News

Generous support in Chennai

Thanks to the hard work of our team in Chennai, Christmas, New Year and the celebration of Pongal was as busy a time for our youngsters as ever.

The children were treated to a special dinner out by local sponsors on Christmas Day. They then celebrated Pongal having fun and games at our lovely Sendrambakkam land site, which will be home to our new school.

While building work on our school site at Sendrambakkam has not started due to the pandemic, it provides a lovely spacious, open and private ground out of the city for the children to enjoy and they travelled there for the day to celebrate Pongal.

As well as the children being given sets of new clothes and undergarments by local supporters, one of our long-term trustees and supporter, Natasha Conlon – with the help of her friend Mrs Sunith – organised a ceramic Christmas ornaments painting and decorating workshop especially for our children.

A table-tennis set has been donated so the children can now enjoy some ping-pong too.

The picture shows a tug of war taking place in the grounds of our Sendrambakkam site, during a day of games and festivities to mark Pongal.

 

 

A very Happy New Year to all our supporters

We wish you all the very best of health and happiness as we move into 2022 and hopefully better times for all.

After a third wave of the Covid pandemic hit Chennai before Christmas, causing another lockdown of schools and colleges, the  good news is that all schools are due to reopen this month. In addition, everyone aged more than 15 years old is being vaccinated.

Could you sponsor Mahesh?

Batemans’ children are getting back to school! After studying online for the past 20 months – supported by our team in Chennai – early years’ children and students studying up to 11th standard (the equivalent of GCSEs in the UK) are travelling to their schools again for face-to-face teaching.

Thanks to your support, we currently have 24 girls and 16 boys in our care. One boy who joined us in June is 12-year-old Mahesh, pictured above centre. After his single mother sought help from the Chennai Child Welfare Board for the care and education of her children, Mahesh was referred on to our Batemans-Satkaarya team, who report that he has settled in well.

If you would be interested in sponsoring Mahesh or any of our children, it costs £15 a month. Follow this link to find out more.

Fundraisers show their support

It’s been a great year for supporters making generous donations and finding innovative ways to raise money – from children putting on plays and running outdoor cake stalls to a midwife cycling the length of Great Britain!

Year 10 students at St Mary’s School, Ascot, have raised thousands of pounds this term, trustee Marion Mills set herself a walking target while Vinod Hallam and his wife Angela took to their gym bikes to pound out the miles for Batemans. And you can still sponsor supporter Sarah Barry who has definitely caught the marathon running bug.

Last weekend saw a successful fundraising quiz night in Cambridge, while in Chelmsford a group of supporters are preparing special Batemans Advent Treat boxes for delivery before the start of December.

If you are planning an activity and would like some advice on how best to maximise the opportunity – or have photos of an activity you’ve been involved in – please contact suzanne.kuyser@batemans.org.uk

Annual printed newsletter coming soon!

The annual Batemans printed newsletter will be delivered in the next few weeks, including more fundraising reports and lots of news from Chennai.

Also included will be our annual wish list, which is a great way to support the project. And if you sponsor a child, there’s an opportunity to buy a special new Christmas outfit for them.  If you don’t want to wait for the printed version, you can complete the online wish list now by following this link.

If you think we might not have your home address, please let us know by emailing anne.desir@batemans.org.uk

Architects finalise new building plans

Our project to build a new school in Chennai is gathering momentum again, with city planners back in operation after closing during lockdown.

Clarifications have finally been given on the complex building regulations and we are close to submitting our final building designs, in partnership with a local architect. It’s great to know we have sufficient funds in place to start the first phase of the building project once planning permission is granted.

Work on developing our business plan and curriculum is well underway and we are now looking for a project development officer to work in Chennai and spearhead the initial phase.

See our webinar, ‘Turning a dream into a reality’, to find out more.

Countdown to a new school – read our latest educational plan

A team of Batemans trustees has been working hard on setting out the future plans for our new school in Chennai, India.

The vision for the Satkaarya school reflects the transformational aims of India’s 2020 National Education Policy, providing inclusive, equitable and quality education in accordance with the UN’s 2030 development goals.

The principles at the heart of the vision include:

  • In a safe environment, we aim for children to develop high levels of communication, whether this is through the development of literacy, numeracy, IT or artistic expression; and
  • We aim to develop the unique character and potential of each child where they can feel emotionally secure through an advocacy of compassion and care, throughout their learning environment.

The charity’s curriculum committee includes two former head teachers and others with extensive experience in education. Trustee Marion Mills presented an overview of the plans at the annual Batemans Spice Lunch in September.

See the slides here, and if you would like further information please contact Marion.

 

Win a quilt for Batemans

Click here to take part in our raffle to win a unique and historic handmade quilt.

 

Created specifically for The Batemans Trust by members of the Old Moulsham book group in Chelmsford, Essex, this charming and colourful quilt was thought up as a project to keep them occupied during the Covid lockdown.

Composed of squares, using scraps from their sewing baskets it was a pleasant, if exacting, challenge. Others donated money to pay for the wadding, or batting as it is also known, and finishing materials.

All proceeds will go both to Satkaarya, our sister charity in Chennai, where our team is working tirelessly during this terrible pandemic to keep all the children in their care safe, happy and busy, and to our development fund to build a primary school and community centre to help other underprivileged children who struggle to access education.

Featuring hands encircling dancing children, the Batemans Quilt has a special embroidered message on the back which reads: ‘I helped build a school. Made by Old Moulsham Bookgroup for The Batemans Trust. Lockdown 2020/21.’

Measuring 132cm x 132cm (52” x 52”), this unique quilt is suitable for use as a sofa throw, for babies to snooze upon on the floor, or to brighten a bed, and will become a piece of memorabilia to hold onto for years to come.

Raffle tickets cost £5 each, or you can increase your chances of winning by taking advantage of our five tickets for £20 offer.

Entries close on 15 August 2021 and the draw will be made by the end of August.

Buy your raffle ticket now or please send a cheque to The Batemans Trust, 27 Stocks Lane, Steventon, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 6SS. (Please mark the back of your cheque ‘Quilt Raffle’ and include your address.)

Each raffle ticket purchased will be given a unique number and the raffle will be drawn using an online ‘wheel of fortune’.

 

 

Donate via our 2020-21 wish list

Our Batemans team has been nurturing life’s tree-climbers for more than 20 years.

By providing education, healthcare and a loving home, we help young people develop resilience, tenacity and perseverance – just like Nivethasri, climbing up this tree.

From buying knickers and socks for 10 children for £20 to funding playground equipment at £500, you can help us continue our life-changing work by giving a gift that will help our children face the future with confidence.

Download the wish list here to find out more or go straight to our quick-and-easy online payment portal here.