 Donation from the Clifford Chance Foundation
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We're thrilled to announce that the Clifford Chance Foundation have donated £1,490 to us!
Please check back later for more information about how we're going to be using this generous donation.
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| Keeping Updated!
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We've just launched a new YouTube account! If you want to keep updated with all of the little things going on with the charity, then please add us! Follow the link below to go to our account on YouTube.
Our YouTube account.
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| Pat Roberts' Birthday Collection!
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Pat Roberts had a charity collection for her birthday, and raised £289! A big thanks to Pat for having the collection!
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| Halloween 2011
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Hands Around Ladies Morris will be dancing in Horndon on the 31st of October to raise money for the charity. They will be dancing from 8pm down High Road.
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| School Welfare Assistant
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We need a sponsor to fund our School Welfare Assistant - can you help? The sponsorship is £25 per month. If you think you can help, please contact Nell - nell(at)gorkhalearning.org - thank you!
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| Keeping Updated!
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We've just launched a new Twitter account! If you want to keep updated with all of the little things going on with the charity, then please add us! Follow the link below to go to our profile on Twitter.
Our Twitter Profile
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| Keeping Updated!
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We've just launched a new Facebook page! It's still under construction, but if you want to follow us then please head over to our page using the following link!
Our Facebook Page
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| Sponsorship
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A big thank you to all of the sponsors who have already paid for their sponsorship this year!
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| St. Clare's Golf Club
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On Burns Night we had two special guests from St. Clare's Golf Club, who presented Gorkha Learning for Life with a cheque for £1,000!
A huge thank you from all at Gorkha Learning for Life for the generosity of St. Clare's Golf Club!
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| Tree Dressing 2010
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Hands Around Ladies Morris danced at the annual tree dressing held in Langdon Park by the rangers. They collected a grand total of £49.54 on the day - thank you to everyone who attended for their generosity!
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| Lisa Glandfield, 2010
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Name: Lisa Glandfield
Age: 25
Currently: Assistant Headteacher and Early Years Teacher at Arthur Bugler Infant School in Essex
During the summer of 2010, I visited Nepal on my own. As soon as I arrived I realised that I was no longer on my own Nell and Den who run the charity and fellow volunteers Libby and Caroline all welcomed me and were great! While I was in Nepal I got the chance to spend some time at Shree Krishna Primary, which the charity has worked so hard to build, support and maintain. I also worked in a neighbouring village called Biren Chock, in their school called Ratna Ranja. Here I worked in the Nursery Class, auditing resources that had been taken previously, taking in new resources and training the new teacher and children on how to use the resources. The whole trip was a great experience, which I would recommend without a doubt!
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| Libby Livermore
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After visiting Shree Krishna Primary School in 2009, I couldn't wait to go again in 2010! I visited with Nell, Den, Caroline and Lisa, and as before, had an absolutely amazing experience.
Caroline and I visited different nurseries in the nearby area to check how the teachers were using the resources, to give them new resources when required and to continue the work of previous volunteers who worked in the nurseries.
Whilst we were there, we also got to attend a school picnic with the students at Shree Krishna, which was fantastic! The students had a great time playing games, and a wonderful day was had by all.
I'm really glad that I had the opportunity to visit Gorkha again, and I would seriously urge anyone who was considering it to go... You will love it!
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| Caroline Gray
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After going twice before I couldn't wait to visit the schools in gorkha again in the summer of 2010. This time myself and Libby visited various different nurserys to check that the resources were being used properly and also to renew some resources in the nurseries. I once again had a really great time working with the wonderful students and teachers in the schools.
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| Lydia Antoniou
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Lydia Antoniou spent a few months working at the nursery in our school, working closely with the nursery teacher Sunita, and the children on a daily basis. Here is what she had to say say about her experience!
'The children loved playing outside with the games box (wen it wasn't too hot - in which case it was games inside), many of them love singing (Nepali songs as well as being huge fans of ring a ring of roses! I've stuck the words for this up on the wall for Sunita!). It was also great to see them all get excited about washing their hands!
The two rooms upstairs look great and I could see the toilets and bathroom being built up. Sunita also read them a story on most days sometimes but often from her own story which they did seem to enjoy.
Sunita was great - she was lovely to me and very determined to get things right (and emulate the nursery system in London). She now uses a whistle when it's time to change groups, which speeds things up and helps us stick to the times.
Overall, it was an absolute pleasure to work at the school!'
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| Libby Livermore
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In April 2009, I went out to Nepal with Nell and Den, and my friend Avalon. Seeing the village and school that I'd heard so much about was absolutely amazing, but even more amazing was meeting the children and the teachers!
Avalon and myself visited one of the local schools to help resource their nursery. We laid lino and painted the window and door frames, before setting out all of the resources for the children. The teachers and children were so happy with their new nursery, and seeing how pleased they were was a wonderful experience.
I can't wait to visit again in the summer of 2010!
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| Manorfield Primary School
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Jacob's Creek Barndance band visited Manorfield Primary School to revive their maypole by teaching some of the students traditional maypole dancing!
Here's what the teachers said:
'Thank you for a fun, lively, musical day. All the children participated and enjoyed the dancing. A lot of the children learnt new skills and showed great concentration to learn new dances. All abilities catered for! And the boys really got stuck in - not self-conscious at all! Thanks, it was brill!'
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| Slow Loris at F&B Night 2010
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Slow Loris added their support at the last minute to the annual Folk and Blues fund-raiser for Gorkha Learning for Life in Horndon-on-the Hill. And what a great night it was, with a superb finishing set from bill-toppers and local heroes, Whatever Next (featuring, of course, Slow Loris' own Martin Cowpland on guitar, mandolin and banjo, and joined for the occasion by Joe Parker and Max Blake).
The Slow Loris Band were able to present their theatrical side, with extracts from their new Rolling Down the River Show. The audience participation, especially during the Billingsgate Market sequence, allowing all those present to come out with a tremendous cacophony of street cries, was truly amazing!
Hopefully, Slow Loris will do the whole show as a fund-raising event for Gorkha Learning for Life in the near future.
To visit Slow Loris' website, please click on the following link!
Click here!
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| Jacob's Creek and St Teresa's Catholic Primary School
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Jacob's Creek Barndance Band played at St Teresa's Catholic Primary School to celebrate St. George's Day!
Please click on the following link if you would like to go to the website of St Teresa's Catholic Primary School.
Click here!
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| A Wedding Donation
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While Allison Axten was attending the wedding of a close friend in August 2009, one bright spark suggested holding a sweepstake on the time of the best man's speech, with half the money collected going to the most accurate guess and half the money collected going to a worthy charity. She immediately suggested Gorkha Learning and along with a national charity, the proceeds were shared.
How nice to know their unforgettable day, shared with family and friends will have a lasting effect on families in Nepal.
Congratulations and many thanks to Donna and Dean Hallissey!
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| Lloyd Axten runs Triathlon
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Within weeks of starting a placement at Complinet (a London based compliance company) I was invited to be part of their team taking part in the London Triathlon. I jumped at the chance as our family had attended the previous year to support a friend and I liked the idea of taking on the challenge. It also gave me the chance to put Gorkha Learning forward as one of the charities who would benefit from our efforts.
I was successful in the cycling leg and collected £210 in sponsorship from staff. This went towards helping to fund nursery work in the July 2008 visit to Gorkha.
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| Nepali New Year 2067
- 21 April 2010 |
We celebrated Nepali New Year at The Tandoori Parlour!
There was an excellent selection of starters and buffet main courses, followed by a disco! The event has gone towards funding the Family Learning Project for a year.
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| Mike & Jean Coulter
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I first met Nell in the UK through my dissertation research for my MSc Development Studies. Nell kindly agreed let me use the school for part of my primary data collection, as well as introduce me to the Chairman of the PTA who in turn was of immense help.
The conclusion from my research when comparing Shree Krishna to primary education in general in Nepal and in particular with other primary schools in Gorkha was that:
1. children from marginalised or disadvantaged communities are just as successful as others when provided with the opportunites and resources as at SK
2. gender discrimination in teacher and pupil composition has been actively reduced in SK
3. same caste teacher-pupil interaction has positive effectives in the school and in the wider community as in and around SK
4. repeating years and dropping out were very low for SK
5. the philosophy of approach behind the school was very important in the school's success, which in turn affected other aspects of the community
6. on a personal level you only have to visit other schools to see how effective SK is, which in turn is reflected in their results.
Jean helped painting walls, and also helped with pupil reading.
Overall it was an enjoyable experience - one we will be repeating soon.
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| Nell's Hair Shave!
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On Friday the 27th of March, Nell had her hair shaved off in school assembly, in order to raise money to be used to equip more of the families in Nepal to have toilets.
Click here for a local news article!
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| Kelly Brougham & Lisa Brady
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In Sept 2009 we went out to Nepal, to help out in the school in Gorkha.
We arrived just before their festival so all the children were in the middle of their exams, they were all very well behaved and they seemed to love being in the school.
We went back to the school everyday while we were in Gorkha (nearly 3 weeks) and although the children were off on their holidays they popped along to play with us everyday, which was lovely.
We helped the teachers clear out the nursery, then we all painted it, cleaned all the equipment and painted new pictures on the walls, it was great to get mucked in with all the teachers, they all made us very welcome, not only in the school, but also in their homes. We have made life long friends with these lovely people.
The charity does so much for the people in Gorkha, by not only giving children an education they may not have had, but it also helps their families by supplying toilets for their homes.
The charity also provides nurseries in other schools too, we visited a few of these, and helped the teachers understand the way that the toys and games provided by the charity helps the children to learn (so that Charity schools and Government schools can work along side each other). The charity also provides jobs for the teachers, and teacher helpers.
If anyone is thinking about maybe popping out to the school in Nepal in the future to help out, DO it now... It is a great experience, and you will leave part of your heart in Gorkha.
Well done to Nell, Dennis and all who help make this tiny school a massive difference to the lives of many.
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| Sue Clarke
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Name: Sue Clarke
I went to Nepal in August 2008.
Having helped with fundraising for the school previously, I achieved my ambition of visiting the school, seeing the children and meeting the teachers.
I helped to paint 2 nurseries in surrounding schools.
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| Reg Gray
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The Barking and Dagenham government staff newsletter ran an article on Reg Gray, outlining how he spent three weeks helping the children in Gorkha.
'Reg Gray, Manager of Central Park Nursery, spent three weeks this summer helping children in a small village in Nepal.
He started raising funds for the village school through the charity, Gorkha Learning for Life, spending much of his free time raising funds through his involvement with the Hands Around Morris Team.
Work on the school started in 1999 and since then volunteers have rebuilt and refurbished the school, built new toilets and installed running water.
As he learned more about the project and how the children were leaving in poverty without adequate food, footwear, clothing, medicine or vaccination against childhood illnesses, he decided to go and see how the project was progressing.
After travelling for over 24 hours he reached Nepal and saw for himself the reality of how life for these children really was. He set to work making shutters, chairs, dolls furniture, laying lino and painting walls.
Reg found the whole experience challenging but very rewarding and will be visiting Nepal again in 2008.'
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| June Wells
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I took my first trip to Nepal and the Shree Krishna School in 2007. It was my 70th year and Nell and Den paid my flight as a gift.
I spent many happy days working with the children - reading English.
The following year I returned, this time the group included my 15 year-old grandson Matthew. Again I worked with the children reading English, but also helped them to reply in English to letters from Nell's class at Woodside school - I think about about 45 letters in all were written.
It was a very happy time talking and writing with the help of my phrase book!
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