Man on a Mission
Most of us watch the news reports of a problem in the world and don’t know what to do to help. For one Basingstoke man the call to action has become a mission that seems almost impossible to complete in time.
Peter Robinson, of Christ Church, Chineham is part of a small group of volunteers about to clear an airstrip in Tanzania for relief flights to operate from. A Christian charity operating a “flying doctors” scheme has to open a new airfield on the border with Kenya to help people suffering in the civil unrest there. A team from churches all over the UK have been put together to complete this in just three weeks.
Peter applied to help and in doing so is realising a long held ambition. “Like most people, I watch Sport Relief and the like and make a donation but felt that I could offer more – I just didn’t know how. When I read about what Mission Aviation Fellowship are trying to do, I realised that what I had been searching for was being put in front of me”.
Peter needs to raise over £1800 to fund the trip and is taking on the challenge of the chores that friends and family have been putting off in return for a donation. “I was asked if there were any jobs that I regretted taking on – not yet, although one lady has asked me to clear her shed and she tells me that the spiders are as big as those in Africa!”
Peter is really grateful for the support offered to him and his family, anyone wishing to find out more about the project or willing to make a donation in return for work done can contact Peter through the parish office. Peter would welcome sponsorship from organisations in return for helping them to understand how encouraging volunteering can help organisations meet their Corporate Social Responsibilities in the same way that his employer has done
More information
1. Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian charity that provides relief work across the world. They operate 130 aircraft in operations in thirty countries currently. Charity no. 1064598.
2. Flight operations include evacuation of casualties and those in need of medical aid. Relief work and distribution of emergency aid is also carried out when necessary in co-operation with other relief agencies and local government
3. The team will be made up of people from all backgrounds and ages. They have been recruited for the variety of skills that they bring. Peter has been selected for his project and people management skills.
4. The team will renovate the base station near Dodoma and then move nearer to the Kenyan border to clear a runway and build basic facilities to enable safe and secure flight operations.
5. The team for Tanzania will fly from Glasgow International Airport on 24th July and return 15th August. In addition we will undertake an orientation weekend 6th-8th June and a debrief weekend 10th-12th October.
6. To raise funds for my trip Peter is undertaking the chores and jobs that people locally have been putting off in return for a donation. As a family they postponed their summer holiday as a sacrifice in order to support this worthwhile cause.
7. For further information about volunteering see http://www.volunteering.org.uk
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