Precious Cargo Project gathers momentum

Did you know......there are approximately 100 volunteers involved in the Precious Cargo project split roughly 2/3rds student midwives, 1/3 Blood Bikers spread around the UK.



We have a team of 6 Regional Coordinators (RCs) supporting our local volunteers and they hold regular video conferences to monitor progress and resolve issues . The scroll's tour of the UK will last for 2 months (October and November ) and will visit 32 hospitals /maternity units in England, Scotland and Wales, fly to the Isle of Lewis and back, attend 2 conferences (including the RCM annual conference in Telford) and grace one Palace during that time. The tour will conclude at the RCM HQ in London at the end of November 2013.

During its first 2 weeks, approximately £2000 has been raised or pledged and over 1700 signatures have been added to the 20 meter long scroll. (its predecessor collected 900 signatures over 5 years so we are doing well!).

Guinness World Records has created a new category for "most signatures on a scroll" based on the Precious Cargo intiative!  To add to the fun, there is even a song being recorded about the project  - its due for release during Halloween.

The UK tour is a pilot for a more ambitious plan. If the initial campaign is successful, the scroll will embark upon a global journey, starting in Europe in 2014. One target venue is the triennial conference of the International Confederation of Midwives in Prague. With 108 member countries attending the conference, there will be no better stage for the project to promote its global campaign.

In the meantime, there is plenty to do here and we need your help. Whilst the project is certainly lots of fun , its main purpose is to raise money . We are assured of a setting a new world record , but our main objective is to raise funds to help Motorcycle Outreach save lives. Hence, why we need as many donations as possible. Please help us if you can. Visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/PreciousCargo  and make a donation today.

Thank you.

Ron Common , Project Coordinator

email: ron@motorcycleoutreach.org

Health for All awarded for Serving the Last Mile

Bali, Sept 27th : Health for All has received an award for Serving the Last Mile as part of the AusAid Indonesian Social Innovator Awards.

The award was made in Annika Linden Centre in Bali and recognised the innovation of the Motorcycle Ambulance program developed in East Flores and for providing access to health information. This adds to previous awards from SATU Indonesia Award, MDGS Award and BAKTI.

The awards filtered a list of 418 innovations to 26, then further filtered to 10 semifinalists and finally to the five award winners

[caption id="attachment_904" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Director of HFA, Mansetus Kalimantan (third from left) receiving the award with five other finalists[/caption]

Launch of Precious Cargo Scroll

After 6 months of planning, the Precious Cargo project was officially launched on Saturday 28th September 2013 from Hampton Court Palace, and what a fantastic day it was. A group of supporters and volunteers,  including our celebrity guest, and long term supporter, Eric Richard (Sgt Cryer from the Bill) gathered to give the scroll a great send off for its tour of the UK.

Journalist and photographer, Paul Blezard kindly led the photo shoot to capture the moment in the amazing setting of the Palace courtyard. John Stepney, Chair of the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes, was our rider for the first leg from Hampton Court Palace to Darent Hospital, Dartford.

During the next 2 months, the scroll will travel the length  of the UK calling in at 30 hospitals, from Brighton to Stornoway, collecting signatures and donations as it travels. A schedule of visits is listed on the project website www.precious-cargo.org

The final stop will be at the Royal College of Midwives, London, close to where the journey started.  Depending on the outcome of the UK tour, the scroll will then embark upon a global journey to continue to raise awareness and funds in support of the Motorcycle Outreach mission.

We would like thank Kate Minchin, Events Organiser at Hampton Court Palace for making it possible for us the use the Palace grounds for the launch , and to Eric , Paul and John for giving their time freely to support the launch event. We would also like to thank all the student midwife volunteers who have worked so hard over the last few months to make Precious Cargo become a reality.

If you would like to support the project, please visit the Home page of www.precious-cargo.org where you can make an on line donation. Thank you.