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We are deeply touched with your generosity. We have stoped collecting Aids but Stationery, medical supplies, toiltres and children items would be ok in the future for our orphanage project to look after orphaned children. We are not accepting anything at the moment. Cash donations are highly appreciated for the orphanage project. Unfortunately we cannot accept any other items at this time. Thank you for all the items already donated. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity.

Child Sponsorship & Orphanage Project

Page 1 of 3 As a result of the Tsunami disaster last year there are now many orphaned children in Sri Lanka who desperately need our help. Please help us to help these children. By donating £5 a month you can sponsor a needy child, to ensure they receive food, shelter, clothing and medical treatment. Whatever contribution you wish to donate will be greatly received - 100% of all your donations will be used to provide care for the children. PLEASE NOTE WE ARE NO LONGER CONNECTED WITH SLSCO-FLAME. If you wish to send a donation by cheque please make the cheque out to: Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya, Child Sponsorship & Orphanage Project and send it to: Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya, 69 Pix Road, Letchworth, Hertfordshire SG6 1PZ - thank you. Our Aims Child Sponsoring Project To initially sponsor 500 children, island wide, who have been directly affected by the Tsunami disaster. Orphanage Project Purchase of Land - we urgently require funds to build an orphanage. We are very pleased to announce that we have raised £28,000 so far towards the purchase of a two acre plot of land (estimated cost to be in the region of £32000) - and our intention is to travel out to Sri Lanka within the coming weeks to secure the purchase. Phase 1 - Short term Our IMMEDIATE aims are to raise funds - estimated cost £60000 to construct a large building to house and care for the needs of 100 children, of all ages, from all religious backgrounds. Phase 2 - Long term Will see the development of a fully equipped school, along with out-buildings and a stand-alone accommodation block for staff/teachers/care workers/ volunteers, and relatives of the children too. The children will receive an academic education, recognising all religions together with an Education in Human Values programme based on Love, Peace, Truth, Right Conduct and Non Violence; the children will develop into well adjusted individuals who will be able to reach their own informed decisions in life. Practical skills This will also be a vital part of the school curriculum, such as woodwork, fabric printing, hairdressing to name but a few… (especially for children who prefer a 'hands-on' trade) thus allowing the child a sound base when leaving the orphanage at 18 years of age. Volunteers Programme Whether it be long or short term we need volunteers such as builders, electricians, painters, carpenters, teachers, cooks, care workers, administrative staff etc - if you feel you have a skill to offer then please contact us - we are waiting to hear from you. Schools Programme - Children Helping Children We would like to involve local schools, their staff and children in our efforts to help the orphaned children of Sri Lanka. By fund raising, sponsorship and other school and community based activities we aim to forge links between the children of both countries. Through these links we hope to foster a shared experience of learning, understanding and mutual respect. Please help us to help the children - whatever donation you wish to offer will be most gratefully received - help us to provide long term security within a loving, and stable environment for these Orphaned children. For a Child Sponsorship or Gift Aid form please contact one of the below Committee Members Rev. Akurala Samitha Head of the Centre/President 01462 641 688 Miss Marilyn Fleischmann Project Manager/Secretary 01279 662782 / 01279 771024 Thank you for helping the Orphaned Children of Sri Lanka. Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya International Centre (LDNIC) – Tsunami Appeal – Children’s Orphanage Project On behalf of Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya International Buddhist Centre, and all the Members of the registered charity Children's Educational and Cultural Foundation (CECF), registered charity number 1113225, we would like to take this opportunity to advise you on our progress up to-date regarding the Tsunami Projects. We are in a very serious situation with the charity SLSCO-FLAME as it seems that they try to mislead everyone who support our projects, instead of finalizing the failed appeal and transfering the projects to us to initiate your commitments with us. Our supporters who are in our data base have complained us that they have received annonymous letters and misleading phone calls. Recently the Charity SLSCO-FLAME has sent very misleading leaflets to the same people distorting the authenticity of our projects and encouraging our supporters to get on with one of their projects. We feel and admit that this is a real insult to our supporters who are desperately waiting to see the launch of these projects. We are taking action against this situation and are waiting to receive a reply from the charity SLSCO-FLAME. We very kindly remind all our supporters to be with us until this is solved. In the mean time PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH THE MISLEADING INFORMATION YOU RECEIVE FROM THE CHARITY SLSCO-FLAME AND LATHA GUNATUNGA with reference to our projects. We are no longer working with neither Latha Gunatunga nor SLSCO-FLAME. We advise you accordingly with the misleading complaints we received. All our responsible people with the Tsunami projects stopped their connections with SLSCO-FLAME soon after their last AGM on 26th March 2006 with the expectation that LDNIBC and CECF will receive the projects soon. We have been holding our projects and all the administrative activities in Sri Lanka until we get the projects money on to us. UK Charity Commission is working with this. Everything is now ready in Sri Lanka to launch the projects. We can't do anything until we receive the authorisation from UK Charity Commission. We believer SLSCO-FLAME is obstructing deliberately for the smooth delivery of the approval. Therefore can we kindly remind you to be aware about the situation and help us to get this in the right direction. PLEASE READ THE PROJECTS REPORT AND YOU WILL REALISE MORE ABOUT THIS DIRE SITUATION. WE SINCERELY APOLOGISE FOR THE SAD SITUATION THAT YOU HAD TO EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR GENEROCITY DUE TO THIS SLSCO-FLAME SITUATION. HOWEVER WE MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP OUR PROMISES. FINALLY, may we take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya International Buddhist Centre and from everyone at CECF for the continued support we have been given over the recent months. It is very much appreciated. Annual Projects Report - 2005 Child Sponsorship Project & Child & Youth Centre Project After the Tsunami disaster Rev. Samitha sincerely traumatized as his family and native people were severely affected from the disaster. As the head of the Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya International Buddhist Centre he organized a relief Aid Campaign soon after the disaster under three categories. (Press Release Report – Comet paper - Front page - December 30th 2004 / Hertfordshire on Sunday – January 2nd 2005 - Page 3) Three Objectives of the Emergency Humanitarian Relief Aid Campaign 1) Emergency aid relief operation project to send humanitarian aids to affected areas in Sri Lanka. 2) Short-term re-building and repairing houses. 3) Long- term project sponsoring 500 orphaned children Island wide initially and building an orphanage for 100 children. Subsequently he organised all the members of the congregation as well as new volunteers to administer the activities under the guidance of Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya Buddhist Centre. Miss M Fleischmann invited Rev Samitha for a press call at Stansted Airport on 5th January 2005. At this meeting Rev Samitha encouraged people to support especially the third objective of the campaign. Miss M Fleischmann showed her interest by contributing to that with life long commitment and Rev Samitha offered her the responsibility of undertaking the campaign which she duly agreed as Rev Samitha was completely overwhelmed with all other activities. As the founders of the projects Rev. Samitha together with M gave a television interview at Stansted Airport on Anglia television to announce the formation of the ‘Children’s Orphanage Project’ and the ‘Child Sponsorship Project’. Prior to the television interview it was agreed that M Fleischmann would become the Project Manager. Both Rev. Samitha, M and Damitha – (student doctor from Cambridge University – who was to become our treasurer) went for lunch at the terminal restaurant to discuss further the aims and objectives of especially the child sponsoring project and the children’s orphanage project as long-term on-going projects. Rev. Samitha asked M to produce a business case on both projects after explaining all his objectives that should be met and we agreed to hold further meetings at the Buddhist Centre in Letchworth at regular intervals. Business Case for Children’s Orphanage Project 1). Purchase land (estimated cost of £32,000) for 2 acres in which to build an orphanage 2). Phase 1 (short term) – raise £60,000 to construct a large building to house and care for the needs of 100 children of all ages from all religious backgrounds 3). Phase 2 (long term) Develop a fully equipped school along with out-buildings and a stand-alone accommodation block for staff/teachers/ care workers and volunteers and relatives too. 4). The children will receive an academic education, recognising all religious orders together with Education in Human Values programme. The children will also receive vocational training to allow them to earn their own income when they reach the age of 18. 5). Volunteers Programme – volunteers required to travel out to Sri Lanka to assist with the construction of the building/project. 6). Schools Programme (UK) in which local schools will be allowed to ‘link’ with children at the orphanage. Child Sponsorship 1) Aims to sponsor 500 children island wide 2) £5 per month payable from the donor 3) Children from the orphanage would naturally be sponsored along with other affected Tsunami children Rev Samitha was most successful in encouraging over 300 volunteers from the local community of all the denominations in offering their services and working together with one vision in mind to achieve a tremendous successful outcome. He formed the following Relief Aid Steering Committee. (Full press report on Newslanka – January 27th 2005 pages 18 & 19) President: Mr. Manohar Suman Secretary: Mrs Latha Gunatunga Assistant Secretaries: Mrs Cheryl Green & Miss Kumu Chandaratne Project Managers: Miss Merilyne Fleischmann & Mr Damitha Abeyaratne Accountants: Miss Anushika Lakshine Indraratne & Mrs Bina Parmar Relief Operation Co-Ordinators: Mrs Vicky Ruggiero, Mrs Josheila Suman, Mrs Teresa Loveday, Dr Mallika Samaraweera, Mrs Rathnawali Dep, Dr Sumudu Gunatunga, Ms Veronica Graham & Mrs Usha Santok Fund Raising Co-ordinators: Mr Rajesh Parmer, Miss Edwina Anne Smith, Mrs Karen Harringan, Ms Liz Marten, Mrs Tracy Duxbury, Mrs Monika & Mr Ruwan Peramunugamage Logistic Co-ordinators: Mrs Janet Tyndale, Mrs Caroline Greet Mr Paul Wilcox & Mr Paul Northover Public Relation Co-ordinators: Mrs Babara James Gillespie & Miss Fiona Maguire Network Co-ordinators: Mr David Janes & Mr Graham Nash North Hertfordshire Campaign Mr Rajesh Parmer and his fellow members and Miss Edwina Smith took the lead of organizing huge Street Collections at Baldock, Hitchin, Royston, Letchworth & Stevenage on the 8th and 15th of January 2005. (Press Report - Comet Paper - January 6th 2005 - pages 2 & 4 and also Comet Paper – January 13th 2005 pages 6-7 and also Hertfordshire On Sunday – January 16th 2005 - Front Page). Breakdown of the collection: Stevenage town Centre = £ 3190.00 Letchworth = £1218.00 Hitchin = £ 1138.00. Total collection was £ 5546. 00. Very especial thanks are given Mrs Josheila Suman for organising several successful public fundraising events with the help of her friends specifically for the Child & Youth Centre project and Child sponsorship project. Internet Mission – Creating a New Website Mr David Janes very kindly designed an excellent website for the temple and also for the projects. The website was released to the public on January 10th 2005. The website owns the domain names of “www.letchworthbuddhism.com” and “www.letchworthbuddhism.co.uk” Data Protection Cheryl Green sponsored the charity for the registration with Data Protection Authority in UK to secure the information of the general public. Registration received on February 8th 2005. Data Controller Name: Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya Registration Number: PZ892476X Support from Stansted Airport and the Local Community Stansted Airport Limited (BAA) gave M Fleischmann full support by allowing her to use their main airport post room as a store room for all the aid that was being collected from companies based on and around the airport. Stansted Airport Limited also allowed the use of their fleet vehicles for the collection of aid around the airport to be delivered to Enterprise House (post room). The airport Public Affairs office acting as an ‘Official’ voice for M Fleischmann (employee) to all the press and media. Public Affairs initiated a large number of newspaper and a radio interviews for her. M Fleischmann was allowed to appoint her own secretary/press officer – Barbara Gillespie who was given her own office and telephone use - all free of charge. Barbara worked daily with much enthusiasm sourcing as many outlets as possible for positive fundraising events and to inform the general public within the local communities of the projects that had been formed. She helped with organising and setting up meetings with major hotels and companies. That this personally extend our thanks and gratitude. M received £ 500.00 donation from BAA Charity Club. Mr Premadasan of Bishops Stortford donated £ 4000.00 through M’s contact. Followed by an official invitation to attend the Mayer of Bishop Stortford Garden Party, she was represented by Miss Kumu Chandraratne and Mrs Josheila Sumann. She duly received £ 1500.00 donation for both projects. M organised a successful Street Collection at Stansted Airport on February 19th & 20th 2005. (Breakdown: February 19th = £ 168.48 & February 20th = £ 347.87) M co-ordinated all the removal of humanitarian aid from the airport, such as Northside, London Stansted Hilton Hotel, Endeavour House, Police Station, Terminal Building, Kall-Kwik Centre in Bishops Stortford (acted as a drop-off centre for the local town) and local community projects and schools via trucks to Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya International Buddhist Centre Through the above exercises many valuable contacts were made and secured thus allowing a speedier amount of aid and money to be raised and in particular recognition and great thanks must be extended to Julia Gibson. Essex Co-ordination – Julia Gibson Julia Gibson contacted M Fleischmann and was most impressed with both projects and extended her consent to support long-term. Due to some adverse press reports she contacted Rev. Samitha before continuing to offer her support. After the meeting with Rev. Samitha at Letchworth she was given the assurance that no underhanded activities had taken place specifically on both projects and the Tsunami Humanitarian Relief Operations Project that which Rev Samitha was responsible for. Julia placed her trust on Rev. Samitha and extended her support and to-date she has raised the sum of £18,000 (rounded figure) by contacting the media and local communities on our behalf. Adverse Publicity of handing money in SLSCO-FLAME has detrimental affects on Projects The Buddhist Community Centre Letchworth (Registered Charity No 1088878) (32, High Avenue, Letchworth SG6 3QS) distributed notices on a specific issue, warning the public not to support us. This made a huge impact on all our activities as well as fund raising. A full report on all the adverse allegations were in the Hertfordshire On Sunday paper on January 30th 2005 page 3 / February 13th 2005 pages 4 & 7 / September 25th 2005 page7. A decision was made by the project committee, after receiving the false allegations to change the letter headed paper from Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya to SLSCO-FLAME because SLSCO-FLAME is a registered charity. As a consequence we lost a number of corporate funding bodies for the projects and also many individual supporters. Bank Accounts details With the conception of the projects, we established a separate bank account under the name of Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya for these projects to ensure the transparency and true auditing of the public money. Due to the adverse press publicity and oppressive allegations of Letchworth Buddhist Community Centre at 32 High Avenue, we consulted the UK Charities Commission. For the safety of the project money, the project committee decided to change the bank statues into the umbrella of SLSCO-FLAME on January 18th 2005. Details of the bank account: Account I Name of the Bank: Barclays Bank – Letchworth Brach- North Herts Group – 5/6, High Street Hitchin Herts SG5 1BJ Name of the Account: SLSCO-FLAME, Child Sponsorship & Orphanage Project Account No: 50087157 Sort Code: 20-41-12 Current balance: Child Sponsorship Project: £ 1785.00 Child & Youth Centre Project: £ 33 796.40p Account II Name of the Bank: Barclays Bank – Letchworth Brach- North Herts Group – 5/6, High Street Hitchin Herts SG5 1BJ Name of the Account: SLSCO-FLAME, Tsunami Appeal Account No: 40922323 Sort Code: 20-41-12 Current balance: £ Before Rev Samitha and the group travelled out to Sri Lanka, the project committee decided under the approval of SLSCO-FLAME to open up a bank account at HSBC bank. The reason for this is as HSBC bank is a local bank in Sri Lanka; Rev Samitha and M can open up an account in a Sri Lankan HSBC bank and this would make it much easier to transfer the funds to Sri Lanka from England. This would secure the correct control of funds being released to and from the trustees at either end. UK HSBC bank account details: Name of the Bank: HSBC Bank Ltd., Station Place, Letchworth Herts SG6 3AJ Name of the Account: SLSCO-FLAME, Child Sponsorship & Child & Youth Centre Project Account No: 71567675 Sort Code: 40-28-14 Current Balance: £ 9783.54p All these money is for Child & Youth Centre Project. During their stay in Sri Lanka Rev Samitha and M undertook all initiatives to setup a charity bank account with the HSBC bank in Colombo. Prior to our return to England this bank account is suspended awaiting operation. We intend to activate the charity account in the very near future via CECF charity. Media Support in the UK The Comet newspaper and Hertfordshire on Sunday gave their full support on numerous occasions especially publicising our projects in detail. Herts and Essex, Hertfordshire Mercury, Saffron Walden News, Harlow Herald, Dunmow Herald, Stansted News, Stansted Airwaves, Norfolk Independent newspapers all supported our projects and provided the local communities on the borders of Herfordshire and Essex with regular updates. BBC 3 County’s Radio, Charlton Radio, did several interviews with Rev. Samitha and Schools Co-ordinator Vicki Ruggiero Cakir and was very supportive for taking our objective into the local community. M Fleischmann gave a radio interview to Essex FM. BBC Look East television and Anglia television gave extra publicity to the projects. Mr Oliver Heald, Member of Parliament to North East Hertfordshire Whilst the operations were going on successfully day by day and being overwhelmed with volunteer support from the community the North East Hertfordshire Member of Parliament, Mr Oliver Heald, visited our Buddhist Centre on 7th January 2005, and was most impressed with the projects. (Full report is available on Comet Paper – January 13, 2005 Pages 6-7). He then went onto send a personal letter to Rev. Samitha stating that he has contacted the Council and Heritage Foundation for further help and also went on to make a public appeal on his website. Richard Howitt, Member of European Parliament On hearing the activities being carried out by Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya International Buddhist Centre, Mr Richard Howitt, Labour Member of the European Parliament for East of England visited our Centre on Friday the 21st January 2005. Rev. Samitha gave a full presentation with the help of all the volunteers and M Fleischmann gave a full presentation on the Child Sponsoring Project and the Children’s Orphanage Project. On behalf of Rev Samitha and the temple, M gave an official letter to the MEP outlining both projects and appealing for further support. Richard Howitt, contacted Rev. Samitha a few days later and offered his patronage to both projects; Child Sponsorship and Children’s Orphanage Project. (Press report on Comet Paper – January 27th 2005 page 9) Thanks giving Event Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya International Buddhist Centre organised a Thanksgiving ceremony together with SLSCO-FLAME which was held at The St. Paul’s Church Hall, Letchworth Garden City, to pay gratitude to all the volunteers; councillors, government officials, donor’s and all religious groups on 5th March 2005. At this event on behalf of M Fleischmann, Barbara Gillespie and Damitha Abeyrathna gave a full official presentation on both projects to all those present and especially including the Chairman, Cllr. Howard Marshall and the Vice Chairman, Cllr Linda Needham of North Herts District Council. Support of Sri Lanka High Commission to London Prior to the retirement of the position of the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to London, Mr Faisez Musthapha P.C. visited the centre on 22nd January 2005 and congratulated all the volunteers on their tremendous work. During the visit M Fleischmann gave a full presentation and handed over an official letter on behalf of the Projects to fully inform the High Commissioner, as to the objectives and aims of the projects, both in Sri Lankan and in England. Meeting with Newly Appointed Sri Lankan High Commissioner to London Rev. Samitha sent a full report concerning both projects to H. E Kshenuka Senewairatne on 4th March 2005 requesting her vital support to ensure the smooth delivery of humanitarian aids to Sri Lanka and specifically to both child sponsorship and orphanage projects. Her Excellency was well impressed with the contents of our projects and immediately wrote to the Chairman of National Child Protection Authority in Colombo, Sri Lankan, introducing Rev. Samitha (as the Head of the Centre) and M Fleischmann as the Project Manager and their pending visit on the 8th March 2005. She also requested the Chairman of National Child Protection Authority for his time and commitment in supporting our projects. She also sent a letter to the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Social Welfare requesting their possible facilitation in the smooth continuation of both projects in Sri Lanka. In her letter she especially recommended suitable land to be made available for this noble project. Her second recommendation stressed the Orphanage Project to be developed as a self sustained village with international education for the children by opening an institute for vocational training too for all the children and young people in our care. This would be a great blessing to the Sri Lankan community. Her Excellency also personally invited Rev. Samitha, and M Fleischmann, Project Manager to her private residence in London for a lunch meeting. Secretary, to SLSCO-FLAME, and to Letchworth Dhamma Nikethanaya, Mrs Latha Gunatunga also attended. << Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>

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