THANK YOU

Cheers

I've been back in Chisinau almost a week now and it's been a week of ups and downs already. I really was apprehensive about coming back after a brilliant two weeks (minus 2 days because of fog at the beginning of the holiday keeping me at Chisinau airport) seeing family and friends. One Peace Corps volunteer told me that the feeling of dread and despair you get when you begin the descent into the Chisinau is a pretty dismal experience and when I saw that the fog was still lingering around the airport, I was filled with doom and gloom before I even got off the plane. But I shouldn't have been as there has been a lot of positive news this week for the Hospice.

We have had some great news from some prospective supporters. Prior to Christmas, I had written a grant proposal to The Souter Charitable Trust, an organisation based in my home town of Perth, who give generously to charities which aim to relieve human suffering. Yesterday, I received an email from them stating that they were delighted to award us with a very grateful donation which will go a very long way towards ensuring the Hospice will run well into the second quarter of 2011. A big thank you to them for their generosity!

It costs around £75,000 per year to run the Hospice and the foundation's donation has helped us get off to a great start in 2011. There are many ways in which you can also help raise money for Hospice Angelus. Many of my friends and family have already committed to running the Edinburgh Marathon, Half Marathon or 10k at the end of May.

If you would like to run for the Hospice you can find more information about the marathon here. Please let me know if you would like to run and I'll get some information to you. Additionally, if you live elsewhere and would like to run a marathon, host an event or would like some ideas about how to do so, give me a shout and I'll gladly assist. Furthermore, if you fancy going somewhere a bit more exotic for a run, I've also managed to cajole some friends into running the Bucharest City Marathon in October. It's a great opportunity to see Romania and to help a great cause. Again, if you're interested, please let me know and I can send you some information. And yes, I will be taking part in this also - not the full thing (I'm no daft), but the half. Or the 10k. Depends on the training schedule.

More good news came today when we had the regional head of a very big and well-known accountancy firm who not only offered to give us IT equipment, a team of volunteers for event organisation and pro-bono account auditing, but also a substantial donation towards the running of the Hospice. I really have been bowled over this week by the generosity of some people and this is not limited to just in-country.

A friend of mine who works for the Scotsman in Edinburgh recently published this article and the response has been amazing. On the back of Jane's article, we have received emails from around the world, including Canada, where an organisation has already shipped us much-needed stoma bags and the necessary adhesives. Additionally, on the back of an email I sent out to my contacts before Christmas, while I was home I received 5 boxes of medical supplies from Perth Royal Infirmary and a promise to help in the future. This kind of help is crucial and so gratefully received.

Finally, I had word from my mum yesterday that Auchterarder Golf Club (click here for how to book a round at this incredible Perthshire course) have decided to make Hospice Angelus Moldova their charity of choice this year to support.

Would your organisation want to do this too? If so, get in touch and I'll be happy to help. Thanks to all at the golf club for your support.

So this post is just to say a massive CHEERS, THANKS, MULTUMESC AND MERCI to all of you who have supported the Hospice in 2010 and to those who plan to help us in 2011. Your efforts and donations do make an incredible difference and I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting involved.