Page 9 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • December 2008 9
Check out charity gifts before Christmas at Christ the Servant

heading for the shops ABBEY MEADS

Before spending a penny on presents, take a look at the Link's sug-
gestions of gifts that can make a difference. Sunday 7th December 4pm Christingle
Create your own Christingle. Bring your own orange.
Local charities can receive do- Sunday 21st December 10.30am
nations when you shop online Sunday School performance
at no extra cost to you. There Children welcome!
are ideas for charitable gifts
and virtual presents to suit all Sunday 21st December 6.30pm
Carols by candlelight. A Class Act.
budgets and interests. Local professional musicians singers and talent lead us.
If you want to buy from major
retailers, including Asda, M&S Wednesday 24th December 4pm
and Early Learning, you can Cool Kids crafts and carols.
support special needs play- Wednesday 24th December 11.15pm Midnight Service
group Koalas. Visit www.buy. Communion and refl ection.
at/koalas where you will fi nd Thursday 25th December 10am Christmas Day
links to a selection of retailers Celebrate with the family.
who will donate from 4 per cent Sunday 28th December 10.30pm
to 10 per cent of the order at no Come and Worship Christ the Lord
additional cost.
To help Swindon’s MS Ther-
apy Centre and their Moving
Soon Appeal, shop via www.
buy.at/swindonmstherapy- Koalas special needs playgroup also sell really
centre and to help CALM, tasty Christmas puddings (as well as chocolate
Children's Cancer and Leukae- ones) as displayed by fundraising committee
mia Movement, visit www.buy. coordinator Alison Field. Call Koalas on
at/calm 465361 to buy one (or many) Abbey Meads Village Centre
If you plan to buy from Amazon, ects in education, health care and Elstree Way, Abbey Meads
a click via www.nspccwishes.org. help for the elderly and pre-school Reverend Brian Sweetman
uk will ensure that the charity children. www.swindonocotal- Tel: (01793) 701437
receives 10 per cent of the order link.org.uk
price. Santa is also working with A monthly donation of £5 to www.christtheservant.org.uk
the NSPCC this year to raise money Lights for Learning, based in Crick-
via a personal letter. lade, will pay for the installation
Animal lovers will be pleased to of a solar powered light system
receive a gift to make the lives of in a family home in Kenya. www.
rescued China Moon Bears more lightsforlearning.org
comfortable. Animals Asia has a www.oxfam.org.uk and www.
range of gifts including a bear ham- presentaid.org have a selection of
mock for £25 and a climbing frame gifts including goats, school shoes
for £30. www.animalsasia.org and beehives to be sent to those
Swindon Ocotal Link has gift in need.
tokens to support their work in There are good natured gifts
Nicaragua. £50 will pay for a year's from www.rspb.org.uk where you
bursary to send a child to school. can pay to replant a hedgerow or
The charity supports several proj- sponsor a puffi n.
Solar power brings hope to millions

Power for light and or an electrical device is second nature to most of
us. Flick the switch and you have light, but in some parts of the world
light after the sun goes down is a luxury for the well off.
But Cricklade based charity
Lights for Learning is tack-
ling the diffi culties people in
remote villages in Africa and
poorer parts of Asia face by
installing lighting systems
linked to solar panels.
Inventor Roger Muggridge
and a team of volunteers spent
two weeks during November
installing lights in some 80
rooms in three remote schools
in Zambia, which will allow
children and adults to study Dr Norori with Roger Mugridge examining
in the evening. the Lights for Learning demonstration kit
The Link introduced Roger to Dr parts of his district and Roger may
Carlos Norori, now mayor of Swin- visit Ocotal in the New Year.
don’s twin town Octotal, on a visit Find out more how you can
in September. He was impressed help at www.lightsforlearning.
and believes the Lights for Learn- org and www.swindonocotal-
ing system could be used in remote link.org.uk

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