What a great day we’ve had at Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games. Thank you so much to Allander Rotary Club for inviting us and supporting us.
Sarah’s blog 8/6/24
What a great day we’ve had at Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games. Many thanks to Allander Rotary for inviting us and for supporting Changing Lives Malawi. There were a few heavy showers but most of the day was bright sunshine and there were plenty of people about.
Allander Rotary had an old fashioned game – rolling 10p to try and get it onto a square – with all the proceeds for our charity. The children were really enjoying that and queuing up for a go. We had packs of cards for sale that lots of people were admiring and buying and we handed out lots of leaflets and stickers.
Here are some of the photos from today and, no doubt, there will be a few more to add.
We are so grateful to Allander Rotary members for inviting us along and supporting us. It was a great opportunity to meet more people. Thank you also to Jackie for all her hard work and for her endless enthusiasm. Hope you enjoy the photos, Sarah x
Teamwork! Sarah & JackieSetting up for the Bearsden & Milngavie Highland GamesAllander Rotary organised this fun fair game which was very popularIan, Stuart and Jackie with the games mascot!Ian and Jackie with Provost Gillian Renwick
There are so many people to thank during volunteers week – we are grateful to you all.
Sarah’s blog 7/6/24
I wanted to use this opportunity to thank everyone who helps us. Changing Lives Malawi has no employees, we are all volunteers so you can be sure all money we receive goes to the projects we support in rural northern Malawi.
We have a team of trustees who, as well as making decisions together, collect donated items, pack boxes, drive boxes to Dundee to await the next container, raise funds, etc etc and are generally a great support network. Oh and one helps me with IT issues as my forte is certainly not technology! however I am learning! One of our trustees, Christine Cresswell (my mum), is a talented artist and sells her paintings with all proceeds for our charity. We have had some of her paintings made into cards and selling paintings and packs of cards has raised a great amount of money. christine cresswell artist
A special mention goes to our accountant who volunteers a huge amount of time to keep everything shipshape and makes sure every single penny we receive counts towards the projects we are supporting and keeps us right with budgeting and planning.
We’ve got people who have raised funds for us in various ways – including sponsored walks, fire walks, band & quiz nights – we value every single one of you. Of course, fundraising is ongoing so we are always looking for volunteers to help us raise vital funds. Could you hold an afternoon tea for your friends and family? Could you do a sponsored event? What about an evening event? Or could a school or club raise some much needed funds?
There are too many people to mention who help us – thank you so much – it’s always about teamwork and we couldn’t do what we do without you. However, there are three groups of people that I want to thank publicly as they really do go above and beyond.
Allander Rotary Club have been supporting us for the last year with fundraising and we will be with them all day tomorrow at Bearsden and Milngavie Highland Games. If you are local then please do pop along to West of Scotland Rugby Club where the Highland Games take place – Saturday 8th June. Thank you to the members of Allander Rotary Club who are all volunteers for the time and effort you put in to support Changing Lives Malawi. allander rotary club
Vets with Horsepower are currently on their annual motorbike tour, volunteering and giving lectures to other vets and sharing their expertise on Equine Medicine. They raise money for different charities each year and we are very thankful to be one of their beneficiary charities this year. It has also been very helpful that they have shared our posts as more people now know about the community we are helping to support in rural northern Malawi. vets with horsepower
Bananabox Trust in Dundee organise the containers that take boxes of aid to Malawi. The people who process the boxes and pack the containers are all volunteers and we are very grateful for their help and support. the bananabox trust
If you would like to get involved and be a volunteer for Changing Lives Malawi then please do get in touch – we always welcome new people to our team! Thanks everyone, Sarah x contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
Some of the packs of 8 blank fundraising cards made from original paintings by one of our trustees, Christine Cresswell. We will have these for sale at Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games on Saturday 8th June £5 per pack of 8. They can also be ordered from me at £5 plus p&p.
Four organisations, working together to support some of the most vulnerable people in northern Malawi to self-sufficiency and sustainability.
Sarah’s blog 24/5/24
The Rotary Club of Allander (Milngavie) have been supporting Changing Lives Malawi in a variety of ways over the past year and we are very grateful for their support. We are attending Bearsden & Milngavie Highland Games with them on Saturday 8th June, so if you are attending the event, please come and say ‘hello’.
In March, I was invited as a guest of Stuart Sharkie, President of Allander Rotary, to attend a talk on Malawi at The Probus Club of Allander. We were both made extremely welcome by William Ho, President of The Probus Club and all the other members.
Changing Lives Malawi is a member of The Scotland Malawi Partnership which promotes positive relationships and connections in Scotland and Malawi where people in both countries can learn from each other and work collaboratively. Chad Morse, is Deputy Chief Executive of The Scotland Malawi Partnership and was giving the talk. This was the first time I had met Chad in person and his talk was fascinating as he and his family had lived in Malawi for many years.
As well as benefitting from hearing Chad’s talk about the work of the SMP and his time of living in Malawi, he had some wonderful photos of the beauty of Malawi. There was also an opportunity to chat with people and I met some lovely people.
William arranged for an article to appear in Bearsden & Milngavie’s Community Magazine and he has sent me a copy of it as it was delivered yesterday. I’m thankful for the opportunities and support that The Rotary Club of Allander, The Probus Club of Allander and The Scotland Malawi Partnership have given to Changing Lives Malawi and I hope that we can all continue supporting the hundreds of vulnerable children, and their community, through a variety of projects with the end goal being sustainability and self-sufficiency.
Stuart, William and Chad – thank you for your support of our work. I’m grateful for your help and kindness. I always say it’s about teamwork and, little by little, our team is expanding.
I’ve included the link to two recent blogs I have written to give examples of some of our projects, then the magazine article and photo. If anyone would like to get involved then please let me know contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thanks for reading and supporting, Sarah x
Thank you so much to everyone who has bought our fundraising cards. Oakwood Garden Centre have sold 94 packs! Amazing thank you!
Sarah’s blog 11/4/24
I thought I would do a little update on my mum’s beautiful cards that are copies from her original paintings. My mum, Christine Cresswell, who is one of our trustees, only took up painting a few years ago. She has real talent and found it helped her to paint during lockdown. Mum has given her time and talents to our charity and sells her paintings with all proceeds going to the projects we support in Malawi. She had the cards printed, so all proceeds from those goes to the charity too.
Thanks to everyone who has bought cards and thank you to members of Strathblane Kirk and Strathblane Guild for their support. Also thank you to Torrance Parish Church for having the cards in their foyer for sale, we really appreciate your help.
I also want to thank Oakwood Garden Centre, Killearn. They very kindly agreed to stock our fundraising cards and have sold 94 packs of cards which is amazing. Many thanks to Oakwood Garden Centre and all the customers who have supported our charity by buying cards.
Below is a small selection of paintings and cards. I will do a separate post about mum’s paintings soon. The packs of cards are in 8 of same type that are blank inside for your own message, priced at £5 per pack they make a great gift or are handy to have at home. Thanks again and thanks mum, Sarah x
I’ve thought a lot about writing this and whether I should or not. Writing blogs has taken me out of my comfort zone as I always want the focus to be on what is happening in Malawi or fundraising here, not about me. However, here are a few thoughts I’d like to share with you.
As a charity, Changing Lives Malawi is growing well and, thanks to our supporters, is continuing to make a big difference to hundreds of the most vulnerable children in rural northern Malawi. A few things do need to change in order for us to continue to grow;
I need some more help as my caring responsibilities have grown over the last few months and I must continue to prioritise my family.
As we grow, there is more to do. I have several large grant applications to do over the next few weeks and these will take time.
We need to continue fundraising and this doesn’t all have to involve me. What I would find really helpful is if supporters could do some little (or bigger) fundraising for Changing Lives Malawi within their own communities. This shares some of the hard work but also lets a new group of people know about our charity. Hopefully, as 100% of donations go towards the projects we support, they will be happy to support us too. You could have a table top sale, a bake stall, an afternoon tea or a car wash…or could you do a sponsored event like the Kiltwalk or a half marathon?
Share our posts please. Or write a post of your own about our charity. Again, a new group of people will see this post and that you have given us your seal of approval!
Invite me to speak at your club, church, event. I love doing this and one of my favourite things is talking about the projects that we support in Malawi. After that, hopefully, that will have made a new connection and that community can become a supporter of Changing Lives Malawi.
Feeding hundreds of hungry children continues to be a big concern as there are no big charities feeding them in schools in the far north of Malawi. Most are malnourished. All are hungry. If you could spare £5 per month to support the feeding programme then that would make a big difference. 100 people committing £5 per month would be £500 extra to spend on feeding children and putting into place sustainable projects that will help people be self-sufficient eg planting an orchard of fruit tree saplings at each primary school in the local area.
Young people’s education is also a priority. Bright Futures Secondary School is only half full currently. We need to match more vulnerable young people with sponsors so that they can go to secondary school. Education is their way out of extreme poverty. It’s only £25 per month to sponsor a young person. They receive school uniform, stationery, a nutritious cooked school lunch (their only proper meal of the day) each day and, of course, free education.
I remain 100% committed to Changing Lives Malawi – it is what I am supposed to be doing and I love it. I love being a small part of a big team. Every one of us has different skills and talents and we all can make a difference. Changing Lives Malawi is nearly 5 years old and I am so thankful of all the support we continue to receive.
Thank you for reading today’s blog and for understanding and supporting our small charity which is making a big difference. Sarah x contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com
What an amazing evening it was last night for our four firewalkers taking part in the charity firewalk event in Milngavie, organised by Allander Rotary Club.
We are going to share Joanne and Alison’s photos and videos first of all. David Braid and Alistair Blair, who are teachers at Balfron High School, want to do a presentation to students at school on Wednesday. We have said we will share their photos and videos after Wednesday. So here goes for Joanne & Alison – thankfully their feet have survived ok…Joanne got a blister and they both had very dirty feet that needed a good wash before bedtime!
Joanne Byrne is my younger (and much braver than me) sister. She owns Killearn Driving School. Joanne has had a rough few years as she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy, several other operations due to infections and is now waiting for reconstructive surgery. She is such an amazingly strong person and I am so proud that she challenged herself to do this firewalk. She was amazing! It’s not the first time she has raised money for Changing Lives Malawi so we are very grateful.
Alison Rennie is Joanne’s best friend and such a lovely person. She is a friend to everyone and always has a big smile. She has issues with her joints and can be very tired due to having lupus. Despite this, Alison was up for a challenge and did brilliantly last night. She had a minor mishap prior to the firewalk….she nearly got stuck in the toilet! She assured us she wasn’t trying to get out of the firewalk but was genuinely worried she would miss it! Thankfully, she made it out on time!
Thank you to everyone who has donated already. If you haven’t then we would be very grateful if you could give a few £££. Their link is https://gofund.me/c127c5e9 Enjoy the photos and videos!
All money will be going towards building a staffroom at Bright Futures Secondary School and buying textbooks. Currently, the teachers are using classroom 4 as their staffroom. However, in September, there will be another intake of students and all four classrooms will be in use for teaching. Also more teachers will need to be employed by September so a staffroom is a necessity for them. As there is no S4 yet, we have no textbooks for next year’s S4 students yet, so this is another essential resource we are fundraising for.
Many thanks to Allander Rotary for organising the event and to Milngavie Guides for hosting. Thank you again to all our supporters and to Joanne & Alison and David & Alistair for being such good sports and taking part to help give vulnerable students a brighter future in rural northern Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x
NB Apologies for the poor quality of some of the photos – smoke from the fire was to blame rather than my bad photography lol.
Alison, Alistair, David and Joanne…. our four fantastic firewalkers!
Our charity and our brave firewalkers have made the local and national news!!
Sarah’s blog 4/3/24
Well, last week the story of our four amazing firewalkers appeared in our local paper, The Stirling Observer. This week it is in the national paper – The Daily Record. Thank you to both of these newspapers for running this story and raising awareness of our charity and the firewalking event organised by Allander Rotary. The firewalk is taking place in Milngavie on 24th March.
We are raising funds for a staffroom at Bright Futures Secondary School and to buy more textbooks. All of the money that my sister Joanne and her best friend Alison raise will go to our charity. Their link to donate is https://gofund.me/c127c5e9
Also, we have Mr Braid and Mr Blair, teachers from our local school – Balfron High School. Their fundraising is half for our charity and half for next year’s school trip volunteering in Zanzibar. Their fundraising link is https://gofund.me/9430b2af
Please show your support for these four brave volunteers as they raise much needed funds. Thank you for your support, Sarah x
David Braid and Alistair Blair
Alison Rennie and Joanne Byrne
Allander Rotary Club are organising this firewalk on 24th March in Milngavie
Joanne Byrne, my sister (on right of photo) and her best friend, Alison Rennie, decided in a moment of madness that they were up for the challenge of firewalking!! Thank you so much to both of them for being brilliant sports.
Alison Rennie (left) and Joanne Byrne are our first team of firewalkers!
Allander Rotary Club in Milngavie is hosting this Firewalk event on Sunday 24th March. Alison and Joanne will be doing the firewalk on behalf of Changing Lives Malawi. We are raising money for a teachers’ staffroom at Bright Futures Secondary School – teachers are currently using classroom four as we only have students in years 1-3. However, in September, with the next intake of students, all four classrooms will be needed. More teachers will be employed, hence the need for a dedicated staffroom. We are also needing S4 textbooks as we don’t have any of these yet.
So here is the link to Joanne and Alison’s fundraiser. We will be sharing more information about them and our goals over the next few weeks. https://gofund.me/c127c5e9
We are very fortunate to have two teams of firewalkers…the second team will be introduced next week.
We know we ask a lot of our supporters and we are extremely grateful for all the help we get…it is a real team effort and we appreciate each and every one of you. However, if you can share posts so we can reach a wider audience that would be really helpful and if you are able to make a donation to support the girls, that would be amazing. Thanks everyone, Sarah x
I’ve chosen education again for December 5th as it is a core project and something we all feel very strongly about. Thanks to grants and donations from our supporters, Bright Futures Secondary School was opened in November 22.
Currently, there are three classes S1, S2 and S3. In September 2024 there will also be an S4 class. When there are four classes there will need to be several more teachers employed at the school. Therefore, next year’s running costs will be significantly more than this year’s.
One way that the school is planning to be more self-sufficient and have some income to be able to buy their own exercise books, science equipment and money towards trips etc is to set up a Pig Project. Agricultural classes are part of the core curriculum and particularly S2 have a topic on keeping pigs. Future piglets can be sold; the income will be for the school and the students will have practical experience which will be invaluable in the future. Quality education will be the key to a better and brighter future for these students with choices and chances. If you would like to buy a piglet as a Christmas gift for the person who has everything it only costs £45. https://gofund.me/d3cf8c3acontact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com Thank you for your support, Sarah x
It’s December already! This year has gone so quickly! As we approach Christmas Day, I am going to take this opportunity to highlight some of the projects we are supporting and also some of the vulnerable children and young people who are benefitting from our support.
Of course, we can’t do what we do without your support – it’s teamwork! Thank you so much to everyone who helps and supports our charity. Together we can continue to change lives and help the young people have a brighter future. So, if you are able, we would appreciate, if you could spare a few ££ to help us continue feeding 500 children once a week and also supporting the start up of some sustainable projects. All our projects have The Sustainable Development Goals in mind.
Today, on 1st December we are highlighting the need for clean water. Children at the Foundation have clean water to drink and wash their hands. Also Chambo Primary School now have clean water on site, thanks to a recent grant we applied for. In this photo which is one of my favourites and a couple of years old now, Josephine Nyondo and her nursery friends, tried the new tap for the first time. It was such a special moment for them being able to drink clean water straight from the tap and wash their hands. #SDG6 Clean Water & Sanitation
Tomorrow (Tuesday 28/11/23) is known as Giving Tuesday. It started in America, being the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving Weekend. People began donating money, time or talent to charities and other good causes as a way of giving and being thankful for what they had in their lives. Giving Tuesday has grown over the years and is now a recognised day of giving to good causes.
So, this leads me onto our new fundraiser and hoping that you might give to our charity and the good causes we are supporting. Costs keep rising in Malawi and food is becoming more scarce. Hundreds of children are relying on us to feed them a substantial, nutritious meal once a week. That isn’t enough, but it’s all we can do until we can get others partnering with us to provide more.
Food – Please can you help us to keep feeding 500 orphans and other vulnerable children each week? A one off donation would be really helpful or you could set up a monthly donation of £5 or £10 if you’d prefer. https://gofund.me/d3cf8c3a
Fruit Trees – We want the community we support to be self-sufficient. They want that too. Can you please help us? Fruit tree saplings have already been planted a couple of years ago and we want to plant more. This will provide future food for the orphans and other vulnerable children as well as some fruit being sold and bringing in an income. Planting trees and bushes also helps prevent soil erosion during the heavy rains and is good for the planet. Four fruit tree saplings cost £10. Will you support this project please? If you would like to give this as an alternative gift at Christmas or for someone’s birthday then please let me know and I can send a gift card on your behalf. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com https://gofund.me/d3cf8c3a
Pig Project – At Bright Futures Secondary School Agricultural Lessons are part of the core curriculum. The second year students, along with their teacher, are setting up a Pig Project where they will learn to care for and breed pigs. Some of the future piglets will be given to vulnerable people in the community and some piglets will be sold. This income will go back into making the school self-sufficient as they will be able to purchase exercise books and other equipment they need. A piglet costs £45 to purchase. Would you like to buy a piglet? This could make a good alternative gift to buy for the person who has everything! I can send a gift card on your behalf stating what you have bought. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.comhttps://gofund.me/d3cf8c3a
Sewing – We sent some hand turn sewing machines to Malawi and some of the older girls who have left school have been learning how to make reusable sanitary towels for all who needed them, ensuring all girls do not miss a week of school each month and, therefore, are receiving the same amount of schooling as the boys. Now, we would like to set up two or three of these girls in business so they can start making school dresses and other clothes to sell. Would you like to ensure these girls have a sustainable and better future? £50 will buy fabric that they need. I can send a gift card if you decide to buy this as an alternative Christmas gift. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.comhttps://gofund.me/d3cf8c3a
Education – Secondary Education in Malawi needs to be paid for. All of the young people at Bright Futures Secondary School would not have been able to afford to continue their education without help and support. Could you pay for a student to attend school for a month please? It costs £25. Or you could become a sponsor to a student for £25 p/m. These vulnerable young people, many of whom are orphans, deserve a better and brighter future. If you would like to pay for this option as part of an alternative Christmas gift, please do let me know and I can send a card to the recipient on your behalf. contact_us@changinglivesmalawi.com https://gofund.me/d3cf8c3a
As you can see, we cannot do this alone. It is always about teamwork. Please will you join our team to help support these children as we work towards a sustainable and self-sufficient future for them? They deserve every opportunity to be the best they can be. They deserve choices and chances. They deserve to know they are important and that people care about them. If you would like to support one of the above projects in particular then please do put that project against your name when making a donation, otherwise we will allocate funding between the projects. Many thanks for your continued support. Together we can make a difference and continue Changing Lives Malawi. Thanks, Sarah x Donate here: https://gofund.me/d3cf8c3a
Feeding some of the vulnerable children once a week
Students at Bright Futures Secondary School planting sweet potatoes as part of their agricultural lessons
Exam time at Bright Futures Secondary School
Giving Tuesday Logo
We keep the Sustainable Development Goals in mind for all of our projects
On Saturday morning, I attended a Christmas Card Sale & Coffee Morning at The Kirkrooms, Strathblane. It’s always a great event and lovely to catch up with people and have a chat. I had a selection of packs of cards for sale and, thanks to everyone who bought them, made £184.50 for Changing Lives Malawi.
These cards are taken from original paintings by my mum, Christine Cresswell, who is a very talented artist. She has generously gifted these cards to our charity so all the money from sales will go towards building the new latrine blocks. Some of the original paintings are for sale so let me know if you see something you like.
Each pack contains 8 cards of the same design, blank for your own message and they are £5 each plus £2.50 p&p. (if you purchase multiple packs then we can combine postage amounts). Perfect for sending or giving the whole pack as a gift.
