British charity work in Romania

It’s been a while since my last posting, but have now come back with a vengeance! Despite the torrid summertime, there is so much going on, both in the embassy, with preparations to welcome the new ambassador designate on fast track, and outside of it, with many British people travelling to Romania to help make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities!

I have always been touched by the sheer energy of such people, from players with Manchester City who spent time with young cancer survivors in Timisoara last week, to British Army cadets helping disadvantaged families in Brasov County for the fifth year, to fundraising to support injured people from the sports’ world. I will be blogging separately about these events, but also ask Embassy colleagues to be guest bloggers on occasion and share from their firsthand experience with charitable work. I will also invite people from outside the Embassy, British nationals residing in Romania, to share their thoughts on issues such as the life of the expat community, economics, local mentalities and many other subjects.

This Saturday, 29 August, a group of 9 military cadets from the Cleveland Army Cadet Force will arrive in Romania to assist and work with disadvantaged families in the village of Tarlungeni, near Brasov. They are hosted by a local charity, “Fundatia pentru Asistenta Sociala si Tineret“, and for about a week will be helping with works on the trenches for local water supplies, and installing and painting of interior plaster board walls. The project began in 2005, and has been developed in conjunction with the Newcastle Police Charity for Romanian Children. The trip to Romania is self-funded by the cadets who raised money in various sponsored events that they organised themselves. The group of volunteers will also set aside some time for travelling and visiting tourist attractions in Transylvania.

This is just one example of the many really wonderful initiatives that link people from Britain to those in Romania, and an inspiration for me personally. But more to come about similar stories of real life in my future postings. If you know of any similar initiatives, we would love to hear about them.