If you think students spend all their spare time avoiding studying, going out with their mates and having a good time then you'd be right. Well our student bloggers do anyway. While they assure us they don't slack on the study, they've got a lot to answer for when it comes to enjoying themselves while volunteering.

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Tuesday Jan 10, 2012

In spring 2010 I had an epiphany

I had been studying with the Open University on/off since 2004 gradually trying to work my way towards the degree I'd wanted since I was a tween and was only a year away from achieving it. I always preached that I wanted the degree for personal development only and that it had nothing to do with changing career but my epiphany came from nowhere and struck me like a bolt from the indigo aether. Why COULDN'T the degree help me change career? It would make suitable sense to at least try. Oh but wait, the degree isn't a specific titled degree, it's an Open degree made up of a few subjects so how will I manage to convince potential employers that I'm able to switch career?

Even doing the Masters degree I subsequently made plans to do wouldn't be sufficient to convince employers that I was capable and had enough experience to make an effortless switch. So. If I can't get experience through university, and my current job offers nothing in the way of experience in the career I want to jump into (social policy research, just as a point of information) then how will I do it?

A second epiphany (I'm getting good at these)! Volunteer! I've got plenty of spare time to devote to a spot of volunteering and it's perfect for my needs.

Within a week of that revelation I had an application form in with my local council to be a school governor, I had initiated the relaunch of my local branch of the Open University Students Association (the OU's students union) and was on my way to experience central! Both of these positions have proven worth their weight in gold. Being a school governor takes up very little time (say one or two 2 hour meetings a month during term time) but the council have given me truck loads of training to help me in the role and I've been able to plague them with questions regarding governance. Being a volunteer for OUSA is very similar to being a school governor too, it's just that it's for a university instead so issues of policy and governance are at the forefront which is so appropriate for my intended career it's laughably perfect.

The roles take up as much or as little time as I can afford them. My involvement with OUSA has been put on the backburner while I get stuck into my Masters course but I'm picking it up again now, and my work as a governor is about to hit the big time as I start to think about dissertation topics (most likely something to do with education policy).

More recently I've signed up for a charity which runs community workshops, but I've signed up to train as a workshop host. This came about partly because the Open University emailed me about it and suggested I get involved, and partly because I'm looking for a way to improve my confidence and give me more experience of speaking in public so hosting workshops would help with that.

I love that I've been able to cherry pick bits of volunteering which suit my needs. Because of my volunteering I got accepted onto a Masters degree for which I didn't even meet the entry requirements. The programme team said that my voluntary experience was more than sufficient to 'bridge the gap' so here I am, studying at a Top 3 university. I can literally say that volunteering has been the driving factor in me changing my life, and I'm not about to quit any time soon.

 

Posted by Carrie Anne Walton ( 3:56 PM )
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Thursday Oct 20, 2011

Back to the ward

It has been way too long…

On Thursday I started my first Medicinema shift, and it has to be the most fun I’ve had volunteering in a long time.

Transferring the patients from the wards, is the most challenging part of the role, as medication times, and nurse’s schedules make the organisation difficult. It’s the same issue that commonly arises with volunteers in hospitals, as the nursing staff is the most prominent on the wards, and at the same time the most busy. You need the confidence to interact with patients, rather than relying on the staff.

The patients are taken to, or make their own way to the Medicinema, dependent upon their state, and once there, are either positioned in the cinema, seating area, or the floor, in a wheelchair or bed. Nurses are present during the film, in case a certain patient has to be monitored, or there are any needs during the showing.

I think the project, is extremely unique, and provides patients with a setting outside of the typical ward layout, which they can often find uninteresting. Patients, who find reading, difficult, have a chance to see something creative and imaginative, without it having to be strenuous.

I’m really excited to be a part of the project.

Before the summer, I also applied for the role of charity secretary on my subject committee, which I was successful in, and I am extremely excited about this. The major news is that I am organizing a charity vintage fashion show, at the university in February. Fashion is something which has always interested me, but has been so unrelated to my subject, that I haven’t had a chance to do anything with it. So a vintage show seemed like an amazing idea. The hardest aspect so far has been securing stores to be involved, as many do not like to commit to such events, and so it has taken a lot of attempts to find help, but I’m getting there!

Much love for reading…

I will blog again soon.

Posted by Natalie ( 11:58 AM )
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Monday Aug 01, 2011

And it's all over.

Well, my run at University appears to be over. With a degree under my belt and a smile on my face, I've willingly attempted to enter the world of work - and you guessed it, I've not exactly succeeded.

 I have however secured a summer internship as a campaigns assistant with a national charity based in West Yorkshire, and I am absolutely loving the experience.

But enough of that, one of the sad parts about leaving uni (other than leaving student discounts and nights out) has definitely been saying goodbye to the Bookends team. I have to admit, I miss the shop already! And I definitely miss dreaming up ways to market the shop around campus, and chilling out on a shift. Bookends has given me great experience of working in a not for profit environment which I know I will find useful in future years. More than that though, it's given me a chance to develop some leadership skills, test out my creativity, and of course make friends I'll never forget.

So is this the end for me and Bookends? Well, I doubt it. I'm a bit of a book nerd to my core, so I'm sure I will be back meddling in the shop whenever I visit Aberdeen. Nevertheless, I can't help but feel a little strange when I realise that a whole host of new volunteers will be in charge come September. Hopefully they can expand upon everything that's been done so far and make the shop a prominent fundraising force for Aberdeen Students' Charities Campaign. I'm pretty sure that Bookends is going to survive just fine without me anyway.

For anyone who reads the nonsense I spurt out, I hope you try to change the world too - one little bit at a time. Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 8:15 PM )
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Wednesday Apr 13, 2011

A Long Overdue Update

Hello and sorry for the absence!

As a final year student, the work is really piling on...

But enough of that depressing muck. Bookends is chugging along nicely, and as we approach the end of the year, we have just chosen a shiny new committee! This of course means lots of exciting change in the shop, as our new committee members need to be completely trained up and ready to handle anything that next year might throw at them. It feels strange to know that Bookends will carry on next year without those of us in our final year, and very strange that we won't be in charge of decisions anymore! However, it is great to see our enthusiastic volunteers carrying on the good work.

In fact, this year appears to have been a great success for our little shop, with more than twice as many volunteers as last year, and an all important rise in profits, heading straight to Aberdeen Students' Charities Campaign. (I will be sure to update with the total raised once it's all been counted up)

The last year has been incredibly rewarding and led to a close team at Bookends, which I hope will continue to grow and raise more money for charities in and around Aberdeen in future. Over the next month I'll be continuing to raise awareness of Bookends around campus, especially with exams looming and the need for last-minute textbooks! Apparently we're even getting a mascot soon, so if the costume arrives before summer I am sure that passers by will spot me by King's College handing out leaflets and sweets dressed either as a massive red scholarly dragon.... or as an owl (obviously).

Anyway, until then... Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 12:00 AM )
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Tuesday Jan 25, 2011

PALS

A couple of weeks ago, I started my training with Patient Advice and Liaison services (PALS).

 For those of you who haven't heard of PALS, this is a good indication of my role as a PALS volunteer... to raise awareness. Often in a hospital ward, due to the workload, employees can be unable to give each patient the time they may need to raise issues. This can be as simple as air conditioning, room temperature levels being low to the point that they are causing patients discomfort, or it can be a more serious issue such as lack of appetite due to the food available to them which can cause their health to deteriorate.

 My role as a volunteer is to visit wards and talk to patients introducing the project, which unfortunately doesn't get the advertising it deserves, meaning it's unknown to patients. If the patient has an issue concerning the care or conditions on their ward, I can discuss this with them and if they agree, pass the issue onto a PALS officer who looks to resolve the problem.

One of the main concerns that people express relating to the PALS service is confidentiality. Following my training I appreciate the serious nature of this and admire the commitment of the service, to protect the rights of each patient.

I decided to commit to the project, for two main reasons. Firstly I can see the importance of the project in improving conditions on wards, which are constantly receiving poor press. Secondly, I can really see the value in assisting hospital staff in maximising contact with patients on the ward to simply brighten their day through contact or by helping them with a problem.

More in depth information about the aims and availability of the service can be found at http://www.pals.nhs.uk/

As a student studying Biomedical Sciences, I find it extremely beneficial to volunteer in hospital environments, work experience allows me to see the details of the differing professions in the hospital, but this project will hopefully allow me insight into the issues on wards and how simple services such as PALS can support the professionals working to offer care.

Posted by Natalie ( 12:04 PM )
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Monday Dec 13, 2010

From overseas volunteering to helping people overseas from home

On my first week at university I bought a Big issue. It's a simple idea, which looks to act as a social business, distributing magazines to a collection of street vendors, and as a charity, looking to help the vendors act upon the issues, which have resulted in their state of homelessness. The reason I talk about it is because when I bought the magazine, the vendor's gratefulness was so huge, even four weeks on he still recognises me when I walk past and asks me how my day has been, whether I intend to buy a magazine or not. I admire charity and volunteering because it helps people to better the lives of those who have been disadvantaged, and it requires people to work for free, just because they want to help and I love it.

My name is Natalie and I took a gap year last year and travelled to do some volunteering in South Africa (you can read my travel blog on this website), and the experience has made me a teeny bit enthusiastic about volunteering! I'm always trying to get involved in new projects and I want to let you guys know what's going on with me and maybe I'll be able to encourage you to get involved because it's a lot of fun!

So far I've been volunteering with Amnesty International to sell toffee apples to students around Newcastle University campus, in an effort to try to build a petition and interest in the subject of forced evictions. When I attended the Amnesty International meeting, people were discussing the forced evictions of Roma in Italy.

If I'm honest, my general knowledge is pretty poor and I don't tend to be aware of general topics, so didn't really understand who the Roma were. I learnt that they were a group of people who basically have no ground; they tend to live from place to place and struggle to settle in societies. Countries can be particularly hostile towards the Roma with parents struggling to get work and children to get basic education, being unable to access schooling.

The subject of Roma can be a controversial one, they are often referred to as gypsies, , and as a result of the struggle they face for basic living, many resort to crime, giving them many cynical enemies, and a reputation as an 'unwanted' group of people across the world.

Unfortunately the lifestyle they have has become somewhat of a vicious circle and they have been put in a position where the natural answer to their problems is through crime, many countries tend to ignore the problems, which the Roma face and no one seems to want to take responsibility.

In context of Amnesty International's campaign, the focus lays on a group of Roma, situated in Italy, and on the 'Nomad Plan', which plans the eviction of thousands of Roma from camps in Italy, and relocation to camps on the outskirts of Rome.

The Roma have not been consulted in a situation, which threatens to disrupt any employment and education they have been able to secure, and a plan which will also see many, without relocation plans and hence homeless.

On Bonfire Night, me and a few others volunteered selling toffee apples around Newcastle University campus and at night time events, and will be attempting to gain support in a petition to show our support of the Roma, in a situation which will violate many of their basic human rights.

That's what's so great about volunteering; you find campaigns and organisations, which you would otherwise have been ignorant of, and you become passionate about things which you never even knew you cared about. It's great to know that you're representing people who have very little support and who rely on you giving your time to, in an attempt to help better their lives.

Posted by Natalie ( 10:59 AM )
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Wednesday Oct 27, 2010

A revitalised bookshop?

Hello again!

Well, this new opportunity appears to have started with a bang for Bookends! In the recent weeks since the beginning of the new academic year, our little shop has seen a boost not only in customers, but also in shop visibility around campus. Our new position has undoubtedly helped this boost, as students have come to explore the new Student Union headquarters and all it offers. The space itself has also been a massive improvement, as many students come to the shop as a space to study, have a coffee, and just chill out!

On top of this initial success, the Bookends team have been working hard to ensure that we maximise our potential. For my part, I have ordered more advertising merchandise (mainly in the form of posters, leaflets and flyers) to distribute around campus to ensure our status remains prominent. We have also recently begun a scheme of a monthly bakesale, the first of which was yesterday and alone raised over £50. We are currently discussing the possibility of using our bakesale money to donate ourselves to a local charity which promotes reading to young children. As these talks are still in process, I will have to update next time on what eventually will happen with the money.

 

Our new committee seems to have made a huge difference to morale in the shop, with new enthusiastic volunteers having their say too. We already have a tonne of team-building/social activities in the works, and are hoping to also create many more promotional events to raise awareness and funds around campus... which I hope I'll be able to reveal in my next blog! Until then... Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 2:00 PM )
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Monday Sep 27, 2010

A new year, a new shop, a new opportunity!

Hello! It's been a while, but with a new semester starting today (after the carnage of freshers) I think this is a good time to have a little update on what's going on up here.

Bookends has officially been open again for a week, after the hard work of several of our volunteers over summer to organise the shelves and make a good start on our filing - and I have to say, the shop is already looking quite good!

As I said before, the new shop is about 3 times the size of our old space, with plenty more shelving and a whole load of sofas and beanbags. Although we don't have the cafe facilities we were originally gunning for, we do at least have a coffee machine offering the cheapest coffee on campus - with the proceeds being split between the cafe downstairs and our Charities Campaign.

The shop is already beginning to get busier as people realise where we are and what we provide, which is great news as the shop could often prove to be a little empty last year. As a member of the marketing committee (and gunning for marketing director this year, among other positions on the committee...) I've already had some advertising postcards made up to increase our visibility around campus, as we previously had no real advertising of our own. We have also put up signs around the new SU centre, although a lot more still needs to be done, with a poster campaign hopefully on the way as soon as I enlist some help!

During freshers week we relied largely on the help of freshers week volunteers, which has been fantastic for helping us to enlist new volunteers and for advertisement through word of mouth. However, it has also been a big indication of how many volunteers from last year are now graduated, which could make the first few weeks of term difficult until we have our new volunteers trained up and a routine back up. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.

Bit of an essay, but that's all I've got for now - I'll check back soon with jucier schemes. Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 10:30 AM )
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Friday Aug 20, 2010

Junior Sports Leadership Award - Learning about Team Building

I consider team building to be one of the most significant and vital  skills to be used in the outside world. Just think about it! The famous  entrepreneurs don't work by themselves! The best sport teams don't have  individuals doing what they want! Well, this only came to me when I  completed the JSLA course and I will be writing about the team building  skills I learnt throughout the course.

The first team building activity  was when I really came out of my comfort zone and was hilarious. The  entire group had to make up a fictitious story on the spot and say 30  minutes worth of it. When it was my turn, I felt nervous. I also felt  quite confident because loads of people went before me and were  entertaining. I thought for a couple seconds about what I could talk  about. Then I realised something which would make the audience laugh for  sure. The story went something like this:

Once upon a time in a town  centre, I was strolling around when I bumped into a 40-year-old person  with a bald-patch and I mocked him. The next day, I started school and  he was my science teacher. It turned out that he always gets bullied,  regardless of the school he goes to. So I thought, he has already  obtained way too much punishment and I ordered my school to stop  interrogating him. As I was the head boy, they stopped immediately and  he is still at the same school enjoying his life.

The second team  building activity was when we had to organise ourselves into month of  birth order without speaking. To start with everyone was just pointing  but then I realised that we can use our hands to say when our month of  births are. For example, 1 was January, 2 was February, 3 was March, 4  was April, 5 was May, 6 was June, 7 was July and so on. By doing this,  our group was first to organise ourselves into the right order. The third  team building activity was we got into pairs and we played a game,  similar to charades. The only difference was they couldn't see what you  were drawing.

They relied on your descriptive skills to guess what it  was. There was no cheating because we were back-to-back and the person  who was describing the object and the person listening to the  description both had to draw the object. After, they would show each  other and see if they got the same picture. People occasionally got the  same picture. In brief, this is how I learnt about team building and I  had to fun throughout the activities as well. What more could you ask  for?

Posted by Daniel ( 6:02 PM )
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Wednesday Aug 04, 2010

Hello from Croydon

Hi, I'm Daniel and I have just finished my high school life at Shirley; awaiting my results this month. This September, I have chosen to go to Harris CTC; opting to study Mathematics, Business Studies, French and Food Technology as my A-Levels. I have lived in Croydon for my entire life which is a nice area to live in for me and you can find everything in Croydon.

My voluntary career has lasted about two months. Me becoming a volunteer came from searching for work and then seeing that money isn't everything; it's feeling like you've made a difference which is important

At first, I became a virtual volunteer for Lifetracks, helping produce the new website for teenagers, relating to employment, training and study. I then started volunteering for Debatewise where I edited debates and strengthened them where possible. This website has a broad range of subjects to talk about and you can also create your own debates. I have applied for other voluntary work which haven't contacted me yet. 

What really inspired me into volunteering is simple! Making a difference is more important than making money. Also, voluntary work strengthens the chance of getting a job because it shows employers that you're not just working for the money. Not mentioning that it looks great on your CV. In addition, voluntary work provides key skills which are important in any workplace.

Well, that's a brief introduction of me and I hope to create many other blogs similar to this one in length.

Daniel

Posted by Daniel ( 4:33 PM )
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Tuesday Jul 06, 2010

End of the line...

I've finished my degree, and while on the plus side this means that I have actually completed something, it also means that I am no longer a 'student volunteer', and am now officially unemployed.

I should probably be using this final blog to enthuse over how volunteering has converted my CV from a withering runt to a protein guzzling body-fortress; landed me my dream graduate job; and solved various other niggling annoyances, such as intermittent back ache. I'm not going to do that, partly because it wouldn't be true.

Instead here are 5 things that made me laugh during the last 3 years:

1) My friend and co-host somehow getting then Business Minister Pat Mcfadden to agree to an on-air (and heated) discussion of agency workers' rights on Sheffield Live 93.2fm

2) Over 2 hours spent on very random changes to the volunteering committee's constitution: should SheffieldVolunteering be two words or one?

3) Introducing a guest on my radio show as 'a man', after forgetting his name entirely. (sorry to this man, whose name I have still forgotten)

4) Trying to stop laughing uncontrollably at numerous moments during every breakfast radio show I helped to present.

5) Refusing to correct a friend's notion that my name is Harris over the course of two years, only for it to come back to haunt me after being awarded a certificate by the Lord Mayor (for an event which my friend had organised) for one Harris Stevens.

Anyway, I can hear the jobcentreplus calling 'sign on, sign on' and perhaps I can stave it off no more!

H

Posted by Harry ( 9:38 PM )
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Friday May 14, 2010

As we students are inherently political.....

So, even if you were turned away from the polling station, frustrated, disenfranchised, and possibly discriminated against because of your status as a student instead of a 'local', it doesn't matter – a new government has been formed anyway.

A coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats is now in power, and while everyone is getting het up about the 'constitutional implications' of such a thing, I thought I'd look briefly at what it might mean for the voluntary sector.

Given the amount that the state relies upon the voluntary sector to deliver services as basic as legal advice (through places such as the CAB), it would be political suicide for any of the party leaders to declare themselves as anything but supportive of volunteering. This is all the more relevant as we are now being told that large public sector cuts are necessary to reign in the UK's public debt, and it may be up to the voluntary sector to provide services that will no longer be provided for by the state.

Below is a brief summary of the two parties manifesto pledges in relation to volunteering, and with the uncertainties of a coalition government it will be interesting to see how many promises each party will be able to keep.

           

In the Conservative's manifesto ('Invitation to join the government of Britain'), the emphasis is very much upon services that were previously provided by the state instead being provided by groups of individuals in their communities. It paints a picture of the 'Big Society': schools set up by groups of interested individuals, as well as community run libraries and public amenities. Cynically re-phrased by some as - 'run your own schools, we're not up to it'.

Furthermore, social enterprises, charities and voluntary groups are to play 'a leading role' in delivering public services, and they will be encouraged to enter bids for state funding. Their manifesto also promises that a Big Society Bank fund will be set up (from unclaimed bank assets) to support these organisations.

Finally a National Citizen Service scheme is pledged – which would encourage 16 year olds to volunteer in their local community.

While the Lib Dem's manifesto ('Change that works for you') is supportive of the voluntary sector, it is less specific in the measures that they would introduce. Instead things are phrased in more general terms: 'We believe that society is strengthened by communities coming together and engaging in voluntary activity'. However they do promise to reform the CRB scheme so that volunteers only need one record 'that is portable, rather than multiple checks for each activity'.

For more information, the people at Volunteering England have done a proper job of this, with a brief summary of the manifestos' volunteering aspects here; and also a more comprehensive version here.

Posted by Harry ( 10:07 AM )
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Friday May 07, 2010

A new start for Bookends...

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, I ventured off to China during the easter holidays on a study programme. This should have lasted 3 weeks, but oh yes you guessed it, a little volcanic eruption managed to extend my stay by 2 weeks! So sorry for the absence...

This of course meant that I had to delegate all my Torcher's organising to others while I was stranded in Shanghai - unfortunately I obviously delegated to the wrong people! I arrived back in Aberdeen on the day of the parade and found our float looking a little bare, at which point I marched off to Asda to buy random summery things (bubble machine and a paddling pool? Yes please!) and called some mates to help fill up the float as apparently only 4 other volunteers were showing up!

I was a little shocked at the lack of interest when before Easter everyone had seemed so enthusiastic, but on the night we still made a good go of it, dancing down the street to some ehhh "Hawaiian" inspired techno...which then hit Bassment Jaxx etc... well, my bucket was pretty heavy by the end despite emptying it twice so it can't have gone too badly! The parade as a whole is estimated to have raised over £10 000 for charity, thanks to the help of other 2000 students, and a huge and generous crowd lining the streets!

In other news, our new store is officially open! The space is about 3 times the size of our last shop, with extra space for tables, chairs and comfy sofas and beanbags, giving us a social and lively space, which will hopefully soon have all the cafe facilities we need! The store's shelves will be closed and locked in the evenings, as the space is also available to societies and students to rent out at night for events, allowing us to provide a further service to the students of Aberdeen - fantastic!

So far, we've had our hands pretty full with just attempting to shelves all the books and decorate the store, but now that it's all finished, we're hoping to see a surge in customers, which can only be good for the Charities Campaign...

Well that's the plan, I'll get back to you with how it goes... Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 5:00 PM )
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Tuesday Apr 06, 2010

Volunteering Committee Business

Hello again. It's not something I've written about a great deal here, but when I applied to contribute to the student's blog for do-it.org.uk, someone suggested that I join the Volunteering Committee at my University. I welcomed the fact that I now had an excuse to do something I'd quite like to get involved with anyway, and sent an e-mail off asking if they had any vacant positions left on the committee.

I thought I was being early, but I had already missed their AGM. Happily though they got back to me and said that they still had some positions that had not been filled, and so I joined the committee at the start of the academic year as a 'publicity rep'.

That was 18 months ago now, and I was allowed (or elected) to stay on with the committee for this academic year too, although I have changed roles now to a 'just do it' co-ordinator (see a previous blog post for what this means).

I didn't think I was a committee person, but in retrospect I have no idea what I thought a 'committee person' was. Maybe someone with spectacles and a diary? In any case, aside from the more specific roles every member has, just being in a working committee has been very interesting. Meetings have gone from discussing the colour of our hoodies (blue) and slogan (still in discussion), to getting more people involved in volunteering whilst at University and whether anyone would like to meet the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire.

I didn't know there had been a High Sheriff post Robin Hood era, but coincidentally a 78 year old volunteer has just received the High Sheriff's Award, for her work with a homeless centre in Sheffield.

Anyway, the nub of what I am trying to express is that it has been a well enjoyable experience and I'd recommend it. Also, by a surreal twist of fate, I've even become a bespectacled diary owner. !

Posted by Harry ( 11:34 PM )
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Tuesday Mar 23, 2010

Aloha Aberdeen?

Well, after much deliberation and rather odd ideas involving the royal family, Pacman and bumblebees, myself and the other volunteers on our official Torchers Team 2010 have decided to go for a Hawaiian themed float for the Torcher Parade on May 1st. With Aberdeen weather, this is a lot braver than it sounds - but we decided a Hawaiian float could remind people it's the start of summer, even if we do risk Hypothermia on the day...

The paperwork is not quite through, but should be by the end of the week which will hopefully see us entered into the procession on our own little float!

Also, the Big Move to our new location is officially on, with all the books being packed up this Friday, and all the volunteers available in Aberdeen over the 3 week Spring break helping to move everything over for the Grand Opening on April 19th! Unfortunately, I am not available over the holidays as I'm actually off to China on a study programme instead. However, I will most definitely be back on April 19th to help the other Bookends volunteers in promoting the new store and raising awareness about our new location, along with the other Student Association Services. Hopefully the new store will help to rejuvenate the bookshop's image around campus, as a nicer and larger space where students are also able to relax and have a nice cuppa!

With these important details on recent progress out of the way, I'd also like to mention I've already achieved the first of my MV awards for 50 hours of voluntary work this semester! Hopefully I'll achieve the next one before the summer holidays...

Anyway, I will return in a month to spill the beans on our new store, and hopefully with further news of Torcher's, and some marketing ploys! Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 12:50 AM )
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