Newsletter February 2004

Issue 82 February 2004

News from Peru

The school year in Peru finishes for the Christmas holidays and begins again in April. During the southern hemisphere summer holidays teachers have a well-earned break and also spend time training and preparing for the new school year. Attractive displays and learning materials are prepared for the new intake of children.
This year the demand for places for 3 year old children who will start nursery in April 2004 was greater than ever. Desperate parents queued overnight from 3pm on Sunday the day before Registration Day. It is difficult to explain that there are not places for everyone.

Seasonal Events in the Nurseries

Sept/Oct Celebration of Spring and a Local Dishes Fair in which families prepare typical foods from the different regions of Peru.

November Annual family day out.

December The busiest month since there are final assessments to be done of children who are going to 'big school', graduation ceremonies and the usual Christmas celebrations with hot chocolate and Santa's visit. Special thanks go to Yolanda Williams, of London, and to her nephews and their families (who live in Lima) who gave help towards Christmas gifts and activities.

The Committee in Peru

As was mentioned in the last newsletter, the roles and responsibilities of the Peruvian organisation are changing. The Sustainability Commission comprising Westnell management, staff and parents, as well as an advisor from Save the Children Fund, Lima, continues to seek replacement funding for external grants that run out in 2004/2005. In concrete terms these funds represent four classes and 120 places for children. They have applied to a number of overseas organisations, but there will not be immediate replacement funding for the 2 classes previously funded by MRDF, which are due to start again in April. Margarita and her team will seek to cover the costs of the classes until they secure more external funding, by launching their own fundraising activities with support and cooperation of the parents. Their proposal is to gain 60 new supporters, from within Peru or overseas, who will each sponsor a child's education.

Annual Report 2002

To save on admin. and postage costs we have posted our most recent Annual Report here. However, please let Debra Westlake know if you would like a copy mailed to you and we will be happy to send one direct.

Message from the UK Chair

Greetings from your new Chair! I want to thank Mark Patchett for his enduring support for Westnell and being a great chair over the last five years.

In our meeting in June 2003, we reviewed the long term funding situation with income from the Community Fund and MRDF falling off sharply over the next two years. We also discussed the core funding raised by Westnell UK and the outlook for funding over the next few years.

In addition to grants from external funding organisations, Westnell UK has currently been sending around £30,000 per year to Peru. In recent years, around £25,000 has actually been raised and the difference has been made up from reserves. We have committed to this level of funding for 2004 in order to maintain class numbers in the nurseries.
However, in 2005 we believe that Westnell UK cannot commit to raising more than £20,000 for the year and we will reduce the funds sent to Peru to this level. We have discussed this with Margarita and she hopes to find other sources to cover some of the shortfall in funding. Nevertheless, we recognise that a challenging task lies ahead and that classes may need to close if replacement funds are not found. If we can raise additional sums then of course we will send them to Peru, but without increased levels of dedicated regular income (such as the agreements that many of you have made with Westnell through gift aid and standing orders) we feel we cannot make commitments to meet staff salaries and the other ongoing costs of educating children. David Sprent

Fund raising in the UK

We are very grateful to the following individuals and organisations that have raised funds for Westnell in the last few months

• Catholic Care (Leeds diocese)
• The Gowers in USA
• Our Lady's Junior School, Ellesmere Port
• Jane Short (yoga classes)
• Brian Shackleton (Christmas carols)
• Inner Wheel Club of Lowestoft
• Liverpool Spanish Circle, (fiesta and carols)
• Brunswick School (Happy Jar)

St Mark's Overseas Aid Trust (SMOAT) of Reigate held an antique auction. The final total of funds raised was around £1,500! Well done!

Thank you to Methodist Relief & Development Fund

Rachel Shackleton and Mark Patchett made the initial link between Westnell and MRDF in 1997 and since then we have enjoyed a supportive and fruitful partnership with the overseas aid arm of the Methodist Church in the UK. MRDF made a generous donation of £2000 towards the initial building work on the Boca Negra nursery and went on to grant revenue funding of two classes in the new nursery for an initial 3 year period, which was then extended giving us a total of six years invaluable support. In all, 360 children's places with corresponding teaching, educational materials and other costs have been provided by MRDF. Christopher Sprent kindly maintained a link by sending regular reports on Westnell's progress to MRDF. They have consistently given positive assessments of the Westnell project, culminating in the Rev. David Halstead's evaluation visit to the nurseries in Peru in March 2000 in which he spoke most highly of the work done by Margarita and her team. We would like to thank them for their continuity of support and wish them success in their ventures with other overseas projects.

It costs £20 per month to educate a child...

Westnell needs to raise £20 a month for each place in the nurseries in Lima. In the coming months two of our major sources of funding are going to cease. Therefore could you please consider either raising your standing order or committing to a standing order if you do not make a regular donation. Sadly, without the help of supporters such as yourself, children may have to be turned away from the nursery. We have enclosed the forms you need to make a standing order to Westnell or increase an existing one.