Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In July 2010, over 400 people from across the world with varying levels of disability will be coming to Britain to take part in the 27th International Disabled Holiday Camp. It is being run by the Order of Malta Volunteers, a charity that I have been a member of for almost 15 years.

In the past I have organised the major fundraising ball in London, helped on the annual trip to Lourdes and worked with children from underprivileged areas of the UK. 

Every year the camp provides disabled guests and their helpers from over 20 countries with the opportunity to share a holiday and to experience the culture and hospitality of a different nation together with like-minded people. Now, for the first time, the International Holiday Camp will be held in Britain and we are hoping to make it spectacular.

I am a member of the organising committee and I am in charge of the media and IT.  For many of our disabled guests, computers and the internet gives them the opportunity to interact with friends and the world in a way that just a few years ago would not have been possible.

We are going to make a DAILY FILM that will be shown in the disco every night.  Put together a NEWSPAPER with pictures and articles from the day and use the WEBSITE to chronicle the day’s events.  My aim is to get as many of our guests as possible involved in those activities.

To do that we have an INTERNET CAFE, complete with assistive technology that I hope to make the hub of the camp when we are on site.  I will be organising events to teach our guests how to set up accounts on social networking sites with the right level of security; how to create a website or make the internet work for them.  I hope to show them how they can use digital cameras to capture a moment and make it part of the newspaper or get in on a website, in short, I hope to help them make the most of what the web has to offer.

I have managed to get most of these services for free, apart from the printing of the newspaper, so I am asking you all to help me meet the £4000 printing costs.  One guest, who has been going to the camp for 9 years, has every paper from every camp he has been to and I am sure he isn’t alone.  These are just one of the momentos of a very special week…

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. 

Have a look at the website www.maltacamp2010.org.uk to learn more about the camp and keep an eye out for photos and videos posted by guests come July.  It already has news of the many ways we have been fundraising to make this camp a reality.

Any support you can give is fantastic; you won't be disappointed with the result your donation will make.

Many thanks,

Gilly