for children in the poorest communities in Kumasi to experience the freedom, fun and access to play that every child is entitled to. It will also motivate adults of the community to take action in child development and to be more proactive in securing a bright future for their families.

We always have so many people to thank here in SAFEland, because you’re all so blummin’ good! As with the last few years, billions of you (well, 120) turned up to our annual ball to celebrate SAFE in style and as usual, we’re reeeeeally grateful.

Whether you donated an auction prize, had a bid, bought a raffle ticket or just turned up, you helped to make us nearly £3,000, all of which will be used to support our project around the world.

We want to say particular thanks to Johnny Cage and the Voodoo Groove who performed an AMAZING set (because they’re AMAZING) and Gareth Bickerton and the UnLtd crew for presenting an award and making a speech.

We also want to say thank you to the Royal Hotel who were helpful and supportive.

High five, everyone! It was brill!

Hello Safers!

Us here in SAFE HQland want to wish you all the very best for 2010 and say thank you to all those who have supported, donated, attended parties or helped in any way at all this past year. We are so grateful to you and look forward to continuing our friendship in the future to support communities all over the world together.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Love from all the girls and the boy at the SAFE house

A big thank you to everyone who came to our Christmas bash on Friday!

We had an amazing time with you all and managed to raise just over £500! Whoop! Amazing!

A big hug and extra thank yous to the bands and DJ’s that helped us out and contributed to a fab night!

Yay! Those bloomin’ lovelies at UnLtd have been kind enough to add more of their support to us this year, and just ready for Christmas and everything! Through their UnLtd Millenium Awards Scheme, Lucy D received a chunk of fiscal loving in recognition of her work, setting up and working for The SAFE Foundation.

Gareth, Mel, Sam, Mandy and Jonathan – thank you sooooooooooooooo much! Your support and recognition of what we do in SAFE land is invaluable and a massive boost to our beneficiaries both in Wales and further afield.

Marvelous you are, bloomin’ marvelous!