Hi, I'm George and this Summer I will be travelling to Cisnădioara, in Romania, to help run the Summer School at Little John's House, a program designed to benefit handicapped children who do not often receive the care they deserve.
Little John's House was set up 1993 as a home for a Ionut Balan (Little John), a Romanian child suffering from hydrocephalus who would otherwise have been housed in a state run institution and not have received the care he needed. Ionut tragically passed away in 1997 but Little John's House has continued, in his memory, to provide care to many other children with similar needs. There are currently 6 permanent residents as well as numerous others who are involved in the various outreach programs that are run by Little John's House to support other local handicapped children who do not receive the same support from Romania's public care systems as they might elsewhere in the world. Among these is the Summer School, which provides a safe, nurturing, and enjoyable environment for these children to thrive in throughout the Summer, helping them to connect with others and receive some of the care that can be so hard to find. They will enjoy lots of fun activities throughout the day, such as crafts and sports, and the experience will hopefully be really rewarding.
The Fundraiser
To help raise awareness and spread the word about the amazing work that Little John's does year round, I am planning a sponsored hike of the Speyside Way which I will complete in May of this year, a month before we leave for Romania. The Speyside way is the second of Scotland's 4 original Long Distance Routes and spans 126km along the River Spey, Scotland's third longest River. The trail features nearly 1600m of ascent, greater than the height of any mountain in the UK, and will undoubtedly feature widespread difficulties en route. I have challenged myself to complete the distance in 4 days, a timescale I feel will be achievable, but challenging, and in doing so I hope to get people interested in the incredible work done at Little John's House. I am also hoping to raise some money to help cover the costs of travel to reach it myself so that I can do my part to positively impact the children's lives.
I will be uploading photos and footage as soon as I begin the trek, as well as once I have reached Romania. In the meantime, any contribution that you could make towards the cause would be massively appreciated. Please feel free to contribute as much as you see fit, I look forward to being able to provide the most incredible Summer for the children of Little John's House!