MONEY WELL SPENT: WHERE THE SWIMARATHON ‘08 PROCEEDS WENT

 
The Dyslexia Day Centre is proudly showing off its new kitchen and upgraded facility thanks to the money it received from last year’s Swimarathon.
Teresa O’Hara has given Tim Falla, The Lions Club, and Stuart Moseley, Past President of the Round Table, a tour of the centre which has benefitted from a brand new kitchen, blinds and carpets to brighten it up since last year.
The facility, which is based at the KGV playing fields, provides an invaluable service for young people and adults who live with dyslexia offering in-school support, after school teaching and, thanks to the upgraded facility, courses for secondary school teachers who work with children with dyslexia in their classes.
“There was just no way we could have run courses for teachers here before we received the donation,” said Teresa O’Hara, Founder of the Dyslexia Day Centre.
“All of our fundraising, donations and grants needed to be spent on the day to day running of the centre – supporting our students and enabling our teachers to work out in the schools. There was nothing left over to upgrade the actual building.
“We had been using a make-shift kitchen for 22 years in what used to be the changing rooms and when we heard that we would be receiving a donation from the Swimarathon we immediately knew where it would be spent. The new kitchen is fantastic and we are now able to run courses for teachers here which we never would have been able to do beforehand.”
With the funds left over, Theresa was able to purchase new blinds and carpets for the centre which have helped to give the whole place a lift.
“We are delighted to see the new and improved centre,” said Stuart Moseley of the Guernsey Round Table.
“The difference is incredible. It has been given a much needed boost and I can see that the funds raised by the Swimarathon swimmers last year has been really appreciated. The staff at the centre do an excellent job for our community to the benefit of a wide number of people,” he said.
This year’s beneficiary is the Guernsey Cheshire Home and Tim Falla of the Lions Club is hoping to see even larger sums of money raised by the swimmers at this year’s event.
“It is clear that the money raised by the Swimarathon makes a real difference to people who work very hard behind the scenes in Guernsey. I encourage anyone thinking about entering the Sure Swimarathon to do so before it is too late and to raise as much money as possible for this year’s beneficiary, the Guernsey Cheshire Home,” he said.
The Sure Swimarathon takes place from 9th to 11th October 2009 and entry forms are available from Beau Sejour, Sure’s shop in the High Street and Cable & Wireless offices in Upland Road and at Centenary House. Further information and entry forms are also available from www.swimarathon.org.