The first event for 2012 will take place on Saturday the 12^th May and will be an opportunity to live top gear style for the day at Thruxton. You can get a team together or come along and join a team, there’ll be a chance for kids over the age of 8 to have a go on their own track too. To register your interest in a fun day out for all of the family – BBQ and bouncy castle planned – email info@gaspartnership.org

Taking part will help raise valuable funds to develop sustainable health outcomes for women and children in one of the poorest regions in the world where there is one doctor for 36,000 people. Having fun could mean you save a life.

“ are the leading cause of mortality in the world. This invisible epidemic is an under-appreciated cause of poverty and hinders the economic development of many countries…36 million of the 57 million global deaths in 2008 were due to NCDs.”

Dr Fraser revealed that in Glasgow life expectancy is 28 years less than someone living a mere 13 kilometres further south; the life expectancy of someone living in Lesotho is 48 years where as for  someone living in Japan it is 83. Clearly social determinants are key, with poverty a leading factor. He shared a poor woman from Moldova’s own definition as

“poverty is pain, it feels like a disease. It attacks a person, not only materially, but also morally. It eats away one’s dignity and drives one into total despair.”

The problem therefore is enormous but not overwhelming as I discovered through my own involvement in the health link that University Hospitals Southampton has become involved in as a partner with Ghana Health Services and child welfare charity Afrikids. For me seeing really was believing when I visited the Upper East Region of Ghana in January 2009 and witnessed with my own eyes the abject poverty, hunger and poor access to health, along with learning that there was only 1 doctor per 36,000 people. I realised quite rapidly that with the effort of a few, significant benefits in terms of capacity building and sustainable health outcomes could be achieved.

In 18 months, the health initiative known as the G.A.S Partnership, has sent health professionals to the region to train staff in our targeted areas of Maternity, Paediatrics, Theatres/Anaesthetics and Imaging. Frameworks have been established to improve the patient pathway, theatre practice including the use of the W.H.O Surgical Checklist, estate and facility management working with 7 hospitals in the region, as well as assisting in the design and development of a dedicated mother and children’s unit. The health link has been awarded the prestigious 3^rd Sector public/private partnership of the year in the UK and will continue to grow in strength. So, as an African proverb says and repeated by Dame Anita Roddick:

“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito!”

Listen to what the people of Ghana have to say about the support they have received so far through our partner Afrikids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kORAqCV8Ijc&feature=fvsr and to register an interest in getting involved email info@gaspartnership.org

With thanks to Dr Richard Newsom for his contribution to the international health agenda and for organizing the seminar.

We have more than just a newsletter for you this month… we have our Christmas Catalogue too!

This month has been a fantastic one for us with the excitement of the Vodafone World of Difference Campaign and then some thrilling news that we are one of The Telegraph’s Christmas charities! Read all about it in this month’s newsletter:

http://issuu.com/afrikids/docs/out_of_afrikids_-_november_2011

With the Christmas Catalogue finalised and an office full of festive goodies we’re gearing up for a fun filled season. Please find the catalogue attached or if you prefer to read it on online you can read it here. The last page of the catalogue details how you can order/purchase your items. Of course our AfriKids online shop has all our stock including everything that’s in our catalogue. You can visit that by clicking here

If you have any feedback for us or you do not wish to receive future editions, please just drop me a line.

All the best,

Jo and everyone at AfriKids

What a night!

Thank you to everybody who attended the Halloween Masquerade Ball on Friday night! It was a huge success, and that is entirely down to your generosity!

We have raised approximately £3000 from the event and raised awareness of our Partnership and it’s aims.

This money will be added to the sums Afrikids have worked hard to raise this year for the partnership and which is already having a positive impact on the people of Upper East Ghana.

One of the projects we are very keen to get off the ground, is ‘Train the Trainers’. To make our partnership sustainable, we aim to intensively train and maintain skills of a small number of Ghanain staff so that they can then facilitate training across the region as an ongoing project. This will improve the skills and knowledge of the whole healthcare faculty and will enable year round training.

I hope you enjoyed your evening? I know I did! You all looked absolutely amazing – the effort put into costumes was outstanding, and really set off a wonderful atmosphere!

Once again – a huge and heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you! We look forward to seeing you again next year!

If you’d like to get involved in fundraising further for the G.A.S Partnership – contact gas@afrikids.org

- alternatively join our facebook page  http://www.facebook.com/groups/gaspartnership/ and get stuck in!

Best wishes,
Alice Dale

It’s not too late to book a ticket at £35 per ticket to include a three course dinner in the beautiful ballroom, and then dance the night away to the fantastic live band – The Morphic Fields and our groovy disco DJ, all compered by BBC Radio Solent’s Richard Cartridge

http://guestlistapp.com/events/50466

Gareth Petty got on his bike, literally, to raise funds for the GAS Partnership when he did the Southampton to Brighton bike ride on the 28th May. He did a sterling job and managed to raise £380 of his targetted £500. If you want to help him make up the shortfall visit his Just Giving link as follows: http://www.justgiving.com/gareth-petty

This week sees the launch of the Just Giving site which will make it easier to donate and to see how we’re doing in reaching our target:

http://www.justgiving.com/gas-partnership

GAS Partnership Newsletter Q1 2011

‘This was my first trip to Ghana and I found the visit both interesting and rewarding. I particularly enjoyed interacting with the local staff who were universally enthusiastic and keen to improve both their personal practice and the local service. The trip gave me plenty to think about and prepare for future visits.’

Dr Catherine Grierson 15th March 2011

Catherine went out this year with Dr Mary Riley, Consultant Radiologist who can be seen teaching Ultrasound to doctors and midwives.