TSC Newsletter Winter 2003

Travelers’ School Charity Newsletter Winter 2003

Plymouth to Dakar Challenge 2004

Kaye is taking time out to drive to Dakar, Senegal, in the annual Plymouth to Dakar challenge.
Kaye is driving a Nissan Patrol in the challenge which will be powered by bio fuel (vegetable oil) instead of Diesel. She is planning to tow 1,000 liters of fuel in the attempt to drive the whole way on bio-fuel. The Patrol has had an Elsbett veg oil conversion kit installed.
The children will be going too and Hazel who is co-driver and film maker. This trip will fulfill a lifetime ambition to travel to the African Continent, it will also raise an awareness of biofuels as a short term solution to transport needs. Burning vegetable oil in an engine instead of diesel reduces C02 emissions by 30%, a substantial effort to reduce greenhouse gases. Also producing oil crops locally would reduce our impact on the environment and the people that are displaced due to oil exploration.
To keep up to date on Kaye's progress in Africa or if you are interested in sponsoring her then please see the team's web site at;
www.oilmatters.co.uk

David Naylor, the new Trustee appointed in September, will be acting as Treasurer in Kaye's absence, the mail however will be redirected so financial correspondence should be sent to the same address as usual.

Training

Anyone interested in getting involved with the Renewable Energy Training and IT workshops should contact the Charity via the website or by mail to the PO Box address.

A computer was given to some people who are setting up a boat school. They have been talking to a local nursery group who have offered their facilities until space can be created in their boat. They also received some renewable energy training when the computer was delivered. At present they are trying to fix their windgenerator which needs new bearings.

Bluebirds family resources

Provide a variety of services to travellers at the Middle Tree park. Using a static trailer Bluebirds has a parent and child group on Mondays. They have also taken children out on trips to visit projects in their area one being Proper Job, a composting and recycling center which have been funded by C.K funding. Trips to the circus and a Halloween party for the children have also been organised. A Bio–Diesel (Diesel made from veg oil), course was also held in the yurt. They are hoping to set up a computer classroom and plan to take ‘Bluebirds’ on tour next summer In order to network with other sites and encourage similar projects to be set up.

Administrator vacancy

Yapp Charitable Trust has awarded the TSC with a small grant towards the cost of employing someone to take on secretarial duties.

The responsibilities will include;

Dealing with general correspondence from the public and users
Preparing Reports
Supporting funding applications (both within the organisation and assisting individuals/groups of users)

This will be a part time job only, approximately .2 days (16 hours) per week. We would like to invite interested people to contact us with a view to filling the vacancy as soon as possible.

*****STOP PRESS*****

The Travellers Aid Trust are now receiving applications for grants, the next deadline is February 20th 2004. The TSC has some forms if you want one.

Two new Trustees

The charity has two new trustees

David Naylor, an actively nomadic – home educating parent who has offered help with accounts joined us in September. David has recently been awarded some money by the ethnic minority fund to purchase a solar panel. The panel will provide valuable electricity to enable them to have lights in the long winter evenings. Congratulations and thanks also to his partner. Anna who is working on workbooks.

Ed Sibcy is working part-time with the Herefordshire Travellers play scheme. He is a support worker with many of the teenage Traditional Travellers in the area. He is a teacher and has 5 children at home. Ed was involved with the TSC as a teacher 4 years ago and we are very glad to have his experience on the board of trustees.

Meleto

Is a company which offers subjects like Math's and English lessons over the internet. The TSC has been offered some free time and is looking for any one who might be interested and would like to help us appraise the service. You would require internet access for more information checkout there website.

http://www.meleto.com/

How Many Travellers sites have internet access?

A lot of things available these days are web based but whilst this is great for some the reality on the ground is that very few travellers living on sites are able to access the web. The main problem with internet access on sites is finding a way to connect. At present the only way to connect is with a mobile phone which when used for surfing the web is extremely expensive. Only permanent or semi permanent sites have land lines. A satellite dish can be used but this system would only be a practical option to wealthy travellers with thousands of pounds of spare cash. This is leading to a widening of the gap between have and have nots. To try and remedy this problem the TSC is looking for ways to provide internet access to sites, unfortunately due to the lack of appropriate technology to date we have only been able to provide computers with information on CD’s. Hopefully when the G3 network is rolled out across the country we will be able to provide the service people want. How long it will take to be able to provide this service to the remotest of sites is any ones guess. Maybe the government could put some of the Billions earned from the sale of the G3 license into providing a much needed service to children in our society please lobby your MP!!!

Happy solstice

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The Travellers’ School Charity’s aim is that Travellers and their children have access to
opportunities, freedom and choice, achieved through education.