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Our thanks to Salim and his staff at the new local Indian Restaurant, Shehnai who hosted a mouth watering Curry Night for Wheels for the World on Monday 23rd June  raising £781. Salim had very generously offered to host the event after being contacted to donate a ‘voucher’ for Village Day!
Many of us enjoyed the friendly service, vibrant atmosphere, delicious food and great company. Gillian Russell, one of the Ashtead Churches Representatives, gave a moving and informative talk about the need for wheelchairs in developing countries. Gillian also explained about Ashtead’s new fundraising project to raise £2,000 for the workshop at Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight where British prisoners renovate old NHS wheelchairs.
 The need for this funding has arisen because very sadly the Inside Out Trust, which set up and ran the workshop, went into liquidation last year. Since then ‘Wheels’ had to completely take over all the expenses involved. It has been estimated that the cost of running the workshop is a WHOPPING £1,000 a MONTH!! The government pays each prisoner £12 a week but the £1,000 includes buying new puncture proof tyres and chunky castors, and longer footplates for each wheelchair, more suitable for rough terrain in developing countries.
 The event was such a success that we aim to repeat it – hopefully in early 2009. Alaisdair and Jenny Wallace, who helped to organise the event commented “We are so pleased by the wonderful support and generosity from those who came and Gillian and Karen’s enthusiasm is an inspiration to us all to support this brilliant charity. We look forward to helping with the next curry supper”.
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