Charity does good work in Eastern Europe

Locally-based charity TEECH is seeking a new home.

TEECH, which started out at Martlesham back in 1998, regularly organises work parties of volunteers and tradesmen to travel out to Eastern Europe to complete projects in villages.

The expeditions take equipment, building materials and other supplies with them, that are donated are gathered in the months ahead of trips and then use them in building projects.

The next trip, in December, is taking shoe box Christmas presents for the needy. Local churches, schools and other organisations have been putting them together.

Now the charity is in need of the use of storage accommodation, or a warehouse, handily placed in Suffolk or north Essex.

Secretary Holly Field said: “We currently have a storage builing at Thorndon, near Eye but the site is being sold therefore we are seeking somewhere else.

“Our budget is extremely low.”

“We are reliant on a kind sole providing something at low cost but meeting our requirements.”

About 1,200 sq ft of space in a dry building or barn, wth good access throughout the year is needed, she added.

“So we can store clothing, donations etc and they would not get damp.

“Volunteers usually get together at least once a month to sort donations, but we visit when required or when dropping aid off.

“Access for lorries is needed at least twice a year.”

If you think you can help email holly field. holly@teech.org

TEECH (Telecoms Eastern European Challenge) ( www.teech.org) is a local charity which grew from an iniative by BT staff.

TEECH was established in 1998 when a group of people who worked together at BT near Ipswich took up the challenge from a colleague to help repair two hospitals in Bucharest.

About fifty volunteers travelled to Bucharest under the banner of ‘BTL Aid to Romania’ in August that year and set about painting, plastering, providing lighting and generally making the hospitals cleaner, safer and brighter places. After the success of this trip, and seeing the need to be more structured the volunteers organised themselves into a Registered Charity and hence TEECH (Telecoms Eastern European Challenge) was born retaining the “telecom” connection in its name.

Although BT continue to provide assistance with transport TEECH is an independent organisation, which welcomes volunteers from all walks life who are not afraid of hard work.

At the end of December the charity travel again to Moldova with a consignment of shoe boxes filled with gifts etc for families and children for Christmas.

www.teech.org