Happy days

Okay I've not put any photos up yet so I thought I probably should! This is me at my stall at Linlithgow Christmas Street Market on 24th November, selling tablet, tiffin and rolo slice. It was absolutely freezing so I'm really glad I stuck it out and wore extra hoodies to keep warm!

It was really weird selling to the public. I also didn't like that there were no seats, so I was standing for a full 5 hours! But it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be - we were moving about constantly, even if just to keep warm!

Anyway, to wrap up (it was pretty chilly today.... hohoho) I'm really glad I was able to go and I'm pleased to say I made a grand total of £175, my biggest single amount raised yet! :D

I have also had stalls at various other events such as the Kirkliston Primary School Christmas Fair and the Kirky Krafters Fair. 

Since then I have had a few other fairs, and by 8 December I had made £367.30 so my Mum wrote a cheque to Project Trust...although we've still not sent it off... haha. But now I think we'll just write a bigger cheque for £474.15 and send it off after Christmas time.

I hope that during the Christmas holidays I'll be able to have sent off all letters to trusts! I have kindly already received £300 from the Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust - a surprising and exciting early Christmas present!

Today has been a very good day indeed, finally RAISING MY TOTAL TO OVER £1000!!! A fifth of the way there, with just £4375.85 to go!

Heather <3

Tablet

The realisation of what £5,400 could buy made me feel a little dizzy. It's a massive hill to climb and I really don't know if I'll reach it in time - especially as I'm relatively late in definitely deciding I want to go on a Gap Year and going to Selection.

So, I made my first batch of tablet last week. I'm hoping I will be able to sell it in various places to raise money, and seeing as I hadn't made it since 2004, I thought I'd better try it out to see whether it would even sell!

It went well, and I have made 4 more batches since then, and my Mum made one today. I sold 3 batches worth at a local craft fair and made £43 - a small start, but you have to start somewhere I guess! And I will hopefully be able to sell it in the fish van my Mum buys from and also at the local church hall where people meet every Tuesday for lunch and to chat with other people in the community. It's good that I have some regular things going that will help me get a more steady income of money.

At least I've started.... that's always the hardest part. So I guess it can only get better from here!

Heather <3

Hey!

So, I'm going to Peru in August 2013, with a company and charity called Project Trust. Mum says it all happened so fast, that after the talk at school I came home and was "inspired" and then a week later I signed up to Selection whilst she was away. So here I am, with all that over and done with, and I can finally say that I am definitely going on a gap year. Although I can't really believe that I will be living in Peru this time next year - it's all a bit overwhelming right now!

In Peru I will be will be working in a care home for children of all ages, offering my time, support and affection to those who have been abandoned in life. I will help with the day to day running of the orphanage, but will also help the children with homework and with learning English. I also have the opportunity to set up my own extra curricular activities, and I hope to have a music or crafts club. My key role is educational, however it is also social reinforcement for children who don’t normally get the attention - I will be there as a role model, a big sister.

Peru is a vast and vibrant country, five times the size of Great Britain, yet with half the population. It is an amazingly diverse country, ranging from the Pacific coast, the hot and dry desert regions of the West, the high lands of the Andes to the sticky heart of the Amazon Rainforest. I hope to be situated in the Andes (hence the title), although I won't know until March where I will be going. 

To go on my gap year I have to raise at least £5,400, which includes flights, accommodation, insurance and living expenses. However, I aim to fundraise about £6,000, in order to help fund necessary immunisations before I go abroad or travel costs within Peru. To get this amount of money I will be fundraising like never before. I hope to have a bagpack, hold stalls at Fairs and possibly do something like an abseil down the Forth Road Bridge (although Mum is naturally a little apprehensive about this)

Thanks for reading, there will be more to come :)

Heather <3