April 2023
Ukraine update
In line with what is going on overseas, things are moving very quickly over here with our support for the Ukrainian people. As the result of an initial contact with Terry and Tony – thank you John – Rosie and Terry forged a strong partnership based on their mutual backgrounds and desire to do more to help the world. Terry was so inspired by what the Scrubbery was achieving that she went back to Ireland and mobilised donations to come in.
Those donations far outreached our expectations, so much so we had to look into hiring a van to collect and deliver them all. Thanks to Tony we were invited to write to Enet Open Access Networks in Ireland to outline who we are, what we do and what we want to do. Amazingly this resulted in us being donated a van for our use and for us to decide on its destination We decided that it could be more beneficial in Ukraine distributing humanitarian aid and for medical evacuation rather than residing with us.
Initially we couldn't find a commercial driver who would drive into Ukraine, and knowing that it was desperately needed, Rosie said she would take it. Olga, who has negotiated all the shipments so far, agreed to accompany her, using her network of Ukrainian contacts to ensure it would all get through, intact, to the right people, and of course, her Ukrainian language skills! When we realised that there was a third seat we decided to take a medic with us and Margaret joined the crew. She has a wealth of health and medical knowledge through her working life and would be useful the other end in understanding the protocols and equipment needs being discussed at the medical centres being visited.
A full report of this trip will follow separately in the next newsletter which we hope to release soon.
We have also recently sent another van load of donations and completed projects through Olga – including nets, scrubs, crutches, food, medical aids and other donations to arrive before Rosie, Olga and Margaret arrived.
Meanwhile volunteers continue to work on additional camouflage nets.
Some of the scrubs, collected crutches/clothing and other medical items being received in Ukraine
Corporate Camouflage Days with thanks to volunteers from BSI
Rosie spent her Easter break dyeing sheets in readiness for these two days. Thanks are also due to all those who came in to cut strips in advance.
The two Corporate Camouflage Days took place during the school holidays, and enabled us to send some finished nets across to where they were needed. Thanks also go to Julia who introduced us to the British Standards Institute who have a policy of encouraging their workforce to take one day off per year to work in a charity, and they chose us. In all fourteen people came along, spent the day under guidance and completed two whole nets:
1 x winter / snow net
1 x forest net
As a finishing touch they were all encouraged to write a note and attach it to their nets – this will be translated by the Ukranians, but it adds a personal touch.
Work done on other fronts
Luz at Charing Cross Hospital reached out to Rosie about helping to create something personal for those women who had to have post operative breast surgery, many of them had to carry their “drains” around in nothing more than a plastic bag – not very encouraging ! So Rosie and the team came up with the idea of repurposing material and making some soft fabric shoulder bags to port their equipment around in – pretty and very functional, and just one more caring option all round.
Maria and Bernie took the lead in making them up and delivering them – 100 in all, and they were very well received. Fantastic work!
Of course we continue to support local organisations as well with scrubs, scrub hats and other items as requested.
Oasis Library Opening
On Friday 21st April, a local children’s book author and illustrator, Michael Foreman opened the new library at the Oasis Academy. There was a special assembly that Michael addressed, followed by a Q&A with the students on his books and work after which he was kind enough to sign some copies. Our MP, Fleur Anderson, accepted the invitation to join us at this event, which was fitting as she initiated the first contact between The Scrubbery and Oasis Academy, Putney. Thank you Fleur.
Lovely wording by the school on this commemorative plaque with illustrations by Christo and Rosie.
Not only have the team spent months sourcing, culling, covering, accessioning (setting up the data record) and sorting over 6,000 books, but we have also cleaned and cleared the space, repaired, refilled and cleaned the bean bags, and made custom cushions in Twits fabric. It has been a Herculean task but we got there in the end – thanks in no small part are due to Lindsay, Suzy, Vanessa, Solmaz, Anna, Josie, Janice, Catherine and Julian from the Scrubbery and to all the Parents and PTFA members, especially Jacqui, Fi, Cat, Isabella, Ruth, and Michelle who have also given up their time on this project.
Particular thanks to Jude and Susan for their fantastic cushions and Susan for her charming quilted wall hangings which make the space so much softer and welcoming. There have been a lot of new skills learned from this project.
We requested a couple of new “Learn to Sew” books for the students with the aim of picking out projects and encouraging them to have a go at sewing the toy or item. Anything that is finished can go on display and serve to encourage new students to take up the challenge next time. If anyone else would like to sew a project please contact Rosie. Our grateful thanks go to Lindsay Fong and Jude for all their handiwork.
The Roehampton Community Shed took away spare shelves and broken cupboards and magicked them into something marvellous in the school colours. A pair of kinder boxes for picture books and a returns box for when the library is closed. They absolutely nailed their brief, delivering precisely what we asked for. They will delight many library goers for years to come.
NHS supply chain meeting
You may recall a while back the government procurement office reached out to set up a meeting with Fleur and Rosie to discuss how to handle PPE and scrub supply chains going forward. We now have a date for this meeting at the end of May, after a lengthy campaign.
As a side note there was an article in all the major newspapers about how it is costing this country over £1m a day for the Chinese to store PPE that has been purchased but not shipped because it us unsuitable or not needed. It makes for shocking reading and makes the meeting and any subsequent actions all the more important – why is this not a priority in these tough economic times that we find ourselves?
The Times
Daily Mail
Operation Foil Blankets for Ukraine
On Sunday the 23rd of April a jolly team of volunteers set out from Putney Bridge to wait at the finish line of the London Marathon to collect lightly used foil blankets to clean and send to Ukraine. This up cycling process saves the blankets from going into landfill and are an invaluable of a soldier’s first aid kit in Ukraine. Although we didn’t manage to go under an official footing, despite strenuous efforts from John, we went anyway. The team were bedecked in blue high-vis vests with Scrubbery branding and the request to recycle the foil blankets.
We had families and children from the school and community, our East Putney councillor, Finna, and of course stalwart Scrubbery volunteers. The full team was John, Graham, Charlie, Cat, Steve, Alison, Betty, Rachel, Gaspard, Solmaz, Nicolas, Genevieve and Finna. Our branding worked because we attracted the attention of the Sustainability Advisor for the London Marathon and thanks to Cat’s quick thinking we now have a solid relationship to work on, and promises of potential supply from the Great North Run, 3 half marathons next month and the possibility of setting up a collection point at the Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester marathons with publicity in advance that these collections will be made. This might also mean we get brand new, unused, pre-packed blankets.
The quick thinking Cat who even managed to get passers by to help
Particular thanks to Alex at Westminster Abbey Choir School for providing and driving the minibus despite being knee deep in coronation preparations at the school. Thanks to everyone who participated and especially John for helping to plan and organise the day.
Finally, we have started a new community garden on the balconies at the Scrubbery and we have a callout for plants or herbs – can you help? Any and all donations gratefully received.