Theresa Sainsbury
I am a novice writer who has just had a short story published in a Bradt Travel Guide, and an enthusiastic crafter with a particular interest in patchwork which I learnt from my grandmother.
I'm a part time English tutor, part time mum and part time taxi driver for my two teenage sons, and owner of an excitable Cockapoo that I have just re-homed.
In 2018, my eldest son, Matt, went to Kenya for four weeks with the London-based charity, Porridge and Rice, and I helped him raise funds for the trip.
Theresa Sainsbury
Porridge and Rice combats poverty in the Nairobi slums, home to some of the poorest people in the world, by enabling pupils at partner schools to obtain a sound education.
Theresa's Blog
Theresa is parent of two boys, a tutor, and a supporter of Porridge and Rice. She is widely read, enjoys crafting and has agreed to share her thoughts and experiences especially raising money to volunteer abroad.
Week 1 Educational Establishments
1 October 2019
Matt is studying at Imperial College, and I'm aware that most schools and Universities have grants tucked away on their websites for volunteering/adventure expeditions. Imperial have a number, but the one with the closest match is The Exploration Board who meet twice a year to discuss proposals. Very helpfully they have a number of "successful proposal documents" available to view. The downside is that these documents are long and detailed and include photos, maps, C.V.s and tend to run to 10-15 pages. But, it's far too good an opportunity to miss at this stage, so I'm off to have a go at drafting something with Matt's help. And of course once a document like this has been put together, parts of it should be useful for any other application.
Try your own educational establishment. If you can't see anything on their website, ring or email.
I'll report back on my progress next week.
How to raise money for volunteer trips abroad
30 September 2019
Just over a year ago, my eldest son, Matt, went to Kenya for four weeks with the London-based charity, Porridge and Rice. His prime function was to teach Maths to kids in the slums, but he also wanted to see as much as he could of the beautiful African landscape and wildlife. However, as a family, we couldn't afford to pay for the trip, so encouraged by Ken Surridge, the charity chairperson, we started looking into ways of raising the money, and were pleasantly surprised by the number of organisations who are interested in backing this type of venture. In the end the entire cost of Matt's 2018 trip was met by a series of grants and donations.
Now, as Matt prepares for a return trip in July 2020, we're going to start the fundraising process all over again, and this time I intend to chart our progress, in an attempt to inspire other people who may be put off by the price tag attached to volunteering to find innovative ways of funding their expeditions.
