As the new school year approaches, parents have are busy in the Shrewsbury Sainsbury’s store in Meole Brace to make sure that their children have everything they need for the start of term. As well as providing children in this country with the resources needed for school, Sainsbury’s have been supporting Woodford; the Shropshire based charity that helps deaf children and young people in the world’s poorest countries through fundraising activities in their Shrewsbury store.

Woodford Volunteers held a bag pack and collection in the store recently to raise funds for deaf children so that they are able to go to school and learn the skills needed to lift themselves out of poverty. In doing so, these children are able to end the cycle of dependence and isolation that goes hand in hand with being a deaf child in the countries that Woodford works.

With programmes in Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia Woodford helps deaf children in countries where two thirds of deaf children do not attend school. However with the help of Sainsbury’s, Woodford are able to make a difference to the lives of children that would have little or no hope of going to school, let alone going onto learn the skills needed to find employment and lift themselves out of poverty. For every £10 raised, Woodford is able to provide the educational resources needed for a deaf child to go to school for a year.

Harry Salter, Woodford’s fundraising officer said “The bag pack raised a total of £200.89 which was a fantastic achievement. With £200 Woodford can help 20 deaf children in Malawi to go to school. As such they can learn the skills needed to lift themselves out of poverty, effectively helping them to help themselves. We would like to give a massive thanks to all of the Sainsbury’s staff and the Woodford volunteers for all of their hard work, and of course the generosity of the people of Shrewsbury for donating!”

To find out more about Woodford and how they are making a difference to the lives of deaf children around the world from here in Shropshire visit www.woodfordfoundation.org.uk or contact harry on 01743 364644

On hearing about the intriguing event of a Photomarathon and being assured by the delightful Harry of Woodford Foundation that absolutely NO running was required, unless I really felt it necessary, I thought why not give it a go with my newly honed photographic skills. The idea of doing something out of the ordinary, together with helping raise both money and awareness for Woodford was not to be missed and I felt up for the challenge.

The day luckily started bright & sunny (a good omen, I thought) & I made my way to the Morris Hall in Bellstone, Shrewsbury to registered, together with my camera and an empty memory card. There were other people registering their teams – either as single people or groups to make up a team & the atmosphere was full of anticipation. My memory card was checked to make sure no photographs were lurking on it, some paperwork completed and at 9.30 am we were given the first 4 topics, with a deadline to be back to submit 1 photograph per topic by 1.30 pm. All good so far – then I looked at the topics. I hadn’t really known what to expect – I didn’t think we would be given simple themes such as ‘building’, ‘people’ etc, but on first glance how to interpret ‘Awareness’, ‘Communication’, ‘Community’ and ‘ Sound/Noise/Silence’? My mind went blank & judging by the faces of some of the other people taking part they were having the same reaction.

I decided a coffee was required to get to grips with the novel concept of using brain & imagination early on a Saturday morning. Off I set to my favourite café, with ‘Awareness’ buzzing in my brain. I had decided to wander around & hopefully get inspiration as I went. As I walked down High Street, a cleaner was finishing mopping the entrance to House of Fraser & had a sign warning people to be careful. I got a shot with her just about to move the yellow sign next to the green bucket. I liked the contract of the bright colours & the part of the hand. Happy with my picture, the coffee was beckoning.

Communication – I was looking for something with newspapers & came across a newsagent with papers in a rack outside, together with various signs on the glass door into the shop. I liked the visual aspect of this & took several shots before I was happy.

Community – I found this harder to find something that was too obvious. I had walked into the Quarry to look at the children’s playground & finally took a shot of a mother & child on the outside of the playground.

Sound/Noise/Silence – shot of swan on river – it looked so peaceful and it was all quiet & still. Again several shots were taken until I was happy.

What I was discovering that the longer I had to think about each subject, the harder it became to interpret it. I seemed to need less thinking time & more using the camera intuitively.

By 1.30 pm my 4 photographs had been downloaded & we were given the last 4 topics – ‘Together’, ‘Hidden’, ‘Inclusion/Exclusion’ and ‘Access’. I had same reaction as before – help!! Again walking around hoping to get a few ideas, but wanting to take an unobvious photograph. For Together I got a nice shot of people on a bench, but it didn’t seem quite right. I walked up past the Flower Show set-up & someone had put an old pair of trainers together & filled them with flowers. I was so happy. All looked good – they were on a lovely background of blue & green & I just took the one shot. I found it hard to decide which shot to keep, but the trainers won me over in the end.

The Hidden shot was taken in St Chad’s churchyard, where I happened to hear a bird calling to her young. I finally found it hidden in a tree.

Inclusion/Exclusion – I was hoping to find some boys playing football or cricket in the Quarry, but came upon the girls playing cards & laughing

The final shot was of gates of Access taken along by the river.

Back to Morris Hall by 5.30pm to submit the final 4 photographs. A selection of the earlier topics was being shown on a projector and it was very nice to see some of my work on the screen. The first section had been judged & the second judge arrived to make his selection of the next part. I left to have a well earned drink & returned in time for the prize giving.

The overall standard was extremely high and I was absolutely stunned to win the ‘Together’ category. The photographs were amazing & it was very interesting to see how each topic was so differently interpreted.

Overall it was a really enjoyable day. I felt totally shattered at the end – having been walking around & thinking & analysing photographs & situations all day. Would I do it again – absolutely. Would I recommend any one to take part – absolutely. Many thanks to Woodford for the idea of (probably) the first Shrewsbury Photomarathon & the great organisation of the event. Looking forward to doing it again next year!

To see more of Lindy’s and all of the other contestants photos from the day you can visit www.woodfordfoundation.org.uk and www.facebook.com/wfdeaf

The Woodford Foundation Presents…

8 hours, 8 topics, 8 photos

A photography competition with a twist!

(Possibly) Shrewsbury and Shropshire’s first ever Photomarathon.

As the good old British summer is well and truly underway, the streets of Shrewsbury on the 30^th of July will see budding and professional photographers alike snapping their way to help deaf children and young people around the world.

A Photomarathon is a photograph competition with a twist: Over 8 hours you have to take pictures on 8 given topics which are currently being kept top secret!

It’s not your physical condition or equipment that matters, but your sense of improvisation, fun and creativity that is valued most throughout the Photomarathon. Whether it is on a camera phone or camera, it is your interpretation of each given topic that could win you a new camera and a host of other prizes.

From 9.30am at the Morris Hall in Shrewsbury, each entrant or team receives the first set of 4 topics. They have the next four hours to shoot one image per topic. Once the four shots have been taken entrants return to base where volunteers will download the first four photos onto waiting laptops.

Four hours later at 1.30 to 2pm pm the second set of topics are released. Each entrant must personally collect the set of topics from the HQ, and have their entry card stamped to prove attendance.

The topics are kept secret until revealed at the start of the competition and four hours later. They will offer plenty of room for interpretation and creativity. Hence, more important than the technical perfection of the pictures is the thought and imagination in interpreting the topics.

When the time is up and all of the photos are uploaded, the Woodford panel of judges will decide the winners. The photos then go on show in a free public exhibition at the Bear steps Gallery from the 11^th to the 24^th of September.

All photos must be taken in JPEG file format

To find out more, and how to register (as tickets are selling fast), visit http://photomarathonshrewsbury-eorg.eventbrite.com/

I recently visited Uganda to see firsthand some of the work that Woodford does to help deaf children and young people around the world, and to meet with our programme partners to develop new ideas and programmes.

This blog is basically my personal reaction to my experiences of seeing the programmes, meeting the people who work to improve deaf children and young people’s lives in one of the world’s poorest countries, and through my interaction with the communities.

Apologies for the shoddy camera work!

Son of the soil  is a reference to someone who returns to their place of birth to work. Having been born in Shrewsbury and having lived in Shropshire until I was 19 years of age, my return to the Shire to work for the Shropshire based charity the Woodford Foundation, apparently means just that, as coined by a member of our programme partners in Uganda, I am a Son of The Soil (I realise that I probably didn’t explain this very well in the video).

I will be posting a new blog every couple of days about my experiences, so please give me any feedback and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate in getting in contact with me.

Cheers, I hope you enjoy!

Harry

As Mothers Day approaches, a student from the Embangweni school for the deaf has sent her wishes for a Happy Mother’s Day!

Tamara who is enrolled in the Embangweni school for the deaf has been able to receive an education and can now look forward to a full life with the opportunities for employment and access to services which otherwise may not have been possible. Although Tamara’s story is that of hope and is looking to have a positive outcome, as she is looking to attend university and enter into a career in medicine, Tamara is one of the lucky few.

Because so many deaf children and young people living in Malawi cannot receive an education through the inability to communicate, the abject poverty in which they live, and the cultural stigmas associated with deafness; Such as witchcraft, deaf children and young people can be pushed out of society and hidden away, to a life of segregation and isolation with little means of supporting themselves.

Woodford works to help deaf children and young people like Tamara to receive an education and go on to live full active and healthy lives, giving them the skills they need to lift themselves out of abject poverty.

Thank you for all the support that has been given to make a difference, it is wonderful to see that in cases like Tamara what can be achieved with your help.

If you would like to know more about Woodford and how you can help children like Tamara to change their lives for the better, visit our website and follow us on Facebook.

You can also keep in contact with us on Twitter.

Thank you.

The 8^th of March saw Woodford take to Shrewsbury with hundreds of donated items to sell along with baskets of eggs, butter and flour, ready to offer the busy shoppers of Shrewsbury a tasty and freshly made pancake for a suggested donation, all in the aid of the First Official Pre-School For Deaf Children in Uganda .

This was our first ever event for Pancake Day and also our first event to be held in the Shrewsbury market square. Nerve racking stuff, but we couldn’t have had a better team, and with class ingredients  donated to Woodford– free range eggs from Just-Eggs of Ludlow, flower from Bacheldre Mill and fillings and Milk from Sainsbury’s in Shrewsbury. All topped off with the kind donation of cooking gas from Millets of Shrewsbury.

It was a beyond fantastic start and the atmosphere was cheerful and a little frenzied as we scrambled for appropriate change and raided our packing boxes for carrier bags for the good people of Shrewsbury to take home their hauls in. We came across our first hurdle when we literally ran out of carrier bags, prompting a quick dash to market hall, where a lovely woman from a fruit and vegetables store saved the day by donating us a huge bundle of shopping  bags.

But soon enough the square was filling up with the smell of good quality pancakes, which were selling just as fast as we could make them.  As the day flew by the sun was shining, the pancakes were frying, the donation buckets were filling and items were selling left right and centre. Before we knew it 4.30 had come around, so we slowly packed up and enjoyed some lovely leftover pancakes.

As we totalled up we were thrilled to find our accumulated total of £630.44!!!

A big thank you to Graham, Felicity, Chris, Mai and Mary, without their help none of this would have been possible. And also to everyone who donated goods and items for us.

Also, a huge thank you to everyone who showed up at our stall and sampled a pancake or brought a book or trinket or an ornamental vase, every penny counts and it shall all go towards helping deaf children in Uganda to learn how to communicate with their families and communities, and go on to receive an education which without your help would not be possible.

If you are interested in joining the Woodford team, email admin@woodfordfoundation.org.uk or contact the office 01743 364644.

You can also read our most recent news letter here.