2011 Christmas shoebox trip
TEECH visited Romania and Moldova for two weeks at the beginning of January 2012 to deliver over 1000 shoeboxes to children and food parcels to families. The Moldovan Christmas is celebrated on the
7th January therefore we could truly bring Christmas to the children when they celebrate the occasion. This is our account of the trip......
Saturday 31st December
We left Ipswich at 6am for the drive down to Dover ready to catch the 10am ferry to Calais. The weather was unseasonably mild and this would be the theme for the whole trip (pretty much). Once at Dover a quick visit to customs was required to pick up the paperwork for Moldova and then we were onto the Ferry and away. Once in France we fuelled up and started the first of many hours driving across Europe. Rain, rain, rain was the theme of the next 24hrs across Belgium and Germany. Cookie said it always rains through the Berg’s in Germany and he was right. After the first 4.5hrs we were in Germany and it was time for a break and a driver switch around. The drive through the night was a tough one...singing and dancing whilst driving was
Holly’s way of staying awake whilst the guys ate midget gems!!!
We celebrated New Year in a lay by in Germany as we just happened to be stopped for a break at that time. There were many fireworks going off in the distance and after an hour we could have celebrated again as it would have been midnight in the UK.
Sunday 1st January
We crossed the border into Hungary on Sunday morning and stopped off for breakfast of ham and eggs. The weather had now cleared up, the rain had stopped and the temperature had dropped below zero. Another driver switch round
and only a short distance down the road before Cookie was pulled over by the police for a details check. The drive through Hungary was very picturesque, mainly due to the trees being covered in frost.
By early evening we were at the Romanian border and then onto Hotel Iris for the night. At the hotel there was time for a brief power nap and shower before dinner. Cookie and Holly went for the plain option of chicken and chips for dinner whilst Rob went for the local Goulash, which by the look of his face was pretty hot! A good night’s rest was then required by all.
Monday 2nd January
We were up early for the next section of our journey. Today we would travel to Comanesti to visit Adrian and Geanina at the Robert Cole Centre (RCC), a visit which Rob and Cookie would particularly enjoy, to see the work which TEECH did in 2009. The visit to the Robert Cole Centre would be to drop off the lorry load of aid which we were taking.
The scenery through Romania was lovely with a blanket of snow covering the fields and mountains, but luckily not the roads therefore making the journey straight forward. Driving through the villages is always interesting but the roads are extremely bumpy so you feel shaken, rattled and practically rolled by the time you reach your destination.
Once near to Comanesti the Christmas lights were up in the villages and locals were out in the streets. Once at the Robert Cole Centre we were met by Adrian but as it was getting late it was decided we would unload the lorry early
in the morning when it was light and more people could help. We walked into the town with Geanina to have dinner. Geanina works at the Robert Cole Centre and was there when TEECH did their trip in 2009 so it was great for Wendy and Holly to meet her and lovely for Cookie and Rob to see her again. The weather was cold but not like we had imagined it might be and the clear sky in the evening made for a beautiful star display.
Tuesday 3rd January
First thing we would were up and unloading the lorry with some of the locals which Adrian had mustered up to help. We provided the centre with a three piece suite, chairs, paint, tiles, clothing, shoes and toys. Once the lorry was unloaded we had most of the day to spend in Comanesti and visit the locals to deliver shoeboxes. We first visited a family in a village nearby. Cookie and Wendy went in the lorry (with numerous shoeboxes onboard) and Adrian drove Geanina, Rob and Holly. Once at the village it was across a bridge which Cookie decided was not possible in the lorry....not sure why...surely a rickety bridge with wonky supports (which don’t actually touch the bridge in places) is fine for a 7.5tonne lorry to cross!! The family walked over the bridge to meet us and it was great to personally give them their gifts.
We then drove onto a gypsy village where a lot of people soon came out from their houses (I say houses but these people have little and therefore just have one room per family which may have up to 10 members, all sleeping/living/eating in just one room). Shoeboxes and food Parcels were distributed from the back of the lorry, which started off quite calmly but soon became busy and people were so keen to get something crowd control was required. One of the locals took some control over the situation and everyone got something. Wendy and Holly were invited into one home to see how the family lived, which was one room, very warm (all homes are warm from the stove they have) but as they only have one room (in most cases) they have beds with rugs on the floor and this is there space. We then
returned to the RCC for a quick cuppa before visiting Ana and her family. The family live just round the corner from the RCC and knew Rob and Cookie from their previous trips. Ana invited us into her home where her son and brother
were home. She was so generous, providing us with food and drink. We received so much generosity and hospitality throughout our trip, something which you are unlikely to receive at home in England, and when these people have so little they wish to show their appreciation with what little they do have. Ana laid on a range of pork meat for us from her own pig which she had bought through help from Adrian. More often than not so much food is provided we can never eat it all.
By 4pm we were on the road again. We would drive onto Hotel Coroana for the night, but as it was late once we had eaten it was time for bed.
Wednesday 4th January
Romeo arrived to meet us at the hotel about 9am. Wendy and Cookie would go with Romeo across into Moldova and Rob and I would follow in the van (Albert). We left the lorry at the Hotel and would pick it up on the return journey. We arrived at the border at Sculeni and the crossing into Moldova took less than two hours (even with a return journey to the Romanian border to get paperwork stamped!). Slavic was at the Moldovan border to help us through the process. The next step would be customs in Balti which seemed less straight forward and alot of waiting around. By late afternoon customs had still not permitted us to continue our work therefore Salvic took us to the house where we would be staying, and we would return to customs again in the morning. Wendy and Cookie were already at the house having arrived at lunchtime with Romeo. We had dinner with Slavic and Vovo of chicken and wraps, which Vovo had kindly bought for us. Vovo was a friend of Slavic’s and was helping us throughout our trip. Later in the evening we went to a local bar and met up with Romeo to watch the football and this also gave Rob a chance to catch up with Romeo.
Romeo kindly ordered us a taxi after the game to return to the house, but we then discovered that the house was only a couple of streets away therefore we were in the taxi a couple of minutes and could have walked!!
Thursday 5th January
The morning would be spent trying to get through the customs process! So we all went back to customs and Slavic and Vovo continued negotiations. By lunchtime we had the paperwork we required and we could actually start what we had gone to do...to spread some happiness and visit children and families to give out gifts. We had a quick lunch in a local cafe, a nice bowl of soup and some pasta to keep us going.
We then travelled down to Risipeni to drop off items which Sharon Eason had asked us to take to her house in the village. Sharon set up a house for the elderly so that they are taken care of. Currently the home has 11 ladies and we
were also able to provide them with some food.
We then travelled onto the orphanage at Falesti where TEECH installed toilets in 2010. It was good to see other work which TEECH had completed in previous years and also see how well the facilities were being looked after and used by the children. The shoeboxes we took to Falesti were labelled up with the children’s names so that we could personally give them a gift. The children were gathered into a hall and to entertain us they sang and danced which was lovely. They were all excited to receive presents and were soon opening them and trying out there new items. One of the boys received a whoopee cushion to the delight of his friends...much laughter was had. Some of the girls received necklaces and hair bands so were trying those on. It was lovely to be able to spend some time with the kids and share the joy they experience when opening their presents. As not all the children were at the orphanage at the time we would return when the rest came back from visiting family.
Slavic then took us to visit one family in Balti who were very poor. Tatiana lived with her twin boys and two daughters in a two room house. The twins were very excited by their gifts and we stayed to play with them for a while. We provided the mother with food and some sleeping bags for her and the children. Holly personally really liked this visit as it was a chance to see how people really live and to personally hand over gifts and see how excited the children get with a small parcel. Their smiles say it all and you do not need to understand the language to know they were happy.
Friday 6th January
Today was Slavic’s birthday, so he came round to the house early and Wendy knocked up a breakfast of eggs, bacon and sausages. TEECH bought Slavic a camera for his birthday to show our appreciation for the help he provides for the charity when we travel to Moldova.
Today we visited Marasesti just outside Balti. In the village we visited each house in turn, so that we could personally give each family member a shoebox or food parcel. The lady who had shown us around the village then invited us back to her house in the village for lunch. Meals in Moldova are similar....the locals provide traditional food of cold chicken in jelly, cabbage rolls, cold meats, and always alcohol of polinka (home made vodka) and/or wine.
We then went to a rehabilitation centre for men with alcohol problems. The centre houses the men who are then supported to stop drinking and provides them with the help they need to find work and/or return to their families one day. We were able to put up the Christmas tree we had taken with us and listen to some of their stories about how they had come to the centre. Hopefully TEECH will be able to help them with furniture or kitchen equipment in the future to improve the living conditions at the centre.
Saturday 7th January
Happy Christmas! Today was Christmas day in Moldova and we would be spending the day in two villages called Heciul Nou and Trifanesti to spread some Christmas cheer. The mayor of the village came with us to two schools where
we were welcomed by the children with singing before we handed out shoeboxes to all the children. Rob dressed up as Santa for the day which made it even more special for the children. When driving through the villages the children thought seeing Santa in a van was amusing...there were many smiles on many faces. The mayor invited us back to his home for lunch which was lovely as again we were so well treated and had the opportunity to try the local food and wine.
As we travelled back to Balti we took the opportunity to visit another two families in their homes. In the evening we had some time to chill out and pack an overnight bag for the next two days as we would be staying in Chisinau.
Sunday 8th January
Today we headed off to Trebujeni to visit the school where TEECH installed bathrooms, created a community room and decorated a dining room in the summer of 2011. In the summer the children were on holidays so it was lovely to return to the school and meet all the children. Again we had a warm welcome and the children put on a performance for us with singing and dancing. It was Cookie’s turn to be Santa today and hand out gifts to over 200 children. No one would go without and we spent a few hours at the school. We took the opportunity to check that the work completed in the summer was still functioning and it was nice to see how clean and tidy the facilities were being kept. Ludmilla (the school Director) invited us back to her guest house for a late lunch and then we set off for Chisinau. In Chisinau we would be staying with Veronica (Veronica, the Director of Charity Ora International in Moldova, was introduced to TEECH in 2010 when help was required to negotiate customs into Moldova) as we would be spending the following day with her to see a potential project for the summer trip. In the evening we were met by Veronica’s sons and were again supplied with a lovely meal.
Monday 9th January
We were up for breakfast by 8am and then on the road in Slavic’s minibus for the trip to the village where Veronica wanted to show us the school which currently does not have any inside toilets for the children (of which there are about 350!). The mayor of the town showed us the school and the potential locations for toilets for TEECH to consider. Currently the children use an outside toilet which just consists of holes in the ground within a small building. Again we were welcomed into the Mayor’s house before leaving for food and drink. The Moldovans certainly know how to welcome guests and show their appreciation.
From the town we went back to Chisinau to meet up with Catalina (who TEECH know through Veronica. TEECH continue to have an interest in the work that Catalina now undertakes). Catalina works with disabled boys, working with families to ensure the boys can remain in their own homes and not be put into an institution due to their physical and mental disabilities. Catalina was kind enough to take us to the home of one of the boys so we could give him a Christmas present and see the work she does.
We then returned for an evening meal with Veronica before heading back to Balti in the evening.
Tuesday 10th January
During the morning we had time to visit the market in Balti and have a look at the local products. Slavic picked us up from the market late morning and we went to a mother and baby unit. Gel Bilby had kindly put together mother and baby bags which we could personally give to six ladies in the unit who were able to stay there and be supported. The unit looks after and supports ladies who have nowhere else to stay after they have their babies.
We then returned to Falesti to ensure the rest of the children returning to the orphanage after Christmas were given their presents. Some of the children recognised Rob and Cookie and were really pleased to see them again. We were also able to leave the children a playstation which seemed to please some of the boys no end.
Slavic then took us to visit further families in Balti and distribute further shoeboxes, where one family had 11 children. They were very excited by their gifts and we had the time to see them open their gifts and interact with them which is lovely when we don’t speak the language but are still able to share in their joy and excitement.
In the evening Salvic and Vovo treated us to a BBQ (yes a BBQ....in temperatures below zero...clearly it is never too cold to BBQ!).
Wednesday to Saturday 11th to 14th January
We left Moldova on the Wednesday morning to head home. Slavic drove Wendy and Cookie to the Moldovan border, where they would pick up a taxi to take them across the border and back to Hotel Coroana to pick up the lorry.
Rob and I would follow in the van after negotiating border control.
The trip home would be on a slightly different route via Slovakia and the Czech Republic so that we could see different things along the way. The only place where the weather was bad was in the Czech Republic with driving snow
for a while but other than that the journey was plain sailing.
We would all return home by Saturday lunchtime for some much needed sleep.
TEECH would like to thank DVLC and Wealth Management for their generous donations which helped to make the trip possible. TEECH would also like to thank all those that made up a shoebox and helped to put smiles on many children’s faces. Without your help and support the trip would not have been the huge success that
it was.
7th January therefore we could truly bring Christmas to the children when they celebrate the occasion. This is our account of the trip......
Saturday 31st December
We left Ipswich at 6am for the drive down to Dover ready to catch the 10am ferry to Calais. The weather was unseasonably mild and this would be the theme for the whole trip (pretty much). Once at Dover a quick visit to customs was required to pick up the paperwork for Moldova and then we were onto the Ferry and away. Once in France we fuelled up and started the first of many hours driving across Europe. Rain, rain, rain was the theme of the next 24hrs across Belgium and Germany. Cookie said it always rains through the Berg’s in Germany and he was right. After the first 4.5hrs we were in Germany and it was time for a break and a driver switch around. The drive through the night was a tough one...singing and dancing whilst driving was
Holly’s way of staying awake whilst the guys ate midget gems!!!
We celebrated New Year in a lay by in Germany as we just happened to be stopped for a break at that time. There were many fireworks going off in the distance and after an hour we could have celebrated again as it would have been midnight in the UK.
Sunday 1st January
We crossed the border into Hungary on Sunday morning and stopped off for breakfast of ham and eggs. The weather had now cleared up, the rain had stopped and the temperature had dropped below zero. Another driver switch round
and only a short distance down the road before Cookie was pulled over by the police for a details check. The drive through Hungary was very picturesque, mainly due to the trees being covered in frost.
By early evening we were at the Romanian border and then onto Hotel Iris for the night. At the hotel there was time for a brief power nap and shower before dinner. Cookie and Holly went for the plain option of chicken and chips for dinner whilst Rob went for the local Goulash, which by the look of his face was pretty hot! A good night’s rest was then required by all.
Monday 2nd January
We were up early for the next section of our journey. Today we would travel to Comanesti to visit Adrian and Geanina at the Robert Cole Centre (RCC), a visit which Rob and Cookie would particularly enjoy, to see the work which TEECH did in 2009. The visit to the Robert Cole Centre would be to drop off the lorry load of aid which we were taking.
The scenery through Romania was lovely with a blanket of snow covering the fields and mountains, but luckily not the roads therefore making the journey straight forward. Driving through the villages is always interesting but the roads are extremely bumpy so you feel shaken, rattled and practically rolled by the time you reach your destination.
Once near to Comanesti the Christmas lights were up in the villages and locals were out in the streets. Once at the Robert Cole Centre we were met by Adrian but as it was getting late it was decided we would unload the lorry early
in the morning when it was light and more people could help. We walked into the town with Geanina to have dinner. Geanina works at the Robert Cole Centre and was there when TEECH did their trip in 2009 so it was great for Wendy and Holly to meet her and lovely for Cookie and Rob to see her again. The weather was cold but not like we had imagined it might be and the clear sky in the evening made for a beautiful star display.
Tuesday 3rd January
First thing we would were up and unloading the lorry with some of the locals which Adrian had mustered up to help. We provided the centre with a three piece suite, chairs, paint, tiles, clothing, shoes and toys. Once the lorry was unloaded we had most of the day to spend in Comanesti and visit the locals to deliver shoeboxes. We first visited a family in a village nearby. Cookie and Wendy went in the lorry (with numerous shoeboxes onboard) and Adrian drove Geanina, Rob and Holly. Once at the village it was across a bridge which Cookie decided was not possible in the lorry....not sure why...surely a rickety bridge with wonky supports (which don’t actually touch the bridge in places) is fine for a 7.5tonne lorry to cross!! The family walked over the bridge to meet us and it was great to personally give them their gifts.
We then drove onto a gypsy village where a lot of people soon came out from their houses (I say houses but these people have little and therefore just have one room per family which may have up to 10 members, all sleeping/living/eating in just one room). Shoeboxes and food Parcels were distributed from the back of the lorry, which started off quite calmly but soon became busy and people were so keen to get something crowd control was required. One of the locals took some control over the situation and everyone got something. Wendy and Holly were invited into one home to see how the family lived, which was one room, very warm (all homes are warm from the stove they have) but as they only have one room (in most cases) they have beds with rugs on the floor and this is there space. We then
returned to the RCC for a quick cuppa before visiting Ana and her family. The family live just round the corner from the RCC and knew Rob and Cookie from their previous trips. Ana invited us into her home where her son and brother
were home. She was so generous, providing us with food and drink. We received so much generosity and hospitality throughout our trip, something which you are unlikely to receive at home in England, and when these people have so little they wish to show their appreciation with what little they do have. Ana laid on a range of pork meat for us from her own pig which she had bought through help from Adrian. More often than not so much food is provided we can never eat it all.
By 4pm we were on the road again. We would drive onto Hotel Coroana for the night, but as it was late once we had eaten it was time for bed.
Wednesday 4th January
Romeo arrived to meet us at the hotel about 9am. Wendy and Cookie would go with Romeo across into Moldova and Rob and I would follow in the van (Albert). We left the lorry at the Hotel and would pick it up on the return journey. We arrived at the border at Sculeni and the crossing into Moldova took less than two hours (even with a return journey to the Romanian border to get paperwork stamped!). Slavic was at the Moldovan border to help us through the process. The next step would be customs in Balti which seemed less straight forward and alot of waiting around. By late afternoon customs had still not permitted us to continue our work therefore Salvic took us to the house where we would be staying, and we would return to customs again in the morning. Wendy and Cookie were already at the house having arrived at lunchtime with Romeo. We had dinner with Slavic and Vovo of chicken and wraps, which Vovo had kindly bought for us. Vovo was a friend of Slavic’s and was helping us throughout our trip. Later in the evening we went to a local bar and met up with Romeo to watch the football and this also gave Rob a chance to catch up with Romeo.
Romeo kindly ordered us a taxi after the game to return to the house, but we then discovered that the house was only a couple of streets away therefore we were in the taxi a couple of minutes and could have walked!!
Thursday 5th January
The morning would be spent trying to get through the customs process! So we all went back to customs and Slavic and Vovo continued negotiations. By lunchtime we had the paperwork we required and we could actually start what we had gone to do...to spread some happiness and visit children and families to give out gifts. We had a quick lunch in a local cafe, a nice bowl of soup and some pasta to keep us going.
We then travelled down to Risipeni to drop off items which Sharon Eason had asked us to take to her house in the village. Sharon set up a house for the elderly so that they are taken care of. Currently the home has 11 ladies and we
were also able to provide them with some food.
We then travelled onto the orphanage at Falesti where TEECH installed toilets in 2010. It was good to see other work which TEECH had completed in previous years and also see how well the facilities were being looked after and used by the children. The shoeboxes we took to Falesti were labelled up with the children’s names so that we could personally give them a gift. The children were gathered into a hall and to entertain us they sang and danced which was lovely. They were all excited to receive presents and were soon opening them and trying out there new items. One of the boys received a whoopee cushion to the delight of his friends...much laughter was had. Some of the girls received necklaces and hair bands so were trying those on. It was lovely to be able to spend some time with the kids and share the joy they experience when opening their presents. As not all the children were at the orphanage at the time we would return when the rest came back from visiting family.
Slavic then took us to visit one family in Balti who were very poor. Tatiana lived with her twin boys and two daughters in a two room house. The twins were very excited by their gifts and we stayed to play with them for a while. We provided the mother with food and some sleeping bags for her and the children. Holly personally really liked this visit as it was a chance to see how people really live and to personally hand over gifts and see how excited the children get with a small parcel. Their smiles say it all and you do not need to understand the language to know they were happy.
Friday 6th January
Today was Slavic’s birthday, so he came round to the house early and Wendy knocked up a breakfast of eggs, bacon and sausages. TEECH bought Slavic a camera for his birthday to show our appreciation for the help he provides for the charity when we travel to Moldova.
Today we visited Marasesti just outside Balti. In the village we visited each house in turn, so that we could personally give each family member a shoebox or food parcel. The lady who had shown us around the village then invited us back to her house in the village for lunch. Meals in Moldova are similar....the locals provide traditional food of cold chicken in jelly, cabbage rolls, cold meats, and always alcohol of polinka (home made vodka) and/or wine.
We then went to a rehabilitation centre for men with alcohol problems. The centre houses the men who are then supported to stop drinking and provides them with the help they need to find work and/or return to their families one day. We were able to put up the Christmas tree we had taken with us and listen to some of their stories about how they had come to the centre. Hopefully TEECH will be able to help them with furniture or kitchen equipment in the future to improve the living conditions at the centre.
Saturday 7th January
Happy Christmas! Today was Christmas day in Moldova and we would be spending the day in two villages called Heciul Nou and Trifanesti to spread some Christmas cheer. The mayor of the village came with us to two schools where
we were welcomed by the children with singing before we handed out shoeboxes to all the children. Rob dressed up as Santa for the day which made it even more special for the children. When driving through the villages the children thought seeing Santa in a van was amusing...there were many smiles on many faces. The mayor invited us back to his home for lunch which was lovely as again we were so well treated and had the opportunity to try the local food and wine.
As we travelled back to Balti we took the opportunity to visit another two families in their homes. In the evening we had some time to chill out and pack an overnight bag for the next two days as we would be staying in Chisinau.
Sunday 8th January
Today we headed off to Trebujeni to visit the school where TEECH installed bathrooms, created a community room and decorated a dining room in the summer of 2011. In the summer the children were on holidays so it was lovely to return to the school and meet all the children. Again we had a warm welcome and the children put on a performance for us with singing and dancing. It was Cookie’s turn to be Santa today and hand out gifts to over 200 children. No one would go without and we spent a few hours at the school. We took the opportunity to check that the work completed in the summer was still functioning and it was nice to see how clean and tidy the facilities were being kept. Ludmilla (the school Director) invited us back to her guest house for a late lunch and then we set off for Chisinau. In Chisinau we would be staying with Veronica (Veronica, the Director of Charity Ora International in Moldova, was introduced to TEECH in 2010 when help was required to negotiate customs into Moldova) as we would be spending the following day with her to see a potential project for the summer trip. In the evening we were met by Veronica’s sons and were again supplied with a lovely meal.
Monday 9th January
We were up for breakfast by 8am and then on the road in Slavic’s minibus for the trip to the village where Veronica wanted to show us the school which currently does not have any inside toilets for the children (of which there are about 350!). The mayor of the town showed us the school and the potential locations for toilets for TEECH to consider. Currently the children use an outside toilet which just consists of holes in the ground within a small building. Again we were welcomed into the Mayor’s house before leaving for food and drink. The Moldovans certainly know how to welcome guests and show their appreciation.
From the town we went back to Chisinau to meet up with Catalina (who TEECH know through Veronica. TEECH continue to have an interest in the work that Catalina now undertakes). Catalina works with disabled boys, working with families to ensure the boys can remain in their own homes and not be put into an institution due to their physical and mental disabilities. Catalina was kind enough to take us to the home of one of the boys so we could give him a Christmas present and see the work she does.
We then returned for an evening meal with Veronica before heading back to Balti in the evening.
Tuesday 10th January
During the morning we had time to visit the market in Balti and have a look at the local products. Slavic picked us up from the market late morning and we went to a mother and baby unit. Gel Bilby had kindly put together mother and baby bags which we could personally give to six ladies in the unit who were able to stay there and be supported. The unit looks after and supports ladies who have nowhere else to stay after they have their babies.
We then returned to Falesti to ensure the rest of the children returning to the orphanage after Christmas were given their presents. Some of the children recognised Rob and Cookie and were really pleased to see them again. We were also able to leave the children a playstation which seemed to please some of the boys no end.
Slavic then took us to visit further families in Balti and distribute further shoeboxes, where one family had 11 children. They were very excited by their gifts and we had the time to see them open their gifts and interact with them which is lovely when we don’t speak the language but are still able to share in their joy and excitement.
In the evening Salvic and Vovo treated us to a BBQ (yes a BBQ....in temperatures below zero...clearly it is never too cold to BBQ!).
Wednesday to Saturday 11th to 14th January
We left Moldova on the Wednesday morning to head home. Slavic drove Wendy and Cookie to the Moldovan border, where they would pick up a taxi to take them across the border and back to Hotel Coroana to pick up the lorry.
Rob and I would follow in the van after negotiating border control.
The trip home would be on a slightly different route via Slovakia and the Czech Republic so that we could see different things along the way. The only place where the weather was bad was in the Czech Republic with driving snow
for a while but other than that the journey was plain sailing.
We would all return home by Saturday lunchtime for some much needed sleep.
TEECH would like to thank DVLC and Wealth Management for their generous donations which helped to make the trip possible. TEECH would also like to thank all those that made up a shoebox and helped to put smiles on many children’s faces. Without your help and support the trip would not have been the huge success that
it was.