The Romanian Aid Foundation & Asociatia Neemia

A second load has been dispatched from the Billingshurst warehouse and preparations are well in hand for a load to be dispatched from Swansea in the near future.

RoAF is not actively promoting the Christmas gift box scheme this year. We can accept boxes for named persons but the bulk distribution via schools and churches is no longer appropriate. There is an alternative arrangement whereby the most needy families will receive a donation of food purchased in Romania. See the RoAF website if you would like to help.

We are once again grateful for the delivery of another consignment of aid items. It is good to see the stock accumulating in the warehouse but better still to be able to pass the items on to people who have need for them. We have had many requests for bicycles and walking frames so it is helpful to have received more of each. Of particular value this time was two tons of rice, donated by a foundation in south Wales and transported via Billingshurst. The bulk sacks will be repackaged into quantities more suitable for local families. The stock of knitwear including hats, scarves, gloves, and teddies is also building up ready for the winter. Many thanks to those individuals and groups who can use their knitting skills to help others to keep warm.

It has been a good year for sunflowers. We have harvested several hundred kilos of seeds which will be pressed to provide oil for donation. Earlier in the year there was a good crop of fruit at the warehouse, again demonstrating the value of having the extra land there. In previous years we have helped families with gardens by sharing seeds sent from the UK. Unfortunately we are no longer permitted to receive packets of seeds from the UK but suitable substitutes are now available locally.

As the weather becomes cooler we need to consider the possibility of purchasing firewood for a limited number of families. Policies intended to preserve the natural forests and encourage economic progress have led to increases in the costs of all forms of energy to the point where many households have difficulties keeping warm in the winter months. One of this month’s chores for most rural households is ensuring that enough firewood is ready for the coming winter.

Romania has again achieved notoriety as one of the hot-spots for renewed COVID outbreaks. There is little confidence in the authorities to establish effective counter-measures and the restrictions that are imposed are widely regarded as optional. This has an impact on how our staff go about their work especially as we cannot assume that all our visitors have complied with the health recommendations.

This month’s featured photos

• Unloading at the Warehouse
• Sunflower seeds
• Donated bicycles

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, September 2021

Following a satisfactory delivery to Romania and the lifting of many COVID restrictions in the UK the Horley team has been able to resume our Friday afternoon sessions at Horley Baptist Church and the Saturday activities at our Billingshurst warehouse. Some precautions may still apply, at least for the immediate future, including the number of people that can meet in the church building. There have been some revisions to the type of items that we can accept at present in order to comply with current import limitations – details on our website.

July was a quiet month for donations but once the lorry arrived mid-month the rate of donations has returned to a more normal level. There were some 180 separate donations during August, many of which consist of more than one item. The most popular items are clothing, footwear, toys and, when available, food. We have been able to help a number of elderly people with crutches but there is a shortage of zimmer frames at present.

Anti-COVID restrictions have been relaxed somewhat, at least for the time being, and in most situations the use of masks and sanitizers is a personal choice. However, in the office we have continued to retain a high level of social distancing – the current weather allows us to ask visitors to wait outside and their goods are passed across the office threshold. This policy will have to be reviewed once the inclement winter weather returns. There is some official concern about a resurgence of COVID as the new school year begins and it remains to be seen whether there will be a re-introduction of health measures during the late autumn.

Once again we have received donations of both food and furniture from local sources. We are happy to use our team’s experience to distribute these items in a way that the original donors cannot do.

At Casa Neemia, the polytunnel has again produced a bountiful crop of tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables. These will be preserved as in previous years and will supplement the residents’ diet during the winter. We anticipate a good crop of potatoes from the land there and the sunflower crop at the warehouse also looks promising. The seeds will be pressed and the oil donated to our regular families later in the year.

This month’s photos feature Warehouse Activities

• Unloading packed boxes
• Weighing and labelling
• Stacking pallets ready for loading

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, August 2021

We were very relieved to receive a truck-load of aid from Billingshurst in the middle of last month. The customs procedures were more complex than in previous years but not overly onerous. We have also received approval to receive similar loads, at least until the end of this year.

The load arrived on the day that our stock of summer clothing was finally exhausted. Ironically, we still have supplies of winter clothing but that is not suitable for summer conditions. We are grateful for the timing of the delivery, and it was not long before items from this load were appearing on the donation records.

We continue to make donations from the office, albeit in smaller quantities and under the social distancing restrictions that still apply. People still need to be clothed and be fed, and there are many households who have had difficulties doing so during the pandemic. We have been able to maintain some level of donations throughout this period without lorries through a combination of locally sourced items and sponsorship for food purchases; we are grateful to those who made that possible.

This has been a long period of extra stain on our staff. Although none of them has had COVID itself, there has been an impact though friends and family, and due to the additional work that has been asked of them. This has tended to exacerbate other health problems, and we need to find some way in which they can step back a little from time to time.

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to Richard and those who worked with him for all that they have done for people in this area. It is some 30 years since the activities that evolved into RoAF and AN began. Encouraged by many supporters, Richard Burgess and Jon Norman drove a small truck load of aid to post-revolution Romania, intending it as a ‘one-off’ venture. What they saw fueled a desire to continue to help. In due course Richard bought his own truck and made aid trips four or five times a year, as well as helping in many needy situations. Finally Richard has hung up the keys to his truck – his dynamism and drive will be missed. We trust that he will have a long and happy retirement – although watching the sunset from a rocking chair on the porch probably isn’t his style.

This month’s featured photos

• A Welcome Arrival
• Richard in Action
• .

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month (pending update).

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, July 2021

Progress towards the resumption of aid preparation and transport has been made on two fronts:
> the Horley team has received consent to resume Friday packing at Horley Baptist Church although we cannot start until after the first load leaves and there is space in the warehouse;
> following the receipt of approvals from the Romanian customs to send aid items an application has been submitted for the necessary UK export documents.

In south Wales, some 500 boxes are awaiting the outcome of the first load; hopefully this will clarify any need for repacking or relabelling them. Both teams have many helpers and donors wishing to unload their homes of accumulated items, and we look forward to re-establishing our collecting and packing activities.

We have finally received the approval from the customs authorities to resume the import of humanitarian aid. We understand that this is a general approval and would allow us to resume deliveries for the rest of the year but it is unclear whether a detailed inventory will have to be submitted with each load. Certain items are excluded from the permit, the most significant being coffee and tea!

Last month there was a substantial reduction in the quantity of aid being donated from the office. This category of donations includes clothing, food, household goods and certain medical items. This reduction reflects a shortage of clothing suitable for the summer season and the easier availability of food in the local markets. However, we have continued to be busy, with distributing other items such as mobility aids, home improvement items like doors, paint and furniture, and produce from our own cultivated land.

Our land at the warehouse and at Casa Neemia looks set to produce good crops again this year, thanks to the warm winter and wet spring. We have already harvested some vegetables and fruit, and some residents at Casa Neemia have been busily involved in this.

We used this relatively quiet period to have some refurbishment work done on the van, including bodywork, suspension and a new coat of paint. It really does look very smart (the pictures below were taken before the refurbishment) and we are grateful to those who undertook this work at a very charitable cost.

This month’s featured photos

• Working the land
• Fruit and vegetables
• The AN van

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, June 2021

The Horley team has assembled the next load. We hope that it will leave Billingshurst in June, once the documentation is complete. We await anxiously permission to continue packing and sorting at Horley Baptist Church on Friday afternoons. In south Wales, some 500 boxes are awaiting the outcome of the first load; hopefully this will clarify any need for repacking or relabelling them. Both teams have many helpers and donors wishing to unload their homes of accumulated items, and we look forward to re-establishing our collecting and packing activities.

In Dorohoi, AN has completed the compilation of the documents for the load from Billingshurst, and has submitted them to the customs authorities in Iasi. We are waiting for feedback and approvals, and then we can convey the authorisation to the Horley team. The experience of this first delivery under the new arrangements will help to determine how to move forward with future consignments.

We have been able to continue with our help for local people within the terms of the relevant restrictions, albeit at a reduced overall level compared with previous years due, in part, to declining stocks of suitable items. Despite this, we were able to help 142 families last month. We received some cash sponsorship, which was used to provide food for the most needy, and also some goods in kind from other organisations, which also helped to provide a level of donations that might not otherwise have been possible. The Romanian government is planning to lift most restrictions during June, but we cannot anticipate a return to the previous levels of activity just yet.

In common with the rest of the ‘block’, our office has received a facelift comprising new insulation and a coat of fresh paint. This expenditure was effectively ‘non-optional’ but we were able to continue operations throughout the period of the works and it did help the contractors to keep working!

Residents at Casa Neemia have continued to help with the preparations for this year’s crops and the maintenance of the grounds at the warehouse. This has the benefits of keeping them occupied, training them in useful work and improving their prospects for future employment. Finally, they get to eat the fruits of their efforts.

In another area of Romania, RoAF has given a final donation to ‘ASPA One Life’ in Arad to help with renovations to the new ambulance station they have in Vladimirescu.

This month’s featured photos

• Food and furniture
• Office renovations
• Training the gardeners

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

The need to comply with social distancing and health protection measures means that the preparation of our news updates has been affected; in particular in the number of photos that we can take and in keeping up-to-date with our donation statistics. Normal service with be resumed – but when?

In the UK, work has continued on re-configuring the existing stocks of aid in accordance with the new labelling regulations. This is a time-consuming task and we are still unable to accept any further donations just yet. Our public packing sessions are still suspended and other donations must be by prior agreement only.

The warehouse in south Wales is filling up mainly due to the transfer of materials kept in domestic garages during the winter. The structure itself remains a hazard due to the falling plasterboard lining of the ceiling which threatens to fall on the boxes stored underneath. The dampness has temporarily gone because of the dry weather though it is only a matter of time before it returns. We really do need an alternative storage facility that is affordable, dry and secure.

A small team has been at Billingshurst over the last 3 or 4 weeks, re-checking all the boxes, bags etc of goods. They have made good progress, weighing and labelling them. There are still some items in Horley which need to be transferred to Billingshurst and then there is the task of numbering and weighing the furniture that remained after last year’s loads. Nevertheless, the team is close to sending a final manifest to Dorohoi for evaluation and finalising so that they can load and send the first lorry of the post Brexit era! This first lorry will be somewhat of a test of new procedures; the ‘fallout’ from Brexit may yet have far-reaching consequences.

AN’s review of activities during 2020 is now available on our website. It gives an overview of our various types of activity during the past year, in terms of the types of help offered and the numbers of people helped. In summary, over 900 households were helped during the year, in addition to the services. There is a link to the document in the menu on the left – but finish reading here first!

April 2021 has been officially recorded as one of the coolest Aprils in recent years. It has also been relatively dry. Now we await the warm wet spring that would kick off the growing season but the forecasters suggest that we will switch directly into a hot summer. The residents at Casa Neemia have been preparing the grounds and planting outdoor crops such as the potatoes and vegetables that will form a staple of their diet later in the year. The cooler weather has delayed the start of our polytunnel season so there is now some catching up to do.

At our warehouse, too, the grounds have been spruced up with the help of Casa Neemia residents, most of whom are happy to be involved in the wider range of AN activities. A neighbouring farmer usually prepares the land at the warehouse for us; ploughing, disking, seeding, etc but these activities have been a little later this year. We intend to plant another crop of maize there once the farmer has prepared his own land.

The stocks of clothing at the warehouse are starting to dwindle. With the change of season we also need to change the type of clothing that we offer. It is a blessing that the supply of winter clothing has lasted well but summer clothing is running short. We appreciate the endeavours that the teams in the UK are making to prepare new loads and address the uncertainties of transport.

Once again we want to express our thanks to all those who have contributed to our aid activities, and we look forward to being able to continue to help those in need in this oft-neglected area of Romania.

This month’s featured photos

• Sponsored food donations
• Working the grounds at Casa Neemia
• Animal, Vegetable and Mineral

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, April 2021

The need to comply with social distancing and health protection measures means that the preparation of our news updates has been adversely affected; in particular in the number of photos that we can take and in keeping up-to-date with our donation statistics. Normal service with be resumed – but when?

In the UK, work has started on reassembling the pallets of aid in accordance with the new labeling regulations. This is a time-consuming task and we are still unable to accept any further donations just yet. Our public packing sessions are still suspended and other donations must be by prior agreement only.

Our finance team has successfully completed the annual accounts for 2020 and they have been submitted to the Charity Commissioner. You should be able to source these on line by ‘find a charity’ on the gov.uk website using our charity number 1060828 (link). We benefited from two previous legacies which helped to support our work in Romania and, of course, we are grateful to those who have continued to support our activities during what has been a difficult year for many people.

In northeast Romania the late, hopefully last, vestiges of winter continue to delay the start of the Spring proper but preparations for the planting season are underway. However, for those with livestock, the season of new birth has begun, especially for the smaller animals. Fowl are laying again and new kids (four-legged ones) are arriving.

We continue to receive requests for help and we continue to help with the resources that we still have. During March we gave out nearly 1.5 tonnes of clothing, bedding and similar items, plus two dozen chairs and other furniture. The range of goods available is slowly being depleted but we trust that transport restrictions will be resolved so that our stocks can be replenished in due course.

We were able to distribute nearly two tonnes of assorted foodstuffs. The food came from local sources such as other organisations as well as from our own crops. We did receive some cash donations which allowed us to purchase some food locally. In all, the donations of food and goods during March were worth about £2,000.

The residents at Casa Neemia have continued to benefit from the preserved fruit and vegetables set aside last year. We hope to be able to repeat this success this year, using both the gardens at Casa Neemia for small crops and the larger plot at the warehouse for cereals.

The shop continues to cover its operating costs but there is very little surplus and cash donations still have to be tightly controlled.

This month’s featured photos

• Repacking pallets for transport
• A season for new life
• Home-grown produce

Photo Gallery: Click on any of the photos for enlargements, more details or similar photos.

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, March 2021

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

As has been the case in the previous couple of years in the Dorohoi area, a relatively mild and benign January has been followed by a capricious February. Blizzards, high winds and temperatures of -15C tend to hide the green shoots that are harbingers of Spring. Similarly, the disruptions and challenges of both COVID and Brexit have tended to mask the small steps that we are able to make towards helping those in need.

Nevertheless, we have continued to provide those in need with clothing from stocks retained for the winter and some food purchased locally thanks to the receipt of funds for this purpose. We have also been able to provide some furniture, much of which had been passed onto us as surplus to another organisation’s requirements. There are still constraints on person-to-person contact but donations can still be made via the office or direct delivery to people at home. These working conditions can become tedious and tiring for our team but they have continued to work with enthusiasm. Masks and disinfectant are still necessary but this is not entirely a bad thing; certainly it has encouraged a level of hygiene which may have been unfamiliar to some of our visitors previously!

In due course, the opportunities for employment in construction and agriculture will return, allowing some people to obtain an income or start to grow food again. The warmer weather will also reduce the number of calls for help with fuel bills and requests for firewood.

AN has received the first stage of official approval to continue to receive goods from the UK on a charitable basis, but each load will require further documents and approval. This is basically a return to a situation similar to that before Romania joined the EU in 2007, but simplified a little by the introduction of electronic communications. We trust that it will work well in practice. In the UK, RoAF has obtained the necessary registration for exporting goods but each load will require further documentation, and a higher degree of coordination between the various groups preparing the goods will be necessary. We have two further centres for collection of aid for Dorohoi in Swansea and Lampeter. Both these will have to have the same documentation when loading their lorries and use the RoAF EORI registration. The way the aid is packed and documented will need to be the same for all three centres from now on.

The Horley team does not anticipate resuming collections, packing and sorting until later in the year. However a lot of work is being done toward preparing the goods that we have already, including weighing and marking the hundreds of boxes which did not leave before January 1st. After our next lorry, which we hope to send by June 2021, we will be more certain that our packing method and documents are good. However, it seems likely that the diversity of goods in each load may have to be limited. We have to emphasize that we cannot accept any more items until we have clarified the process of preparing the new paperwork.

In south Wales, where the regulations differ from those in England, operations have not returned to their previous levels but we endeavour to maintain a near-normal service within the rules of Covid. More materials are arriving but the condition of the warehouse is a cause for concern; hopefully it will dry out now the winter is passing.

As part of our tithing of RoAF’s resources, we have been able to help a medical initiative in Arad. ASPA One Life works with the established services to provide emergency responses, first-aid and health education. See the Facebook page under the title of ‘ASPA One Life’ for information from that charity.

This month’s featured photos

• family box
• classroom furniture
• food and clothing

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Photo Gallery: Click on any of the photos for enlargements, more details or similar photos.


The need to comply with social distancing and health protection measures means that the preparation of our news updates has been adversely affected; in particular in the number of photos that we can take and in keeping up-to-date with our donation statistics. Normal service with be resumed – but when?

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, February 2021

In the UK, ongoing restrictions mean that we are not yet able to resume activities such as collections and packing in Horley. This also means that we cannot resume warehouse activities in Billingshurst. Activities in south Wales are similarly subject to local restrictions. We are actively working through the necessary export procedures in anticipation of sending a lorry after Easter but it is likely that the range of items will be more limited than before. We have withdrawn our previous list of priority items and will compile a new one once there is more clarity over what can be accepted.

In most years January is not a particularly news-worthy month. That does not mean that nothing happens but that the activities are largely part of our ordinary routines. There is little to be done on our various plots of land and no construction projects; the main activities are the donation of aid at the office and the distribution of firewood. We received a part-load which left the Isle of Man just before the end of last year and we still have stocks of clothing and other items which should be sufficient to allow us to continue helping the most needy until the transport situation becomes clearer. A very high proportion of households in this area need firewood for home heating and, in some cases, cooking. We have access to a limited supply of firewood and this is shared amongst the most needy families.

This year there has been the added complication of anti-virus measures to be observed. This has placed additional pressures on our staff, some of whom have been affected personally, and we are thankful that they have been able to adapt to the restrictions and continue to work with a positive attitude. We are encouraged, too, by the expressions of support from the UK.

A major preoccupation this month has been trying to find out the new procedures for the import of aid from the UK. This is new territory both for us and for many of the customs officers. In particular, we anticipate much greater scrutiny of what constitutes ‘aid’ items and the possibility that some items may be liable to import taxes.

This month’s featured photos

• sponsored boxes
• new boots
• firewood distribution

Photo Gallery: Click on any of the photos for enlargements, more details or similar photos.

The need to comply with social distancing and health protection measures means that the preparation of our news updates has been adversely affected; in particular in the number of photos that we can take and in keeping up-to-date with our donation statistics. Normal service with be resumed – but when?

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, January 2021

The need to comply with social distancing and health protection measures means that the preparation of our news updates has been adversely affected; in particular in the number of photos that we can take and in keeping up-to-date with our donation statistics. Normal service with be resumed – but when?

Current restrictions mean that we will not be able to resume person-to-person activities in Horley and Billingshurst such as collections and packing whilst they are in force. This also means that we cannot resume warehouse activities in Billingshurst. Restarting later in February will be dependent upon restrictions in force at that time.
Activities in south Wales are similarly subject to local restrictions.
Click here for the current UK news.

2020 may have gone but its effects will continue to be felt for some time to come. Many people doing “non-essential” jobs have found their income has shrunk dramatically but at the same time there have been some very significant rises in the cost of living.

Despite the difficulties, the AN team has continued to function and has provided help to needy people in this area. In 2020 as a whole, we made some 3,200 donations of clothing and other goods to 950 separate households. These donations had a total UK equivalent value of £56,000. These donations have included a variety of primarily food items which have been obtained locally. These opportunities for co-operation with other local organisations have meant that we have not been wholly dependent upon deliveries from the UK.

Financial assistance has continued but on a very limited scale as the income from the shop is also very low and we can help only the most deserving of cases. Extra sponsorship from the UK has been received for specific families and for general expenditure, and we are very grateful for this help.

This month’s featured photos

• A gift of happiness
• A gift of essentials
• A gift of warmth
• Christmas gifts

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Photo Gallery: Click on any of the photos for enlargements, more details or similar photos.

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, December 2020