Stephen Wordsworth

Ambassador to Serbia

FCO Logo
Saturday 07 February, 2009

Roberts Burns Ceilidh Belgrade 2009 - Update

The figures are through, and we raised almost 64,000 Euros for Save the Children's work in Serbia - up from 46,000 Euros in 2008.  This is a great result and reflects very well on all the hard work put in by the organising committee, and on the generosity of the Platinum and Gold sponsors and of all the others who bought a ticket or supported us in so many ways. 

Thank you to them all!

Posted at 14:40 07 February 2009 by Stephen Wordsworth  |  Comments[0]

  • Share this with:
Tuesday 13 January, 2009

“Special Care for Special Needs”

I went this morning to witness the signature of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the UK-based Charity, Save the Children. The Memorandum covers the implementation of a project called "Special Care for Special Needs", and is intended to improve the quality of life and developmental opportunities for children with special needs in residential care here in Serbia. Minister Ljajic signed for Serbia. A representative of the European Commission was also present, as much of the external funding will come through the Commission.

The particular goal of this project is to support the Ministry's efforts to provide foster-parenting, rather than institutional care, for children in Serbia with disabilities. As Minister Ljajic made clear, there has been good progress already, with many more such children living with foster-parents than a few years ago, but of course everyone would like to see more.

This is an area that we have also supported bilaterally, as I mentioned in my 'Highland Fling' blog entry below - the money we raised from the 'Burns Night' charity event that my wife organised last year, some €46,000, went towards this too. 'Burns Night' is coming around again later this month, and our preparations for this year's event are well under way. We hope to raise even more money this year, again for Save the Children's work here. It won't be easy, with everyone worrying about the economic situation, but charities need support most when times are hard.

Posted at 21:53 13 January 2009 by Stephen Wordsworth  |  Comments[3]

  • Share this with:
Wednesday 10 December, 2008

Highland Fling

I am sitting exhausted at my computer.  No, not because I have been working, but because I have been practising Scottish country dancing.  At the beginning of this year my wife and a group of others organised a Charity Ball here in Belgrade, in aid of the Serbian branch of the UK charity, Save the Children.  The special occasion was the anniversary of the birth of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns, which is celebrated every year in Scotland with dancing, bagpipes, whisky, special speeches and so on.  We had 330 people, and raised €46,000 profit for the work of the charity here in Serbia.  So, of course, having done it once, we have to do it again; and next year it's the 250th anniversary, so we have to make a special effort.  Some people might say that when times are hard, as they will be next year, it's not right to stage a glossy, expensive event.  I understand that point of view.  But experience shows that, when times are hard, charitable giving goes down, just as the need for the charities' work goes up.  And we want to try to match, or if possible improve on, that €46,000.  So my wife and I and a group of friends - some British, some Serbian, others from other countries - will spend the next few weeks practising our Highland reels, and other strange dances, to get ready for the night.
 
This is how it looked last year:
 

and if you want to know more about Burns, try this, from his most famous poem, 'To a Mouse', of 1785:

"Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!"

Translation, anyone?

Posted at 08:57 10 December 2008 by Stephen Wordsworth  |  Comments[1]

  • Share this with:

Calendar

« November 2009
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
      
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
      
Today

Search

Feeds

Tag cloud

Blogroll

Evaluation

FCO websites

UK Government departments