A friend of mine is on a mission. Her mission is to raise £350,000 to save Vauxhall Community Centre. It's no small task and she is - on top of being a full time mum balancing both all the things a day throws at us mums and studying - she is working so incredibly hard to help others. So I took my hat off (not literally I don't actually wear hats) and am spreading the word. Because that's what friends do. They Help.
Here is the mission .....
Vauxhall Community Centre has been providing child care for over 100 vulnerable families since 1985. The support given enables parents to continue working and studying, bettering their lives and their children's too.
I'm sure you are all too aware how hard it can be to juggle work and study on top of all that parenting asks of us. It is hard too to get back into work after having children. The bags under my eyes are a symbol of my late nights catching up on work (If only there were more hours in the day or perhaps a duplicate me I can put to work too!) and household chores! BUT I am fortunate to have a supporting network of both friends and family with an energetic mother/granny/creator extraordinaire to help me when things get that little bit too intense.
Vauxhall Community Centre is like a family reaching out its arms and helping to share the heavy load that life can sometimes ask us to carry. But, sadly Vauxhall Community Centre is now at risk of closing down. There aren't enough funds to keep it going and without the help of others it cannot continue.
So, this blog is me knocking at your door asking you for a cup of sugar (actually the financial equivalent of).
It is so easy on hearing about a charity to think 'I can't make a difference' but you can.
Every single penny counts. Every single penny will make a difference. Vauxhall Community Centre doesn't need to close because if we can get this #trending, if enough people hear about it, if enough people donate just 50p it can continue to hold its arms open to the families who so desperately need it.
So, pass it on; tweet it, get it up on facebook, tell your neighbour, tell others at the school gates, do a round at work and fill up the biscuit tin with change, donate the change you would have used to buy that take-away coffee, and make a massive difference. Because you can.
Oh and if I haven't managed to convince you here's my letter from Lucy.
Dear Carla,
I hope you are well. I have never ever written a letter like this before as over the years Greg and I have given to charities and supported them privately. This however is a truly desperate situation and we really need to ask for your help.
As a young girl I visited children’s homes my father had set up for Cabrini and met children, all of whom had special needs. Trips into these care homes and day centres had a profound effect on me and put into perspective how important it is to understand and acknowledge the stark contrast in some children’s childhoods. Some children have to struggle daily but there are some wonderful people who give meaning and happiness to their lives.
For 30 years my father has worked tirelessly helping children of parents suffering from extreme poverty, addiction, violence, abuse, homelessness and poor mental health. It has been a lifelong work of rebuilding the shattered lives of many children in this country.
One of Cabrini’s centres in Vauxhall London will be forced to close down unless we can raise significant funds. Approximately 100 children receive services from the centre on any given day and there are waiting lists to accommodate more. The children who attend its Day Nursery, Breakfast Club, Wrap Around and Latchkey Groups are all subsidised by the charity and it really is some of these children’s lifeline. The centre in Vauxhall cares for some of the poorest children and families in London, however the majority of these parents are working and that is why it is crucial that this childcare support remains in place.
I cannot contemplate how negatively closure will impact on these children’s lives. I have spent time with these wonderful happy kids. The staff whose dedication I have found to be exceptional are distraught at the possibility of this centre closing. This situation is truly desperate which is why I am seeking help from friends. Please can you make a donation.
I hope you can understand how strongly I feel about this and why I felt it necessary to write to you. Greg and I are putting money, time and a great deal of energy into saving the Vauxhall Centre and hope you will support us in whatever way you can.
Please could you pass this onto any friends or contacts who you also believe have a social conscience.
http://www.justgiving.com/Vauxhall-Community-Project
Kind Regards
Lucy and Greg Rusedski
Cabrini is a charity working with vulnerable children, young people, families and adults with learning disabilities including providing a successful adoption, post adoption and fostering service. To find out more about our work or to get involved, please visit our website http://www.cabrini.org.uk/
Registered charity number 233296
If you would like to help please do DONATE HERE. Because EVERY penny counts
Now get tweeting, add to facebook and do what you can to pass it on.
tweet #saveVCC in your tweets and lets get it heard!
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