London Orpheus Philharmonic Orchestra Many babies and mothers in the Gambia die of diseases or problems of childbirth that are largely consigned to our history books here in the so-called “developed world”.
Simple things that we take for granted – like clean, sterile conditions and simple painkillers – are not to be found in many places. The Nyofelleh Health Centre’s aim is to bring these basic necessities to the local community and to help save the lives of babies and their mothers.
The nearest medical facility to the town is four hours walk away – or one-and-a-half by “bush taxi”. The Health Centre does have an ambulance, but it still takes an hour – or more, depending on the road conditions.
LOPO recognised that it could help make a real difference by organising a fund-raising concert at St Botolph’s in the City of London. “We run concerts to raise money for specially selected charities – ones that we recognise have direct contact and impact in the local community and where all the funds go into achieving the objectives and not into costly overheads,” said Dr Roger Prentis, Chairman of the London Orpheus Philharmonic Orchestra. “The Derek Bailey Foundation is one such charity and we are delighted to be able to support their life-saving work in the Gambia,” he continued.
The Derek Bailey Foundation is a UK Charity that was set up by a small group of friends after they visited the Gambia and saw what was needed there. “We have direct contact with the local people and know that every penny we raise goes to making a real difference in the local community,” said Lorraine Leadbetter, Trustee. “We started by raising money to build a school in Nyofelleh and the project has been so successful that we have now built a Health Centre which we are running. The next part of the project is to raise funds to build the much-needed Maternity Unit,” continued Lorraine.
“LOPO is made up of professional and semi-professional musicians who all give their time freely to help raise money for carefully-selected charities,” said Rosalind Porter, LOPO’s General Manager. “It is wonderful to be able to combine the pleasures of music with doing invaluable work to help with such deserving charities as the Derek Bailey Foundation.”
The concert is at St Botolph’s (right next to Aldgate Underground station in the City of London) at 19:30 on Thursday 4 May 2006. Tickets are £10 on the door or in advance.:Ends
The London Orpheus Philharmonic Orchestra, UK Charity 1113265, has been set up with the aim of raising money for charitable causes. The concept started with a concert that was run in March 2005 at the Barbican which raised £15,000 for the tsunami appeal and since then funds have been raised for, amongst others, the elderly and homeless in the East End of London and those affected by the Pakistan earthquake in late 2005. The orchestra is made up of professional and semi-professional musicians who give their time free of charge to help with LOPO’s fund raising objectives.
On 7 July 2006, LOPO is organising a concert to mark the anniversary of the London bombings of 2005. St Botolph’s was used for triage and as a centre for the emergency services after the London terrorist bombings on 7 July 2005.
Repertoire:
Mendelssohn Hebrides Overture, Op. 26, "Fingal's Cave"
Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto in C Major - KV299
Beethoven Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93
Conductor: Marc Dooley
Concert details:
Date and Time: 7:30pm on 4 May 2006
Venue: St Botolph’s Church, EC3 (next to Aldgate Underground station)
Tickets: £10 on the door and in advance
Donations: LOPO has set up a special account to take donations from individuals and corporate sponsor
St Botolph’s Church is situated next to Aldgate Underground station in the City of London. It was used as a triage centre for victims of the 7/7 bombings and, after, as a base for the Emergency Services. The Church and its Rector, the Rev Dr Brian Lee, are committed to helping - and have the support of - the ethnically diverse local community.
St Botolph was the English Patron Saint of travellers, and has three surviving Churches in the City dedicated to him, all of which are situated next to the sites of the old city gates.
The Derek Bailey Foundation (UK Registered Charity no: 1079492) was formed in March 2000 after already completing some 7 years of work. Its objective is to relieve the need, hardship and distress and to promote education and healthcare of the people of Nyofelleh and the surrounding villages in the Gambia, West Africa.
The Foundation is different from many charities - it is small and highly focussed. It is very much a ‘hands-on' Charity, involving regular visits to The Gambia to understand problems and to ensure that all funds are spent in the best interests of the people there. Every penny donated goes directly towards projects to help the people of Nyofelleh