My time as chairman to Kirsty's kids has been a journey and a half. From the inception of the Children’s charity trying to work within Kirsty’s ethical values and continue to make a difference has been a journey of challenges. It has at times been filled with intense discomfort as I undertook the endurance challenges to round the 8,053 miles of the coast line of UK including Northern Ireland. Then the challenge to Moscow another 8104 miles in 3 weeks actual riding with 703 miles completed in one day.
Setting up Trust House as a rest-bite care centre, (Kirsty's former home) has been as real a challenge, but worth every bit of it. Now we are getting the chance to provide rest-bite care for even more families. Seeing kids have fun and parents becoming de-stressed, even if for a short break is so incredibly gratifying.
For this to continue we need constant financial support so donations are essential.
Working with Jan to fund the project has been at times exciting and a tad character building to say the least, but we are getting there. Four years in and we are ½ way through, the Hydrotherapy Care Centre build. This will be a huge benefit when it comes to pain relief and sufferers from MS and so many other challenging conditions.
The children's craft shed is used to teach the kids; help them build confidence, working with materials, wood and natural elements not to buy plastic molded toys from the supermarket.
This week we are pressing on with the wood craft shed. This will have a wood turning lathe and other equipment for children to use, with their care professional. They will make things which they can take home, such as bird tables for feeding wild life in the city, to wood crafts to inspire their friends.
I look forward to returning to Moscow to see the progress of the Children's Hospice over the next three years and reporting back.
Remembering my Trip to Moscow I wish to remind our volunteers and supporters that our work doesn't stop here by only providing Rest-bite care breaks!
We need to continue to show the world that as a small Highland Children's charity we don’t need to be on a serious wage packet to make a difference at the highest levels of Government around the world. When children are left orphaned as a result of genocidal acts of terror. Many countries seem to be forgotten and left to fend for themselves.
I believe that in order to continue to support each other we need to find tolerance and forgiveness in our hearts. We need to remember that children are not born to be terrorists or to throw stones at their neighbours they learn that from us.
Only by fact finding and being on the ground, will I feel able to gain the knowledge and the information I need to steer this charity towards helping more and more children around the world, in sharing Kirsty's beliefs and ideals.
As Kirsty took herself off to Mozambique to help children at the orphanages at her own expense, in her own time, without living in tourist hotels I intend to take her tiny 125cc motor bike from the Highlands to that same orphanage. I will not be flying business class!.
Kirsty understood that the orphans were part of a large wheel which seemed unbreakable. The orphans would leave the orphanage at 16 yrs go on the street, steal, prostitute themselves to survive and often die from AIDS, leaving their own children to enter the very same orphanage.
I would like Kirsty's Kids to visit the streets and find out if there is anything we can do to help the organisations already there, by working together as a team to help make a difference
The trip will not be funded by Kirsty's Kids I shall do what I always do, live at the roadside and use the bike as my transport.
I welcome organisations, bike groups or bike organisations, (bike mechanics - need to get better shocks and extra hp) with knowledge of Africa for them and charities to contact me to discuss the journey, in order that I can get maximum benefit for the children. Any project created will require being self-funded and sustainable.
I would like to ask for sponsorship, for donations, which will be used to help the children and families directly supported by Kirsty's Kids. Nothing will be used for admin or trip expenses. I hope that the costs will be met by good Samaritans, that I may meet along the way, offering water, food or some fuel. Just as I did when I traveled across the Arctic and the Northern Territories of Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, France, Netherlands Norway Denmark Finland and Estonia.
As terrorism strikes, Western Governments and ourselves reel in horror at these atrocities. Many thousands of innocent children are killed on this planet or maimed by mortars daily and we hear very little. I want to find out more so that I can devote my time to seeking ways that Kirsty's Kids can make a difference.
Only by living at the roadside and talking to those I meet on route can I do this with eyes open and uncorrupted.
I appeal for your help, to anyone wishing to consider legacy gift, monthly donation by direct debit or by visiting our web site to consider helping our team help those who need it the most.
I thank everyone over the last four years for the continued support and dedication which has allowed the Kirsty's Kids team to make the differences which we have to date.
John C Bryden.
Chairman Kirstyskids.org