Friends of Alalay (Santa Cruz)

Our quail project is going strong in Santa Cruz. Thanks to the LATA Foundation for fully financing this new Alalay project which should be self-financing in a couple of months – providing both food for the street children and a steady, reliable income for Alalay.

Read more about the project on the LATA Foundation website here.

Please do come along to a charity rugby match on Easter Saturday (30th March) to mark Thornbury RFC’s 50th anniversary and to raise money for Alalay.

Thornbury RFC vs The Old Colstonians
Kick off at 2:30pm, festivities until 8pm

As well as the rugby, there will be live music, a hog-roast, raffle with loads of great prizes, and a fully stocked bar!

“Please come along and show your support for a great charity,
a great cause and a great club!”

At: Cooper’s Farm, Rockhampton Road, Thornbury, South Gloucestershire,BS35 1LG
More information available on Facebook here

See you there!

A MASSIVE congratulations to Jamie, Will, Mike, Dan and Tom who have just completed a three-day trek up Huayna Potosi, a 6088m mountain near to La Paz in Bolivia.

The team at the Huayna Potosi summit

Will’s sister Amelia worked at Alalay as part of a school trip in 2011 and was so moved by Alalay’s work that she decided to fundraise upon her return to the UK – see her efforts here… And we are thrilled that Will and friends have decided to also support Alalay through this treacherous climb!

Please do sponsor the boys’ fundraising efforts directly here.

We are looking forward to seeing some more photos from their ordeal soon!

A very big “THANK YOU” to all those who attended our recent fundraising cello concert or helped in any way with the organisation of the event. We are extremely pleased to announce that we raised well over £6,000 – a truly fantastic amount which will make a very big difference in Bolivia!

Please do take a look at some photos from the event here
[photo credit: David Parry Imaging]

A further thank you to all of the wonderful local businesses or people who kindly donated items for our silent auction:
Bristol Rugby Club
Chin Chin! café and restaurant
Racks
Sara-Jo Yoga
RockFish Grill
Guilberts handmade chocolates
Amulet
NeoStar Hairdressers
La Ruca restaurant
Zumba with Nectaria
Berwick Lodge
Las Iguanas
A Space childrens’ shop
Clifton Colour
Tumi Wholesale
Clifton Hotels
Small Street Espresso
Louis James Eastman
Zion Flex
Celia Witchard
David Parry Imaging

… alongside many other very talented and generous individuals

And of course, to the star himself: cellist Michael Jones, without whom the event would not have been possible.

I now have the list of confirmed items for the silent auction to be held at the fundraising cello concert this Friday 1st March.

If you can’t (or can) come to the concert but see something you like on the list below, please feel free to contact us detailing for what you’d like to bid and how much and I’ll make sure that you are included (totally anonymously, of course).

Bristol Rugby Club signed ball and tickets to a match
Handcarved fruit bowl designed specially for event [see image posted below]
30min yoga session and 30min Indian head massage (www.yogawithsara-jo.com/)
Dinner for two at RockFish (www.rockfishgrill.co.uk)
Cake made to your specification by a professional cake maker
Cream tea for two at ChinChin! café and restaurant (www.chinchinbarkitchen.com/)
Tin of Guilberts handmade chocolates (www.guilberts.com/shop/)
Dinner party for up to six people cooked and served in your own house
Haircut and blowdry at NeoStar (www.neostarstudio.co.uk/)
Designer scarf from Amulet (www.amuletjewellery.co.uk/)
Lunch for two at La Ruca restaurant (www.laruca.co.uk/)
Zumba class for two (www.nectariapospori.zumba.com/)
M&S beauty hampers
2 x tickets for ‘Mahler Symphony no.8’ with Brunel Sinfonia at the Colston Hall on 24th March
Tea for two at Berwick Lodge (www.berwicklodge.co.uk/)
“Design your own superhero cape” kit for a child
Kodak photo shoot and a printed 20×24 cm canvas (www.aspace.co.uk)
Meal for two at Racks restaurant (www.racks-bristol.co.uk/)
Night for two at Clifton Hotels (www.cliftonhotels.com/)
£50 voucher for Las Iguanas restaurant/bar (www.iguanas.co.uk/)
4 x beautiful wine glasses (www.tumiwholesale.com)
Bristol Old Vic theatre tokens
Barista coffee training workshop at Small Street Expresso (www.smallstreetespresso.co.uk/)
Original works donated by local artists, illustrators and designers:
Zion Flex (www.zionflex.com/)
Celia Witchard (www.celiawitchard.co.uk/) [see image posted below]
Cara Collins
Ann Baker embroidery [see image posted below]
Dave Parry (www.davidparryimaging.com/)

Please do feel free to share with your friends… Download the complete list: Confirmed items for silent auction 1 march 2013 here.

Looking forward to seeing you on Friday!

We are all very excited about our upcoming fundraising cello concert next Friday 1 March 2013, with the kind support of world renowned cellist Michael Jones playing:

A selection from JS Bach suites for solo cello and Rodrigo’s “Como una fantasia” (UK premiere)

7.30pm (doors open 7pm) at St. Matthews Church, Clare Road, Kingsdown, Bristol, BS6 5TB

The event is not ticketed and there is free entry – retiring collection for Friends of Alalay

Michael very kindly played to the street children whilst on a concert tour of the Americas last year.

The event will also feature a silent auction with a great variety of items for which to bid, including a cream tea for two, original artwork, signed Bristol rugby team ball and tickets to a game, 30-minute yoga and 30-minute Indian head massage session, a photo shoot and ,and much more. Full details will be released on the website next week for early bidding, so please do keep checking. Please contact us if you have any ideas for further donations.

Photography exhibition of “life on the streets” by a talented young photographer who spent some time volunteering with the Alalay children in Bolivia last year.

Please do download a Michael Jones concert poster to print out, or get in touch with us if you are able to display a poster or hand out some leaflets.

We very much look forward to seeing you at the concert. Remember – every penny raised goes directly to help the street children to help themselves!

I was delighted to be invited for a second time to attend a reception at the House of Lords in the last week of January. The evening was organised by LATA (the Latin American Travel Association) whose charitable branch – the LATA Foundation has supported both the Alalay medical centre and now, the quail farm project.

It was a fantastic event with the opportunity to speak with a great number of interesting people, including representatives from the Bolivian Embassy, alongside members of the press and travel industries.

Invited guests included Michael Palin; Baroness Hooper, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary British-Latin America Group; the Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP, Minister of State at the Foreign Office; and archaeologist Dr Jago Cooper, presenter of the BBC’s Lost Kingdoms of South America series) amongst many others. You can see much more information about the event HERE.

[photo credit: Adrian Pope, the LATA Foundation]

Cotham School, Bristol (my former school) organised a non-uniform day with a difference on 8th February. All students made a donation to wear red, yellow or green clothing: the colours of the Bolivian flag. All donations will come to Friends of Alalay – to help the street children of Bolivia to help themselves.

[photo credit: Duncan Walker/Istockphoto]

We are currently on the look-out for some more exciting items for our upcoming silent auction which will be run on the night of the fundraising cello concert on March 1st. If you or your friends have any ideas for possible items, please do contact us and let us know!

Confirmed items so far include: signed Bristol team rugby ball, original artwork, yoga and Indian head massage session (1 hour), hand-carved fruit bowl, cream tea for two at a local cafe and much more…

A big thanks to Greyhound Graphics Ltd, Bristol for printing our posters for the upcoming Michael Jones cello concert on March 1st. We highly recommend the printing shop for their efficient and professional service.

Find out more about the concert here. Please get in touch with us if you are able to display a poster or hand out some leaflets. Or download your own poster to print out here: Michael Jones concert poster

We very much look forward to seeing you at the concert – every penny raised goes directly to the street kids!