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Fun & Games Day Raises € 4000 for the Salvation Army
(posted: 2008-10-14)

On June 14th another highly successful Fun and Games day was held at St. Julian’s School in Carcavelos. This year the charity to benefit this year was the Salvation Army, specifically at its “Novo Mundo” children’s home in Sintra.

This year there was a record 22 teams competing in 7 disciplines from basketball to Scottish Country Dancing, including football, touch rugby, volleyball, hockey and lacrosse. Funds were raised by an entry fee for each team, roughly 25% of the income, a raffle organised by the WRVS which raised about 50%, and a BBQ run by the International Preparatory School staff some of whom also compete in the games. Last year by an incredible coincidence the money raised was exactly €4,000, this year was a bit less but the final sum of €4,000 was made up by a donation from the BCC.

Although the day is held under the auspices of the BCC, 90% of its success is from the extremely hard work put in by Tim and Sue Munnion in publicising, organising the schedule of events and running the day with clockwork precision. The St Julian’s, IPS, WRVS and the judges also help in making the day a success. But those who enjoy it most are the competitors and it is well seen why Fun precedes Games in the title.

The premier prize is not that won by the team with the highest score, but that given for all round enjoyment, team spirit and sportsmanship. This was won by team Nepzum Guys all of whom have some connection with the Nepalese restaurant in Carcavelos. The Sports winning team was the Riverside Warriors.

For the first time in the event’s history, going back some 10 years, the British Ambassador was a member of the Embassy Team and still aglow from his exertions on the field, he drew the prizes for the raffle. The prize of two green fees at Quinta de Beloura was won by a nonagenarian, who decided that sprightly though she is, she was not going to take up golf at her age and returned the prize to the WRVS to be used in a future raffle!

A cheque for €4,000 was handed over by Heather Shiell, chairman of the WRVS and Robert Levitt, Treasurer of the BCC at the “Novo Mundo” to Major Mendes Reichenbach. The home generally has fairly short stay children, whose parents cannot cope for various reasons. Two brothers, whose father died, and are going to live with their uncle in Switzerland, have been there for three years waiting for the issue of passports and permits, all now approved. They will be going to start their new life in the next month.

The money has been used on a variety of items including training three staff members for permits to drive the home minibus, summer camps for the children and medical and running expenses for the minibus for six months.