Tamsyn Kent, senior broadcast journalist for the BBC’s Breakfast News, said:

“To stand on The BBC Breakfast News Plinth you will have to have worked with others for one hour and have given something back to your community – your time, your skills or your knowledge.”

Every hour, 24 hours a day between 6 July and 14 October, a different person will step up to the fourth plinth and help make a living portrait of the UK. Remaining places will be drawn by computer and the next draw will take place on 1 August.

To register for the fourth plinth draw go to http://www.tfsr.org/2009/05/08/rotarians_to_run_around_london/ Rotarians Tony sharma, Jegtar Singh Padam and Lydia Sprake are in training for the British 10K Run in London on 12 July to raise money for Tools for Self Reliance. They are also hoping to persuade other members of Tower Hamlets Rotary Club to join them.

Tony’s fundraising page

Jegtar’s fundraising page

Lydia’s fundraising page

Rotary clubs all round the country give us tremendous support in all sorts of different ways – from fundraising and sponsoring projects, to tool refurbishing and organising specialist tool collections. If you are a Rotarian and would like to help please read our Rotary pack or give Jo Bush a call on 023 8086 9697.

Rotary Club Pack

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Drummers and dancers entertain

There were a host of activities – a mix of old favourites and new ones. Among them, a display of classic cars, demonstrations of wood-turning by pole lathe and beekeeping, scarecrows and a myriad of stalls selling everything from Fairtrade goods to ‘tissue glass’, to pot plants. The music was provided by Vanessa’s Villains and Refugee Youth’s World Remix’s own unique brand of high-octane drumming and dancing.

Eddie the Bodger with Julian Lewis, MP for New Forest East

Nuffield Gardens conservation group from Southampton has been working hard to restore and manage the meadow on the Netley Marsh site, which is home to over a hundred native species of plants and animals. Tours of the site were led by ecologist Phil Budd.

The day was attended by two local dignitaries – the Chairman of New Forest District Council, Councillor Leslie Puttock and the MP for New Forest East, Dr Julian Lewis.

Some of the classic cars on display

There were tours of the workshop throughout the day and refreshments aplenty on the tea stand. Thanks to World Remix for travelling up from London to help out on the day and to everyone else who worked so hard to put the day together.

Now the serious side – our projects in Africa will benefit to the tune of more than £800 as a result of the day’s activities.

Two members of Refugee Youth with their One World in the Forest ‘open mural’

The annual VQ Day is a great opportunity for Tools for Self Reliance to celebrate the achievements of those who have received training in Africa as well as to celebrate the skills of our volunteers.

The refurbishing training we provide to people in the UK helps make it all happen.

We always need more volunteers and tools and welcome any support that schools, FE colleges or other training institutions in the UK can give us.

In a ceremony attended by several VIPs from the local area, Betty ushered in a new chapter in the history of the Netley Marsh site. The income from the workshops will provide a timely boost to our funds whilst at the same time offering purpose built accommodation for small businesses in Hampshire. The new workshop space has already been let and we hope to have the building up and running later this month.

Betty Nias in centre flanked L to R by the Mayor of Southampton Mrs Elizabeth Mizon, Chair of Trustees Tony Tyrrell, and Chairman of New Forest District Council, Councillor Leslie Puttock.

Councillor Leslie Puttock said,

“I am very pleased to be here today for the opening of this new workshop. I live in Netley Marsh and have watched this charity grow and seen how well it has fitted into the local community over the years.”

This year we have another varied programme of events, including highlights of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s recent visit and feedback from current projects.

Please let us know if you intend coming.

Further details and attendance slip

The day’s events get underway at 11 am and continue right through til 4 pm. For more details phone 023 8086 9697 or email jo@tfsr.org

Catch up on last year’s event.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part!

Just a few of the completed haberdashery bags

Netley Marsh volunteer Peter Olbrich counts the bags

Do we have any other use for gardening tools? Well, generally no. We don’t have the capacity to store them or sell them on in any great numbers. But there are some exceptions – we occasionally sell gardening tools in the UK to raise much-needed funds in for our work in Africa. We also sell rarer green woodworking tools at specialist events around the country.

Please check with us first before donating your gardening tools and please don’t be offended if we say no.

Ilkley Wharfedale Rotary is having a sale of second-hand items, including gardening tools, in Otley on Sunday 10 May. See Forthcoming events.

Details

Venue: Netley Marsh. Date and time: 30 April, 2pm to 4pm.

We are always on the hunt for sewing accessories. Wherever you live you can help us by collecting the small sewing items needed.

What haberdashery items do we need?