The video diaries for weeks 5 and 6 have now been uploaded. If you can’t view them here they’re also on the intranet - happy watching!

Week 5

• Julia McCance
• Catriona McQueen
• Adam Bullock
• Tracey Walsom
• Jacky Sylvester

Week 6

• Dawn Davies

Jo

Those five simple words from Father Mike just about sum it up.

The challenge is finally over and everything’s back to normal. Or is it? The experience might be over but the memories and spirit associated with Sarnelli House will stay with many forever. As one of the volunteers so succinctly put it, “we came to give and received so much more”.

We in Community Connections had hopes that this challenge would be a success for both the volunteers and the children of Sarnelli House. Never in our wildest dreams did we expect to be so overwhelmed with support and passion from the volunteers and everyone else who has contributed along the way.

Every single person involved in the BUPA 60th Anniversary Thailand Challenge should be immensely proud of their achievements, commitment and spirit. This challenge has shown what dedicated employees we have at BUPA and has united people up and down and across BUPA businesses around the world.

In summary, we achieved more work than we ever set out to do. Thanks to the absolute determination of each and every volunteer Sarnelli House now has: 

• Four newly re-decorated houses both inside and out
• A landscaped BUPA garden
• New beds for the older boys
• New furniture throughout all the buildings
• Four new sports courts
• Four new playgrounds
• New kitchen at the girls’ home (together with new appliance and a raised ceiling to make it bearable in summer)
• 20 new bathrooms
• Hot water allowing the children to have showers in the morning before school
• Protected rice fields so rice can be grown for the children each year
• Newly painted front fence and signs

Wow. A truly amazing achievement in just six weeks and it couldn’t have been done without you. 

Just as Sarnelli House will never be far from our minds it appears that you also made quite an impact during your time there. We heard from Father Mike just the other day and his honest words show how you have touched the lives of so many. We thought this would be the perfect time to share them with you:

 “We have photos of six weeks of BUPA volunteers and the kids can pick them out and give their names. I go home for five weeks and when I return, the wee ones stare at me like I have a bunghole growing out of the middle of my forehead. They can’t remember me. They sure do remember their favourites from BUPA. You haven’t just sent money from some unknown location from unknown people, but you are friendly, caring, loveable, huggable people who have entered their lives.

We will always be beholden to you. Thank you for all the BUPA people did. We look at the flower garden and the memorial, and miss you all deeply. Have a wonderful Christmas and all God’s blessings in the New Year!” Father Mike 

 Lots of love, Claire, Jo and Siobhan. 

Note: Please continue to use this blog. It is a way to help ensure Sarnelli House stays top of people’s minds and we will use it as a way of communicating future plans with you all. 

Are you having techy problems - where are your blogs Dawn???

Jo - anymore blogs from you, only seen one?

How was the King’s birthday celebrations and how was the final day at Sarnelli for you and for BUPA overall?

Desperate to see more piccy’s of the kids and all the work you have done.

Talk to us back here in cold, wet UK please please please

Jules ( week 4)

Hi everyone

Just got back to the hotel after a day of decorating the girls dormitory. Their little faces when they came home from school and saw all the new bedding and decor was worth every brush stroke!!

I am with a great group of people - we all work well together and the children are wonderful - I have to mention Ice and O-Ay.

It is the King’s birthday tomorrow so we are going to the ceremony at Sarnelli House in the morning - no school for the children and no work for us1!! How lucky are we!!!!

Anyway - must go - bottle of beer is calling (or do I mean cooling?)

Love to all especially Georgie, Josh, Keith, Dad and Chris.

See you all in England!!

Hi Sally/Colleagues/Team/Family/Freinds!!!

I am having an amazing time it really is so great and I couldnt tell you about it in 100 e-mails (so I will teall you all when I get back in my usual short non elongated style when I return!!)

We painted the girls bedrooms today and we waited for them to come home to see how they would react to their newly decorated bedroom with new matresses and bed covers and it was amazing, what we take for granted really does mean so much to others and I had a massive hug and kiss from one of the girls for what we had done which really showed how much it meant to them.

Week six is an amazing team and we are carrying on from the work that the past 5 groups have done (well done guys you did a great job).

Thailand is fantastic and a real experience. Tomorrow is the kings 80th birthday so we have a day of celebration as it is a public holiday and we all have towear yellow in respect of this!

The kids are great, the work is rewarding and the days are fun and well worth the plane and train journeys!!

I also love the chang beer when we get home after a good days work but no suprise there!!

Hope you are all okay in Bristol and I will blog again soon, keep reading and see you monday!!!!!

Love Shaun

Steve: sawadee Ka - I would like to thank everyone who has ever supported me through the years, Basil Brush, Jasper Carrott, Jonny Cash, Emu, Orville, the crankees (including Matt Hayward in a leading role), BA Baracuss, He-Man and Oliver Reed. Keep laughing, get drunk and have fun Shaun.

3rd DEC- second day

We started the day with a bit of discussion of things we need to accomplish for the day- painting the right side of the main building. Jo anne is always there to guide and support the team or even do the manual jobs as well. Painting is one of the skills I wanted to master ( hehehe ). I learned the techniques of painting to look professionally finished- to give a SMOOTH GENTLE STROKES, dipping the brush halfway and no excess paint on the brush to avoid dripping or smearing into my clothes or everywhere,etc. After we finished the job- Derek said the puzzle has been completed. The whole building looks nice, clean and fresh looking.

I was quiet most of the time and my groupmates might have thought I was not enjoying the job and kept asking me if I was alright. DEFINITELY I am enjoying the job but I was not feeling very well because of the awful pain at my back everytime I swallow cold liquids or even solids. But anyway, I don’t want to express it if nobody is asking and do as much as what the rest can do. Does it matter, cause it doesn’t? It’s not only me whose suffering from pain- mine is acute and short term but theirs is chronic, intermittent and long term.

To remind myself of the purpose of coming here is to do the tasks and accomplish something that will make a difference in the lives of the children.

I have learned a lot of things today, things that more than money can buy. To be hopeful despite life is difficult and hard. To be happy and optimistic despite how unlucky and unfortunate your life is. To be alive and enthusiastic despite the pain and sufferings you got inside you.

joy guetes

Hello everyone! Sawadee ka! I wish I could say I knew more Thai having been here five days, but I’m ashamed to say that’s about it! I seriously don’t know where the time has gone and I can’t believe I’m writing this at the end of our last day at the orphanage. It’s been truly amazing (the guys that were here before us weren’t making it up!) Having read most of the blogs before I came out, I had some sort of idea what to expect, but it’s been awesome to see first hand what’s been going on. The great thing for me was to see that these kids are just kids … cheeky, fun-loving, mischievous, playful, happy, loving kids. They’re not sad and sick and moping around; they’re so full of life and energy - quite frankly, it’s exhausting being around them!!! I think the kids may have tired us out more than the work! And we have worked out here by the way! I can’t believe how much has been done and can’t wait to get back to show all the photos ;o) Weeks 1-5 did such an excellent job and you’ll be pleased to know guys that week 6 have kept up the pace and haven’t let you down! We managed to finish where week 5 left off; the girls now have a lovely new “girly” dormitory with lovely new thick comfy mattresses and pink bed linen; and in the playground we even managed to paint the inside of the front wall green so it matches the outside. It all looks FAB! I think it’s fair to say we’re all fairly chuffed with what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short space of time :o) So our work here for the moment is done; but I know this is just the start of a very special relationship with some really very special little people. Good night and God bless. Claire xxx

The video diaries for week 3 and 4 volunteers have now been uploaded on to the site.

Find out more about their individual experiences in Thailand by clicking on the relevant links.

Week 3

• Debbie Cook
• Gavin Nicholson
• Annette Tanchittiwat
• Jackie Travers
• Maria Garces
• (Elaine) Florence Cross
• David Soanes
• Loida Lopez
• Ilja Pospisil
• Ben Sutton

Week 4

• Julie Fox
• Alistair Good
• Suzgo Chibambo
• Lonie Hon

Happy viewing!

Siobhan x

Weather awful here so thinking of you all out there on week 6. Arrived home, upset to leave but very happy of what we achieved last week and what has been done on the previous weeks. Way to go ! Thought I’d upload a few pics of us from last week, haven’t got around to much more than loading on PC yet … but will. Love Trace x  

I cannot quite believe I am writing my blog entry for week six! How fast this time has gone.

I am so delighted to see that the volunteers this week are enjoying the experience at Sarnelli as much as the others. You are all extremely lucky to be present for the King’s birthday and I’m really looking forward to reading all about it. But for now I just want to say keep up the good work. You’re all doing great.

I feel so sad that the challenge is nearly at an end but totally delighted with what has been achieved. The challenge may be nearly over but BUPA’S support of Sarnelli House certainly isn’t!

Well done Jo, keep up the good work.

Thinking of you all

Claire