July News
We are settling into our new home. We have been welcomed into the school and it is lovely to be part of their lives. If you want to come and work – you will need to be DBS checked and there is a process for that (see here), but that ONLY applies in term time when the children are around. During the summer holidays, 21st July to 1st September, there are no children in the school, so DBS clearance is not needed to volunteer, so do please make an appointment to come in and help. Two landlines are being installed into the sewing and cutting rooms and numbers will be circulated soon, but for now please let Rosie know directly preferably the day before so she can plan around you.
The cutting table had to be reduced in size to fit into the classroom, but it is now operational again and has had its first lay in the new environment. We have laid and cut scrubs for Ukraine. They are bundled up and ready to go – so please anyone who can sew some sets please, please do come and get some. Just book online through PickTime.
The camouflage netting stand was set up outside on one of the balconies and we have nearly finished the latest one – again if you have a spare half an hour do please come and tie some of the material onto it for our friends in Ukraine. We have also been busy creating and readying for dispatch some children's procedure gowns and pyjamas for a Hospital there. As mentioned in the last newsletter we continue to send some of Kitty's trauma teddies.
You may find that your employer has a scheme whereby you can take paid time out to help charities supporting Ukraine. We have been approached by a couple of people already using this scheme.
A big thank you to Evie Boettcher and Tracey Morant who together have designed and mounted our lovely new notice board displays – it’s a great way of sharing with the school, the teachers, pupils, helpers and visitors. The boards show our journey and some of the projects and objects that we are involved in making. So thank you ladies – they look great!
Most of our time this month has been taken up with the move and organising ourselves to be efficient in a smaller space, but somehow we have also managed to cut new scrubs, send out well being bags (thank you Christo for his special delivery to UCLH), camouflage netting, academy gowns for the graduating class of ’22, to name a few projects.
This is Christo with his new ebike with trailer setting off with 50 wellbeing bags for the Anaesthetic and Theatre trainees at University College Hospital London. It took him an hour to cycle in, and deliver his precious cargo so well done that man.
We now have space and equipment set up to cut the squares for the quilts if anyone wants to come and cut our scraps of material. Karen delivered another bumper load of quilts to the Evelina London Children’s Hospital at St. Thomas’s.
Some of you will recognise the fabric used in these quilts from the scrubs you sewed.
We have received reports of numerous people wearing rainbow scrubs in the Pride March, including some from Royal Hospital for Neurodisability and UCLH. After visiting the Scrubbery and receiving their wellbeing bags UCLH are now also interested in our scrub hats as part of their sustainability program.
Being part of the Oasis School and its culture.
The Oasis school is part of a project set up to link school, their pupils and the wider community – places like local churches and food banks. The ethos is one of immersion and mutual benefit. The school is working towards creating a focus in the community bringing people together, and that is why they were keen to offer us a home. We can bring enrichment to the school – so if you have any spare time and would like to help out in class – maybe with support reading with the kids, they would be delighted to accept your offer. Maybe you have a spare half an hour after you have dropped your sewing off or before you go somewhere else? There is a volunteer pack available that describes the process, please contact Rosie if you are interested.
We are in discussion with the Parent Teachers Friends Association to see how we might contribute to their Xmas Fayre – maybe a stall with hand made items, something like that. What can you suggest? What would be a good thing to make? All ideas to Rosie please. Maybe we could do some raffle prizes?
For those of you who have come into the school already you will know that we have 2 large balconies at our disposal. We even have 2 large planters on those balconies – does anyone want to use them for the greater good – we could plant up with some vegetables or cut flowers for example. If you would like this challenge – talk to Rosie please.
Last but not least, the BBC have expressed an interest in coming in and doing some filming of the Hub and the work we do, so as, and when, we hear more we will let you know. They were incredulous that they hadn't heard of us earlier!
WE NEED YOU – we are short of people to come and help either with the sewing or in the hub – there are plenty of jobs that need to be done to keep the organisation going! There is still a small amount of work to finish the latest camouflage net.
We are also looking for help to write thank you cards for 430 wellbeing bags, and then to assemble all of these bags. This will be a major effort so volunteers will be welcome.
For the wellbeing bags we need toothpaste samples, if everyone can ask their dentist we should be able to round up enough for all the bags. A root canal must be worth several boxes!