STEPS Romania 2004

This page reports on progress at the Fair Play children’s hostel during 2004. The most recent report is at the top, with previous ones below. 

Introduction

As a result of a successful programme of fund-raising during 2003 and the early part of 2004, we decided that we could accelerate progress with the refurbishment programme at the Fair Play hostel by sub-contracting some of the work. We have had the roof sealed, the outside walls sealed, insulated and painted and the remaining windows double-glazed.

Three teams have been working in the hostel: from 29^th May to 5^th June, from 19^th June to 27^th June and from 23^rd to 30^th October. All team members paid their own flight and accommodation costs. All the money we raise goes direct to refurbishing the Fair Play hostel.

In the previous two years we had completed the girls (first) floor and the boys (second) floor and made a good start on the third floor. The objective for 2004 was to complete the third and fourth floors. At the end of 2004 we can report that most bedrooms on all four of the children’s floors are now in very good condition.

For 2005 there are shower and toilet rooms on the fourth (top) floor to be tiled and equipped. There is also some decorating to be done elsewhere.

Progress October 2004

The third team has returned. They concentrated on the electrics and the decoration of the rooms on the third and fourth floors.

New modern fuse boxes have been fitted on all four of the children’s floors. These are much more reliable and safer than the old fuse-wire boxes they replace.

July 2004

We have just received this picture showing progress on refurbishing the outside walls of the Fair Play hostel. The picture also shows the completed double glazed windows. By contrast, there’s a glimpse of one of the neighbouring buildings reminding us of what the hostel was like.

May & June 2004

The May and June teams, each comprising 11 members, have worked for a week at the Fair Play hostel, and considerable progress can be reported.

All windows are now double-glazed.

Scaffolding has been erected along one of the outside walls. Insulation is being fixed to the wall. This is then covered with a fibreglass mat and a cement-like screed. Finally the walls will be painted pale blue with bright yellow highlights between the windows.

Work is due to start in July on sealing the roof.

On the third floor, most of the bedrooms are finished and some occupied.

All rooms have power and light fittings.

The washroom and both bathroom walls are now tiled. The hostel workman and some of the teenagers helped us with the preparation and tiling.

One bathroom has all the fittings but the other still has to be done. The floors of the two bathrooms and the washroom still need tiling.

On the fourth (top) floor the walls and floors of the two bathrooms and the washroom have been cemented ready for tiling.

The old door frames on the fourth floor have been removed in preparation for new ones.

A start has been made on the electrics.

Manchester United generously donated sweatshirts and jackets. Football coaching sessions for the teenagers and also for the younger children took place in the playground of a local high school each morning.

All the computers that Procter & Gamble donated were checked and where necessary mended. They are used by some for homework but are more popular for games!

New material was bought for curtains and some of the girls helped us with the cutting out.

In the afternoons, the ladies made 40 curtains, ready for the fourth floor bedrooms.

There are three working sewing machines in the sewing room we made in 2002.

Every morning the ladies organised art and craft activities and singing games with the younger children.

All three teams exceeded what they had hoped to achieve.

We very much enjoyed working with the children, and they with us.