LOCAL GROUPS

FOCC Helpston

Area:  Helpston is a small village midway between the Cathedral City of Peterborough and the market town of Stamford. Helpston is well known as the birth place of the peasant poet John Clare.

Group Coordinator:   Cecilia Hammond - tel. 01733 252118
focc_helpston@msn.com

In June 2007 we welcomed our first group of children to Helpston. 8 boys and 8 girls between the ages of 7 and 9 years, arrived from the contaminated area of Mogilev and the surrounding villages to spend a month with host families.  Several of the children lived in old wooden one room houses, these houses have no sanitation, and others live in one room flats.  All the children are very needy, many arriving with just a carrier bag.  The month past very quickly with everyone having a fantastic time, our aim was for the children to improve their health and their self-esteem, and of course, to have fun.  We had a full program of visits to local attractions, swimming lessons, English lessons and visits to both the opticians and the dentist. 

It has been wonderful how the children have gained in both confidence and health, this little boy has two brothers, his mother is dead and his father is absent.  His grandmother works very hard to look after the 3 boys alongside her own 92 year old mother who suffers from senile dementia. 

All this with very little money in a one roomed, wooden house, without even an indoor toilet.  During the month that he was here he developed pink cheeks, gained some muscle in his skinny little legs and had the absolute time of his life.

This little girl lives with her father, her mother is often absent.  Life is very stressful.  During the four weeks, she began to relax and to lose the wary look in her eyes.  She bonded very well with her host family, put on weight and learned how to be a little girl again.

The support from FOCC for these 2 children and many like them improves the quality of life for the whole family.

All of the children had a great time, learning new skills and forming bonds with each other, their two interpreters and with their host families.  At the end of the visit they went home healthier and stronger both emotionally and physically. 

They had a year’s supply of vitamins and toothpaste, a bag bulging with warm clothes for themselves and their siblings, good quality shoes, new glasses for those that needed them, and teeth which had received all the skills of our dentistry team, Paul and Elaine.

The last few days were exciting ones with a concert and a party.  All the children, including the two little people above, looking forward to seeing their families again, but already talking about their return to Helpston next summer. 

If you would like to help make this possible either as a host family, or to help raise funds, please do get in touch.  We would like to thank the many, many kind people and organisations that have raised money and helped make this possible. 

The children’s sponsors: 
- John Clare School
- Friends of John Clare School
- Peterborough Round Table
- Peterborough Community Church (2)
- Employees of British Sugar
- Stamford Round Table (2)
- Budget Insurance Group
- The Blue Bell Public House, Helpston
- Mrs. Amanda Powell
- Chris & Pauline Young
- Barclays Investment Planning
- Pat & David Jackson
- The Village Tribune
- Rowena & Pete Hayward.

Donations of equipment and days out:
- School shoes-John Lewis PLC
- Trainers-Lady Isabella Naylor-Leyland with Footprints
- FOCC T-shirts and caps-Chroma Sports
- Cakes and food for the play scheme -  Peterborough Community Church and Tesco’s(Deeping)
- Dentist-Paul Shepherd
- Optician-Eye Care Centre Spalding & Specsavers Stamford
- Play Scheme Venue-Helpston Scout & Guide Association
- Play ground & swimming-John Clare School
- Art Equipment-Deepings Inner Wheel
- Minibus-Lions Club
- English Lessons-Peterborough Regional College
- Fleeces and trip money-Copthill School
- Activity World
- Exotic Pet Refuge
- Sacrewell Farm
- Women’s Institute
- Burghley Scupture Garden
- Kite Flying Day (Derek Harris)
- Art Day at John Clare School
- Activity Day at Copthill School
- MacDonalds (Glinton)
- The Lee Groome Fund
- ACS Photography and Magic Keith

The Host Families: 
The Astle Family,
The Atkinson Family,
The Donaldson Family,
The Hammond Family,
The Henthorn Family,
The Johnston Family,
The Mountain Family,
The Nichol Family,
The Phipps Family,
The Richards Family,
The Roberts Family,
The Robinson Family,
The Smith Family,
The Tushingham Family,
The Whight Family,
The Woollard Family,
The Young Family,
The Hinchliff Family,
The Irons Family.

The Play Scheme workers: 
Jacqui Barnard,
Maggie Bentley, 
Maurice Bradley,
Marian Connor,
Ruth Dunn,
Rachel Fisher, 
Linda Formby,
Stephanie Galjaard,
Vanessa Glynn,
Becky Henthorn,
Pat Jackson,
Katie Johnston, 
Jean Keymer,
Lindsay Roberts,
Claire Rytina,
Jula Shonfeld,
Sarah Snodgrass,
Morag & Mick Sweeney,
Kirsty Warne,
Jo & Cheryl Yeates.