During 2021 our Fiona Foundation for Kids care work has been both local and international and has been all about sharing Fi hugs rather than fundraising. Thank you to all of you who have been busy knitting squares and blankets. Thank you also to all of you who have shared your expertise to enable us to keep going.
Along with everyone else, we have adapted what we do and are looking forward to 2022. COVID meant we could no longer send the squares to neonatal units across the world and so we, as many charities have, have adapted.
What are we doing?
Locally around Buckingham, and Milton Keynes.
Throughout 2021 Fiona Foundation for Kids has helped local Milton Keynes babies, and Kenyan families and will soon be helping Rwandan premature newborn babies to stay warm and well.
Our knitted squares have been turned into blankets and those blankets have gone to local newborn babies who need them via a local charity Baby Basics.
Local Health Visitors and Social Workers identify local newborn babies in need, Baby Basics make up a three-month care package containing everything needed for those first few months. Our blankets and cardigans go into these care packages.
Thank you Helen Thorpe at Baby Basics for linking up and taking the bags and bags of blankets.
Tracey Russell has made more blankets than the rest of us. Emma Jenkins made loads, and Emma’s sister Sarah Mack made some beautiful fleece blankets too.
Our star knitter Tracey says “ I have always enjoyed knitting, but even more so now, knowing that what I am doing is helping out babies in need.” These newborns all now have a metaphorical Fi cuddle and hug.
In the summer of 2021, Milton Keynes welcomed Afghan refugee families. William and Maz did what Fi would have done and volunteered at the reception hotel. Fiona Foundation for Kids helped more than 500 people get the clothes, shoes, healthcare and toiletries they needed. Some of our blankets went to the two babies who were born there during their 10-day stay.
International Kenya.
We have not stopped this completely We have still been able to support families living in the slums during lockdown in Nairobi, Kenya. This funding supported food packages. We also helped to buy new mattresses for children to replace beds lost in a huge fire in the slums, and even a dental ‘moment’. We funded removing a tooth which at £6 sounds a little but enabled the recipient to avoid infection and return to work and so providing for their children.
International Rwanda
We are proud to say that one of our Trustees Nellie Reynolds has gone global and moved from Great Ormond Street Hospital to Rwanda. She has taken up a volunteer fellowship in neonatal care and is now in Kigali. She has taken some of the baby hats knitted by the team with her. They will be put into packages taken by medics to pre-term births and used to keep these babies warm.
The team.
A huge thank you to all of you including but not limited to Jane, Trish and Ivor who have donated funds and to those who gift their time too. Thank you Heidi Fuller for keeping our social media presence going, Adam Bennet for keeping the governance going, Sarah Fisher for keeping the administration going and we welcome Izzie Reynolds and Ed Laidler as Trustees.
Finally, Virgin Money has closed its charity arm so we now have a new online method for donating with WONDERFUL.CO.UK.
A very happy and healthy Christmas to you all
Marion x
