Ipswich links to Russian children’s charity

In August 1994 Nicola Kean, a member of All Saints’ church in Ipswich, left the area to start medical studies in St Petersburg, convinced of God’s call to live and witness in Russia. The following year, Revd Tony Wilcox and a friend of Nicola’s visited her in St Petersburg. When at a local church they were surprised to meet an English girl, Pauline, and to discover that they had friends in common in the Ipswich area.

 

Pauline was working in a children’s home, and the following Christmas Tony heard from her that the charity she was associated with was collecting a team to brighten up the season for the children and provide some Christian input. Sarah Wilcox, then 16, joined the team. Over the next few years, both father and daughter became trustees of “Caring Hands Russia”, and regular visitors to the projects.

 

Four people from Ipswich are now trustees of the charity and several have served on the volunteer teams. In all, 20 of the 33 people who have made up the volunteer teams over the last ten years currently live in the Ipswich area.

“Caring Hands Russia” is a small charity whose aim is to work for people in need, especially children and young people, in the former Soviet Union. They work with other agencies, both charitable and local government, in their own establishments, preferring to offer practical help rather than to be just a fund-raising group, and aiming to support, encourage and enable local people to work more effectively.

 

State funding for most orphanages, hospitals and schools provides barely enough money for food and staff salaries. Since 1993, Caring Hands has been working in and around St Petersburg, chiefly helping with buildings maintenance, renewing of equipment, and the provision of additional resources.

 

Caring Hands has no capital, owns no property and has no paid employees. Co-ordinating and promoting its work in this country is shared by the trustees.   Supporters are scattered around the country, but the organisation is based just outside Ipswich and most of those who run it are members of local churches.   Most of the volunteers over the last ten years have also been from this area.

The work originally started as the result of a challenge at Spring Harvest to respond to the needs and possibilities revealed by the fall of Soviet Communist rule.   Some who joined a major humanitarian trip in 1992 decided they wanted to do something practical and longer-term, especially for the vast numbers of children living on the streets.   Offered two rundown buildings in St Petersburg, they recruited a large team of volunteers to refurbish these as a Children’s Home and school.   After completion, two people stayed on to work in the Home.

 

Tony Wilcox says “Since then, we have worked in another Children’s Home, carried out refurbishment work in a provincial children’s hospital, a special needs school and a Family Centre, and even established an ‘English garden’ for a psychiatric hospital.   We have also been involved with Craft Centres - a kind of work experience, training and advice establishment originally set up for Children’s Home teenagers but which have increasingly also attracted others for whom little is provided, such as pensioners, the unemployed and people with disabilities.”

In August 2011, the plan is to work at the Philippok Centre in Volkhov, which offers practical support to children and young people with disabilities, chiefly cerebral palsy sufferers.   Established in 1993 (before that, there was nothing) it uses a 1960s-built former orphanage which has never been properly adapted. Doors are not wide enough for wheelchairs, for example.   With a tiny state subsidy, few volunteers and much bureaucracy Philippok is situated in a poor area and copes constantly with people trying to break in and steal equipment.   As everywhere, dedicated staff struggle in grotty buildings with inadequate resources.

 

Tony says “We need a team of volunteers to work in partnership with local people and their churches.  How much we will accomplish depends very much on how strong a team we can bring together, as well as on finance.  Will you come with us? Or perhaps you could sponsor someone else to come; please get in touch.   It can be hard work, but there’s time for fun, time to relax, time to see the sights and time to make friends – Russian as well as British.”

 

 

Cost: £525 (travel/health insurance extra)   for volunteers currently resident in the UK.

 

Revd Tony Wilcox 58 Sproughton Court   Sproughton   Ipswich   Suffolk   IP8 3AJ     tel: 01473 461561

e-mail: tony.wilcox@caringhandsru.org

Or Billy Parker 4 Belleisle Close Kilwinning   Ayrshire   KA13 6RG e-mail: billy.parker1@tiscali.co.uk

 

Or visit the website at:   www.caringhandsru.org