Thanks for visiting my fundraising page and HELLO!

***********DATE HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO THE NEW YEAR*************I will email everyone with a link to photos etc once done!

On Sunday 7th September 2008, I am doing a 12,000 foot tandem parachute jump at theSouth Cerney parachute centre (OH BOY!) This is in aid of THE SWAN PROJECT, the counselling and psychotherapy centre I work for. We work with adults and young people who are struggling to overcome addictions. These clients are wonderfully brave and they are vulnerable people who have used substances to cope with all sorts of difficult (sometimes horrific) issues. They have come to THE SWAN PROJECT to sort help and support with their dependency whether they are abstinent or still actively using.

I have been working for SWAN for almost 3 years. My time with this agency has been a challenging and soulful experience. I am passionate about this project and the value of the work that we do. The future of SWAN is severely threatened at the moment, following a substantial budget cut and current funding issues.  SWAN has been established for almost 6 years. However, we have taken the dive to recently becoming a registered charity. We hear an awful lot about charities that fold within the first year due to the lack of funding and we do not want to be one of these. 

In the long run we are much better off as a charity and there are huge benefits, however it looks like we need to sink before we can float to get the much needed financial support from the trustee’s and governing bodies that we depend on highly to achieve financial security.  These days everything is about money, and the fact that SWAN has NEVER turned away anyone it feels it can help (regardless of their financial status) does make the future of our services hard to secure. 

I never cease to be encouraged by the endeavours or our clients to win through, and I am moved by the devastating effects that alcohol and drugs has had on many of their lives. I am a group facilitator and counsellor at THE SWAN PROJECT. We run several groups and a group that has been affected by this current crises is the Women’s Group. I run this Group with my colleague Hannah (also jumping) and we have seen some remarkable changes that these brave women have been able to make with the right support.

Recently the group has had to be cut to 3 days a week because of financial pressures, putting the women at greater risk of relapse. Having somewhere safe to go when struggling with mental health and addiction issues is vital. This is THE ONLY Women's Group in Bristol to address these issues. We feel that losing this group would have a massive and detrimental impact on the women that subscribe to this service because there simply wouldn't be another service like this available to them in Bristol.

We are currently merging groups to cope with this financial pressure and to accommodate all groups in such a way that none are stopped due to the funding crises.  This has been a complicated and drastic measure to assure the security of this charity and each group we run. We hope that this is a temporary measure until we are back on our feet. 

We are also setting up THE ONLY young person's project for alcohol issues in Bristol. Helping young people early, before they miss out on truly living because of their addictions, is so important.  It is also aimed at helping young people simply being affected by alcohol and drugs, such as family and peer pressure. ...(but we need money desperately to get this fully off the ground)..

It costs a lot to run a counselling service - the simple overheads of keeping up a building filled with pleasant rooms, providing day programs and one to one counselling all add up. Not to mention the vast amounts of tissues we work our way through. So as with most charities, the more money we raise through this parachute jump, the more financial security we have...and the more likely we are to be able to succeed in applying for more stable income in the future.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The SWAN Project gets your money faster and, if you’re a taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.  So please be as generous as you can afford and sponsor me. Any money I raise will be used to make a huge difference to the lives of the people we work with in our communities.

Don't forget to TICK 'YES' for the GIFT AID contribution!!!  25% extra of your cash will go to us!! xxxx

Thank you.

Georgie Griffin