Reflections from our chair, perspectives from a trustee’s visit to Chennai, children’s excitement at space exploration and latest fundraising news. Read all this in our latest newsletter.

Buy tickets now for the Batemans Raffle – and give yourself the chance to win one of these three beautiful prizes.  

All prizes come from Kalpa Druma, the renowned heritage arts, crafts and fabric store in Chennai, and will look wonderful in any home.

Prize 1: A beautiful cotton double-sided double bedspread known as a dohar.
The origins of these incredibly comfortable bed covers are rooted in the thought of a warm hug; one that makes you feel grounded and at peace.

Prize 2: A traditional peacock print in rich gold and turquoise.
The national bird of India, the peacock is a symbol of strength, power and prosperity.

Prize 3: A limited edition print of Ganesh.
This print is a modern interpretation of the much-loved Hindu god, Ganesh.

 

Raffle tickets cost £5 each, or you can increase your chances of winning by taking advantage of our five tickets for £20 offer. Click here to buy tickets.

Entries close on 30 June 2023.

It was off to the races for supporters in Steventon, Oxfordshire, in April.

Trustees Alex and Marion organised a fun Race Night with betting on the horses raising a fantastic £1,300 for Batemans/Satkaarya.

A night at the races is a great fundraising idea and involves using films from past horse races. Attendees place their bets after picking a horse from the list of runners in the programme, whether it’s a particular horse’s name they like or just their favourite number. It’s all good fun and there’s normally one lucky winner from each race during the evening!

Meanwhile, there was another successful morning in Essex when the fourth charity plant and cake sale since Covid lockdown ended was held in the foregrounds of St John’s Church, Chelmsford. The sun shone, the cakes were rapidly snapped up, as were nearly 90 per cent of the plants, and donations to Batemans/Satkaarya raised a total of £675.

More plants and seedlings are coming along well and it is hoped to hold another sale in late August/early September.

Trustees Amanda Morris-Drake and Becky Sewell have just returned from a very successful visit to Chennai, the first by trustees from the UK since Covid-19.

Amanda, pictured above, reports: “I was very impressed by the care and support provided at both the girls and boys hostels. The warmth, dedication and generosity of the staff is outstanding. They are a wonderful team and it is clear to see that vulnerable children thrive under their care.

“I was impressed by the self esteem the girls had and their wish to do well and lead independent lives. It was clear that ‘Girl Power’ is promoted and very well received. It has been an absolute pleasure to meet everyone who works for the Satkaarya Trust (our sister charity in Chennai) and  the happy smiling faces of the children are a testament to the wonderful work done.”

 

For a special treat the older girls were taken out recently to reward all their studying and help in the hostel while other children enjoyed a trip out to the seaside to watch dawn rise over the sea.

Our mission is to support our children in developing as all-round citizens. This is why extra-curricular clubs are run at the weekend so that they get some relief from their hectic school schedule and expand their interests.

Each child can participate in any two clubs. The clubs include art, craft, dance, cooking, eco club, sewing, computer, enterprise/ business and media.

Schooling continues to go well and 34 children, both boys and girls, have been enrolled in Emmanuel Methodist School and are transported together in our Batemans bus.

Most of those who finished 10^th grade are continuing school into 11^th grade, while those who have completed 12^th grade are now applying to go to college.

Meanwhile, two new students, aged 12 and 15, have been admitted into our girls home and are settling down well in their new environment.

 

We wish you all the very best of health and happiness as we move into 2022 and hopefully better times for all.

After a third wave of the Covid pandemic hit Chennai before Christmas, causing another lockdown of schools and colleges, the  good news is that all schools are due to reopen this month. In addition, everyone aged more than 15 years old is being vaccinated.

Batemans’ children are getting back to school! After studying online for the past 20 months – supported by our team in Chennai – early years’ children and students studying up to 11^th standard (the equivalent of GCSEs in the UK) are travelling to their schools again for face-to-face teaching.

Thanks to your support, we currently have 24 girls and 16 boys in our care. One boy who joined us in June is 12-year-old Mahesh, pictured above centre. After his single mother sought help from the Chennai Child Welfare Board for the care and education of her children, Mahesh was referred on to our Batemans-Satkaarya team, who report that he has settled in well.

If you would be interested in sponsoring Mahesh or any of our children, it costs £15 a month. Follow this link to find out more.

It’s been a great year for supporters making generous donations and finding innovative ways to raise money – from children putting on plays and running outdoor cake stalls to a midwife cycling the length of Great Britain!

Year 10 students at St Mary’s School, Ascot, have raised thousands of pounds this term, trustee Marion Mills set herself a walking target while Vinod Hallam and his wife Angela took to their gym bikes to pound out the miles for Batemans. And you can still sponsor supporter Sarah Barry who has definitely caught the marathon running bug.

Last weekend saw a successful fundraising quiz night in Cambridge, while in Chelmsford a group of supporters are preparing special Batemans Advent Treat boxes for delivery before the start of December.

If you are planning an activity and would like some advice on how best to maximise the opportunity – or have photos of an activity you’ve been involved in – please contact suzanne.kuyser@batemans.org.uk