Safely home

---

Many thanks to all parents who got to Heathrow so early today for the pick-up, and for your kind comments and appreciation to Mrs Reeves and me. It was truly a pleasure to take such a good team with us, and we had a bigger impact than previous groups (as well as raising more funds). It was also a lot of fun, as I hope you have realised after your children have spent time talking to you about it-- a process which I expect will continue for several days, at least...



Guys and gals, remember to keep taking your malarone! A few more days are needed to be on the safe side, even if you were not bitten as far as you know.



Can I also request that each one makes a CD (though other media such as memory sticks are fine) with your choice of your 50 best photos? This is partly to aid in the production of the school assembly about it on Friday 20th September (Y8 leavers--please note: we would like you to be there by 5.00pm at the latest, please, and to bring with you your journals, letters and some souvenirs for display). It will also help us to make a compilation of photos that several families have requested. We are planning to have a DVD of the trip on sale at the assembly, too.

I seem to have acquired a few things not mine so please claim:

Tilly, your Taylor Swift CD (no case)

A camera connecting lead, identical in size to my own

A bottle of Nivea suncream (blue), also identical to my own.

If anyone has lost anything, please write a comment so that others can be informed--it may have ended up in the wrong suitcase!

If anything else turns up or there are new developments or follow-up of relevance to you, I'll post it up here; if not, this could be the last main blog entry.

Finally, my thanks to all of you team members. You were fantastic! You made a real difference at the school, as Dr. Hendrick said, and our fund-raising is making the ELC dream come true. You showed so many talents in your time there--perhaps a few you didn't realise you had!--and you have helped change people's attitudes. One child wrote to Jocey that s/he used not to like English people, but that we have changed that and now that child thinks English people are really kind. No doubt many others could say similar things. Well done!

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your holiday, home or away, and look forward to seeing you all again in September.

---

Photos

P7300490
Home at last!

P7290485
Meeting the Barkers

P7290487
Meeting Mr Mandela

Comments

[Sara Ellacott]

Thank you!!!
Dear Richard/Mrs. Reeves, As Nathan did not fancy the early start to meet Nia (and who can blame him!), I missed being able to thank you both for giving up your personal time to take the children on a life changing trip. Having looked at photos today and read Nia's journal, as well as reading the excellent blogs, this trip will probably live with them all for a very long time, if not forever. We will certainly get you some photos and I would like to be able to get copies of the ones in the blogs, but hopefully they will be in the complilation. Have a great rest of the summer; you both deserve the break. Regards Sara

[Graceguysandgals]

Thanks
You're welcome, Sara. Nia certainly appeared to be enjoying herself--I trust she was also learning a lot. Putting together the compilation will take some time as at least 5,000 photos were taken--Oscar alone took 1150!

[Julie Sweeting]

A big thank you!
Hello all, Firstly to Mr Hudson & Mrs Reeves - a massive thank you for all your efforts & hard work. Archie obviously had an amazing time. We've heard lots of stories today & I'm sure will hear lots more over the coming weeks. Secondly thanks to 'the team' for making it such an enjoyable trip. I look forward to seeing more photos. We will do a photo album so if anyone has any photos of Arch please would you forward them on to me & I'll do the same back. Thanks again. Enjoy the rest of your holiday & look forward to catching up soon. Julie x

[Graceguysandgals]

Photos
Thank you, Julie. Obviously I have a lot of photos which feature Archie, and so do others. Overall I would think at least 5,000 photos were taken (Oscar alone took 1150). The process of downloading and selecting is a major one, which is why I have asked team members to create their CDs. I don't think I 'll have time to make personalised collections for each team member, so one CD compilation will have to do!