(older stories can be viewed in the news archive)

New Chrysalis Centre Opens for Business

For some time now our Chrysalis programme of holidays for the learning disabled has been increasingly popular. Holidays have been based mainly at Bryn Arfor, our house on Angelsey, although we have been able to offer visits to other destinations, including some in Europe. We are delighted to have many repeat bookings, but this has highlighted the need for a second centre within the UK in order to offer guests a different environment.

Several possibilities were explored, the main requirements being a property in a suitable holiday location within a reasonable distance from the North West, from which most guests come.

Finally, our search led us to Cayton Bay Lodge, outside Scarborough, a former convent which we now rent from the Roman Catholic church, also undertaking responsibility for its renovation and maintenance.

Chrysalis holidays took possession of the Lodge in January, 2010, and immediately set about the task of refurbishing it and adapting it for the needs of guests with learning, and sometimes also physical, disabilities. Volunteers, including Epiphany Trust supporters and members of churches local to our Newton-le-Willows office, gave of their time, labour and skills, and Stephen Collins, of Lazarus Solutions, gave advice on adaptation of the premises for the disabled.

Cayton Bay Lodge welcomed its first guests in late March 2010, ready on schedule although some redecoration and upgrading is ongoing.
A range of holidays will operate throughout 2010, including “Glitz and Glamour”, “Adventure Week” and “Expression through Dance”, as well as Special Care Breaks which offer 1-to-1 staffing for those guests with more complex needs.

Epiphany's half-way house opens in Sinaia

"The Arc", designed to provide a 'half-way' step for orphans leaving institutionalised care and entering the wider world. Construction is complete and the first residents have arrived. Click here to read more.

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MTCE & Child Action join forces

In order to maximize the effectiveness of both our Burma projects and the work of Metta Trust for Children's Education in the refugee camp schools on the Thai/Burma border, MTCE's projects have come under the umbrella of Child Action International. For more information see our Burma section.

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Office Relocation

Due to the continued expansion of Epiphany projects, our charity has outgrown it's home at the Winwick Lane office. New premises had been sought for a number of months and a wonderful new location has been found in the shape of a former presbytery in Newton-Le-Willows.

Over the past year the number of employees and volunteers working for the Trust has nearly doubled, a testimony to our increasing effectiveness and scope. The growth of projects in Sri Lanka, Burma and the ever-expanding Chrysalis programme here in the UK made the move essential.

Just 3 miles away from the old office, the new premises provide plenty of space in an easily accessible location. The capacity for further expansion and the fact that it comes at a very reasonable rent are a couple of reasons why this move is so encouraging for the future.

Many thanks to all who have backed our work. This progressive step has only been possible through your unwavering support.

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The Tsunami Appeal

After the disaster in South-East Asia on Boxing Day, the Epiphany Trust launched an immediate appeal to help the people of Sri Lanka. A letter went out in the publication of the latest newsletter "Epiphany News". We have had an overwhelming response and would like to thank all of our supporters for their generosity.

Epiphany director Bill and administrator Micah Hampson travelled to Sri Lanka to assess how the influx of donations can most wisely be spent to ease suffering and set up long term support. Numerous projects have resulted from the visit and are detailed within the Child Action International section.

Click here to read more.

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Freed from Exploitation

The first major victory has been won in Epiphany’s quest to free children from the bonded slave labour of the Pakistan brickyards. In June 2005, the Lahore law firm - CLAAS, aided by funds from the Trust, succeeding in releasing hundreds of youngsters from 11 of these exploitative businesses.

Thousands of children in Pakistan are forced to work in bonded labour brickyards in order to pay for ancient family debts that have been passed down through the generations. Many youngsters are forced to sacrifice their education, social life and paid employment to work in horrific and un-legislated conditions.

In the early hours of Monday 13^th June, a group of lawyers, assisted by local police, raided a large number of brick kilns around Lahore. Legal notices were issued to owners and managers at the site and the children were transported back to the CLAAS city office. The huge crowd made it’s way to Lahore High Court the following morning and were witness to swift justice. Within a week from the case being opened, CLAAS had won the liberty and independence of 316 young labourers and 14 injunctions were brought and upheld against employers. Laws have also been pushed through in an attempt to raise the pitiful wages earned by those still trapped inside the trade.

Hopefully recent events will act as a catalyst to bringing down this barbaric business, and there are signs that this is the case. Since this landmark hearing, the CLAAS office has been inundated with dozens of cases of brick kiln exploitation around the area. The new strain that this has brought on time and resources can only be seen as a positive sign of success. People have been given a new hope that their freedom is imminent.

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Real Just Juice

The Epiphany Trust has traditionally focused on giving grants to those in extreme need. While this is still essential, increasingly we are seeking ways to help poorer people to help themselves. For this reason we have tied up with JP Fairtrade Juices who have recently launched a new pure orange drink which gives third world producers in Brazil and Cuba fair wages and ourselves a charitable donation for each bottle sold.

J.P. Fairtrade recently visited Cuba to verify employment practices in the chosen co-operative farms, and were delighted with what they found. With the extra funds generated from paying a decent wage, new houses, canteens, workshops and other facilities are being built to make life easier in a country where the typical agricultural wage is $15 per month.

In a country like Cuba fair trade also empowers local Christian communities which have for years been persecuted by the Communist regime. While worship is now freely tolerated, religious education, charitable projects and other expressions of faith are treated by the state with immense suspicion.

Due to the sunshine, the good soil and the quality of the cultivation, JP orange juice is of very good quality with a distinctive 'Florida-style' taste. What's more is that it will not leave a nasty ethical taste in the back of your mouth like some exploitatively produced juices. This is the real just juice!

JP Juice is selling well in a variety of outlets in a 500ml bottle and 200 ml Carton.

Small deliveries can be made through distributors in the North West, West Yorkshire and London at present.

You can now join the campaign! Your school, workplace, parish fairtrade stall, catering outlet or Deanery could make a real difference by buying juice that you needed to buy anyway. In the above areas it is possible to organize a delivery of a minimum of 5 cases. (500 ML =12 bottles per case, 200ml =27 cartons per case). Contact us at the Epiphany office to find out how to order juice which helps workers in the third world and children all over the world.

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Life After Death

In the autumn of 1967, the British Parliament decided to enact legislation permitting legal abortion. LIFE after Death, written by David Alton, examines the true cost of laws which are heralded as ushering in the liberation of women and which promised progress and social justice.

Details of how to purchase it can be found by contacting the Epiphany Trust.

Sponsors

One of the Trust’s patrons has sponsored a copy of “Life After Death” to 200 libraries in north-west schools. New Malden SPUC have placed 20 copies in the school libraries in their area.

“Life After Death- towards a New Pro-life Culture” by David Alton is a tremendous resource for schools, especially now that, as part of the national curriculum, both pro-life and pro-choice arguments to the abortion issue must be made. For around £5 per copy the Trust feels it is money well spent and we are hoping more sponsors will come forward to help us get into as many libraries as possible. If you haven’t yet got your own copy of this excellent book you can by writing to the Trust office. The cost is £6.95 including postage and packing.

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Gap Year

Epiphany Trust now offers opportunities for people who want to combine travel with worthwhile voluntary work. We seek in particular to serve the needs of disabled or disadvantaged children and adults. Some of the places you can travel to, visit and work include Romania, Kosovo, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and of course North Wales.

If you want to give orphaned children from Romania a holiday, pack a container of charity goods in Hong Kong or visit the top long haul holiday destination of Sri Lanka and its nearby neighbours the Maldives, whilst giving a helping hand to worthwhile causes then Epiphany’s Gap Year could be the thing for you. Trips can be anything from two weeks to a year.

For more information please contact the office or email gill@epiphany.org.uk

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Jessy

The proclaimed “King of Gospel”, and Child Action International patron, Jessy Dixon completed his most comprehensive European tour in support of our organisation. Through June and the first half of July, the Reverend from Chicago completed a 20-date schedule around the UK, Ireland, Norway, Romania and the Faroe Islands.

For the past decade, Jessy has impressed packed churches and concert halls with his unique blend of Contemporary, Southern, and Traditional Gospel. And this summer’s tour proved no different. Highlights included joining a 140-strong choir in the Faroes in front of 2% of the entire Island population, and performing for 3000 people through two concerts in Cluj and Timisoara, Romania. The atmosphere in these places was incredible, Jessy was overwhelmed by the response. Speaking to the packed Timisoara church (and hundreds gathered outside) he said “even after performing thousands of concerts around the world, I have never seen so many young people so happy to be praising the Lord.” Jessy also took the opportunity to sing an open-air set within the Caminula Felix orphanage in Oradea. Seeing the excitement and gratitude on the faces of these children was maybe the most satisfying product of the tour.

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