I am volunteering with A Cry in the Dark (www.cryinthedark.org), a great charity who bring hope, change and support to children, young people and communities in Romania.

They provide:

• a home for orphans with special needs,

• programmes and projects within a Roma community,

• advocacy and care at their childrens hospice.

I will be visiting Cry in the Darks orphanage in Romania in May 2018, and I am raising funds to cover the cost of this trip. The money will be spent on flights (£350 - the nearest airport is way off the tourist trail and so there are no low cost flights available), other travel expenses (£75), food (£85), petrol (£25), accommodation (£80 - we will NOT be accommodated in a posh hotel 😞 but in the orphanage at a minimal cost to Cry in the Dark so most of this goes straight into their coffers😁), £50 goes towards the materials needed for a building project we will be undertaking, £10 for bread and fruit which we will be distributing and £25 for insurance. I have already raised some money through bake sales, guess the weight of the cake competitions and the kind generosity of family (thanks Granny and Grandad) and friends, and from this I have already donated £100 direct to A Cry in the Dark. If I am lucky enough to exceed my target, any excess will also go straight to the charity.

Although it looks as if A Cry in the Dark don't get very much of the amount I need to raise, they will benefit from much needed support throughout my visit. I will be providing hands on service for the youngsters in their care:

I will be planning and running activities for people aged 2 – 22 with life limiting illnesses and for young adults with a variety of mental disabilities.

I will be visiting and encouraging adults in a state run institute, and running activities for approximately 40 children in a Roma village where discipline can be difficult.

Finally, I will be rolling my sleeves up and taking part in a building project which will benefit the local community.

We may all feel a bit hard done by at times, but it is nothing compared to the challenges facing these children and young adults. Unlike the UK, there is very little government finance available to help anybody in need. They rely 100% on A Cry in the Dark and they on donations from people like you and support from volunteers like me.

This trip requires me to have many skills and will be teaching me new ones along the way, including:

• Confidence in public speaking

• Organisational skills

• A sense of responsibility

• A non-judgemental attitude to a diverse set of physical and emotional needs

• An ability to work as a team

• Enthusiasm

• A willingness to be creative

• A willingness to be flexible

I am expecting the trip to be really tough, and at the moment I have no idea how I will cope with the challenging and upsetting situations I will be experiencing. I hope I will be able to deal with everything thrown at me with positivity, sympathy, understanding and with a smile on my face!

Anna XXX

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page!