Friends of Chitambo: A very successful fundraising event

The Summer Street Fair took place on Saturday 26th August, in the Friernds of Chitambo (FoCH) stronghold, Penicuik, Scotland..

Running the stall was a particular challenge this year as some of us are off to Chitambo, Zambia, on 31st August

Even so, with all hands on deck, the effort paid off , with bumper takings, almost double our usual average. Congratulations to the team and particular thanks to our new young volunteers, Jenny, Alison and Catherine whose persuasive selling powers are most impressive.

5 team members (Jo, Lou, Catriona, Jenny and Alison) are from health service backgrounds and 3 (Catriona, Jenny and Alison) are currently in high flying health service roles. Catriona is an Organisational Development Lead in and Edinburgh Special Healthboard; Jenny is training as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, in Critical Care; and Alison is a Nurse Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University. We are highly privileged to have them all on board.

We were also privileged to have help from Catherine, daughter of our charity Patron, Julie Davidson. With much experience in the field of retail, Catherine has great business sense and sold a lot of raffle tickets. Her mother, Julie, is an author and journalist and wrote the acclaimed book 'Looking for Mrs. Livingstone'. This is about David Livingstone's wife, Mary Moffat, whose nephew Malcolm Moffat, founded Chitambo Hospital in 1908.

Catherine and Alison are joining the group which is travelling to Chitambo on Thursday 31st August. The other travelers include Julie, Jo (FoCH Chair) and FoCH member Bridget who is a Scottish doctor with extensive experience of medical volunteering in Zambia and South Africa.

Thanks also to Street Fair stalwarts Margaret and Gillian, who provided much produce and guided the novice helpers in the art of fundraising. We could not do without you or without the help of Jo's husband Richard who, despite his 'bionic' (artificial) leg, is always there to help with transporting the team, cheering us on and proffering tea and coffee.

Thank you too to Consider and his wife Pharren, in Zambia, who supplied the beads, shirts, and beautiful sandals, all hand made by Pharren, in Zambia. These attracted much interest and sales.

Also thanks to our Trustees, Ba Chola and Ba Loveness, in Chesterfield, England. Chola is a Lala gentleman, from Chitambo and, as such, is a tremendous asses to the charity.

THANK YOU ALL FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THIS SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING EVENT.

Proceeds are likely to go towards our student nurse scholarships. More on that soon.

See our Street Fair photo gallery: