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COSMIN'S WORLD CONSISTS OF 2 ROOMS. 73P A DAY COULD CHANGE THAT!
Four year old Cosmin lives in Romania with two siblings and a mum and dad that love him. Sadly that love is not enough, their poverty is so acute that the family struggle from day to day just to survive and Cosmin has worries that no 4 year old should have.
The family live in just 2 rooms lacking even the basics, such as running water. Without being able to attend Kindergarten it is these 2 rooms that make up Cosmin's world.
Child sponsorship would bring Cosmin stability. More importantly it could help get him into education, expand his world and give him hope for a future.
If sponsoring Cosmin is something you can do, or you wish to donate to the Romania project please click here |
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MEMBERS GATHER TO VIEW THE NO.1 (or 2's) OF LUXURY LOOS IN THE SOUTH WEST
Rob Beale of Rob Beale Ltd, launched his open day over the weekend to businesses and individuals in and around the South West. Rob was supported by current BaP members, Jerry Walsingham of Mailboxes Etc, and Janet Lee of Genesis Builders
During the 2 day period, customers were able to view the luxury trailer toilets and showers which were showcased under an enormous marquee. Everything you could possibly ask for are included, as an example:
Gold plated taps
* Soft toilet tissue
* Hot and cold water
* Hand soap and paper towels
* Full stereo system
* Fresh flowers
* Wooden toilet seats
* Warm air heaters
So if you are planning an event for the "summer" then why not give them a call
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HAVE YOU HEARD?
Save The Date
Bailbrook House Hotel, hosts of our infamous Black & White Ball are under currently undergoing a £10million transformation making them the latest 5* luxury destination in Bath. However we are delighted to say that what hasn't changed is their desire to support us in our annual event.
This year, therefore, we have decided to undergo our own transformation and are excited to announce the date of our SPARKLING BALL.
Sat 30 November
Bailbrooke House Hotel
SPARKLING BALL
£ 75.00 per person
£750.00 per table.
LMITED OFFER: £700.00 per table if booked & paid before 30th June |
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Platinum Sponsor
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Project Updates
ELINA'S TUMOUR OP
We are delighted to say that Elina, a child in our sponsorship programme is now recovering from an operation that took a 3kg tumour from her stomach.
(As we are writing this item we have just heard the wonderful news by email that the tumour is benign).
Without access to the an NHS, the medical bills are piling up and Krishna, her father, simply cannot afford to pay for the hospital treatments and ongoing medical needs. Can you help? Perhaps you would like to organise a fundraiser specifically for this cause. Please email if you wish to organise a fundraiser or you can donate here which will direct you directly to our Bank.
Last month we told you about Surya and his family who lost their house in a landslide. We were able to send money and get his house rebuilt in time for the monsoon season,
although as you can see it's not 100%
complete but almost there.
A huge thank you to everyone that donated and if you still want to donate - we didn't Cover the full amount needed, you can. You can call us on 01225 718920 for a debit/credit payment or online
We guarantee that 100% of funds raised for Elina and Sureya's Home will be directed to the cause. |
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Update - Pete and Dom's Jail-break
Last month we told you about Pete
and Dom's "Jailbreak" which saw them try and get as far as possible from Leeds in
36 hours without any money, all to
raise funds for our work. 
Well they did fantastic
getting as far as Dover, which by our
calculations is just under 300 miles! Here you will see Dom trying to get them across the channel but sadly to no avail. Still we think they did amazingly and what's more they raised over £350 for us. If you want to donate you still can by giving here
Thank you Pete and Dom! |
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WATCH THIS SPACE, OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR FURTHER DETAILS OF NEXT AWARENESS TRIP
November 2013
Rserve a space by emailing us of your interest |
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Is it time for a change of perspective? With winter clinging on and the economic picture still bleak it seems increasingly difficult for many of us to shake off a mindset of doom and gloom. Yet perhaps just by looking at things from a different viewpoint we can not only change our view of life but change lives around us.
The last few weeks saw both the Catholic church and the Church of England inaugarate new leaders bringing new perspectives to both. Pope Francis has a wider world view and seems to be asking his community to look outside of Rome and remember it is the poor and disenfranchised and how they serve them that is at the heart of their faith. At the same time the Archbishop of Canterbury talked of how fear in everyday life imprisons us not only as individuals but as a society. These may seem like different messages but are they not both saying the same thing? Change the way you think and you will change the way you act.
Another example of this came from watching a TED talk by Dan Pallotta (those of you who haven't discovered TED yet are definitely missing out). This extraordinary talk challenges the way we view charities and charitable giving. If you really want to gain a new perspective then take the 19 minutes it needs and watch this.
With this being our financial year end it is time for us to look ahead. This year we ourselves are going to take on, if not a new, a slightly different perspective in our projects. Working with our partners we will be focusing on social projects, practical means by which we can enable people. This will vary from helping people to access back to work programmes, sex education, even small business loans. As we often say its not about a handout, but a hand up!
As I write this I'm looking out at the window the sky is grey and everything looks cold, but if I look closer I can see flowers beginning to bloom and birds bobbing around gathering nesting material. What looks bleak actually begins to look promising....it's all a matter of perspective!
Val Huxley - CEO |
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  LEADERSHIP IN 10 WORDS An Exclusive Seminar
It is easy to spot a great leader, much harder to be one.
Leadership is about taking people with you on a journey with a common goal. Simple in theory... more difficult in practice, where the people you are leading have different goals or just don't buy into yours.
The good news is that there are some actions all good leaders do and success is closer than you think. Effective leaders are good at:
- learning
- strategy
- creativity
- goals
- time
- emotions
- motivation
- change
- communication
- responsibility
Business against Poverty are delighted to be working once again with International Speaker William Montgomery and to be able to offer Leadership In 10 Words seminar places at the very much reduced rate of £98 for BaP Members, £125 non-member, including lunch (standard rate £250).
This exclussive event will take place at Hartham Park near Bath on 12th April 2013. Book early to avoid disappointment!
All proceeds of ticket sales will be going directly to the charity. |
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THE BATH HALF MARATHON 2013
Sunday 3rd March saw over 11,200 runners doing their thing to help raise funds for so many charities. We had our own team of 26 made up of supporters from all walks of life from an experienced Triathelete to a yummy mummy who just had her second child only 8 months ago. To date these magnificent people have raised £5,600 for the work of the charity. To each and every one of you a HUGE THANK YOU!
Each member of the team gave extraordinarily of themselves and all have a story to tell. Perhaps one of the most unusual stories however is that of Katy Teagle. Katy is suffering with serious joint issues and was told very clearly that she risked
harming herself if she ran. Despite this she went ahead anyway with quite extraordinary results!
After getting my hospital appointment and being advised against running the Bath Half I was left feeling deflated, as People Against Poverty is a charity I feel very passionate about. I thought long and hard about whether to go through with it, and decided to just do what my body would allow me.
Unfortunately it wasn't too long until my body failed me, just before the 3 mile mark my hip dislocated!. I had a choice, to give up there and then, or to bite my tongue, relocate my hip and carry on. (I think the lady that I met in the toilet nearly passed out when she saw my hip sticking right out of my side). I painfully walked the last 10 miles. I had the support of the crowd, which was fantastic, but nothing compared to the amazing encouragement and support Mike Johnson of Johnsons PTS endlessly gave me, right up until we crossed the finish line together. He got me over that line which I am forever grateful for.
To anyone thinking about doing it next year or in years to come, DO IT! It was one of the proudest moments of my life and will stay with me forever. My 10 miles of pain has allowed me to help People Against Poverty to empower others and change lives for the better, there is nothing better than that.
Katy and baby Ava
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BUSINESS OF THE MONTH
This month Chris May of Mayden Health is our Business Member of the Month.
What motivates you?
Ideas. Not mine necessarily but anything that is a bit off-the-wall, left-field or which combines elements of different disciplines be it philosophy, theology, literature, art, science or pure maths. I enjoy trying to make sense of the world we live in but can't say I'm particularly good at it. No matter which way I look at life I keep coming to the same conclusion; that the only life worth living is one that makes life better for others. Oh, and one that involves chocolate...
Who do you admire in the world of business and why?
Surprisingly (to me anyway) I have to say Bill Gates. When I reflect honestly most of my working age productivity has come from Microsoft software - together with an immense and seemingly unabated amount of frustration. It's a great metaphor for how much and how quickly we can take things for granted. But that isn't the reason I've chosen Bill. Having amassed a vast fortune, rather than spending it all on luxury liners, privates jets and football clubs - or other assorted extensions of a certain part of his anatomy - he is using it to tackle extreme poverty and global health issues. And this won't have been on a whim; it will have been the result of a carefully thought out analysis of what really matters and what doesn't...
What is your business Philosophy?
Find something worthwhile to do then provide the very best products backed up by excellent and personal customer service. Be responsive and always give the client something more than they expect; those little extras don't cost much but they can have a huge impact on how you are perceived. The rest will take care of itself. At Mayden we don't have an FD or a sales team. We know all our clients by their first name and they do our marketing for us. And once we have been recommended our products should sell themselves. Of course this couldn't happen without our staff and I try and apply the same philosophy to them. Good business is about relationships; it's about how you treat people...
What would be your advice to anyone wondering if their business could benefit from joining Business against Poverty?
As business leaders, at some point we will all entertain the notion that we would like to give something back. Or that it would be nice to be able to. Very few business leaders I know - the good ones at any rate - have a sense of entitlement and will find that giving leads to its own rewards, sometimes to such an extent that you wonder if you're really being generous at all because you're getting so much in return. But once you have decided that you want to give, who of us have got the time to work out which are the most deserving causes and to make sure the money we donate is spent wisely?
This is where Business Against Poverty comes in. We can't save the world but with very little we can make a huge difference to the lives of a few individuals who live in the direst of circumstances. We don't have to find those individuals; that's done for us. But then we can get involved as much as we like, by just giving small amounts of money, or by getting involved in projects on the ground in places like Nepal or Romania.
For those of us not in a position to give, Business Against Poverty can help you get there. As a member you belong to an extensive and wide ranging business network of talented companies and individuals which can lead to new business and/or provide business support. My company is unlikely to gain new clients from the Business Against Poverty network because of the nature of our business - but we have certainly used other members as suppliers and they, therefore, have gained a new client in us. And the whole thing is facilitated by excellent events and a range of free on-line resources coming over the horizon as I write...
To join Business Against Poverty is to tap into a virtuous circle that can't bring anything but benefit to all concerned. Simples!
Mayden provide end to end managed web applications and bespoke system development to the healthcare sector, focusing primarily on the NHS. Their secure cloud hosting is available on both N3 and standard connections |
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People against Poverty
Grangeside Business Centre, 129 Devizes Road, Hilperton,
Wilts, BA14 7SZ
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