What a great night we had, thanks to you all! We would like to acknowledge the incredible generosity of everyone who attended our Christmas Gifting Party and also to the many who could not attend and took on buying Gift Experiences for the people we support in South Africa.
100% of the funds raised from this event goes directly the pockets of the people we support in Pietermaritzburg, enabling adults who live in institutions the chance to do some of the ordinary everyday things we take for granted such as popping to the shops, meeting friends for tea and cake, going to the movies, learning a new skill or hobby, watching a live sporting event.
This is the third year of our Gifting Party and so far, and we have provided several hundred gift experiences during that time and they are still coming in. This allows people living with intellectual disability and mental illness in South Africa to experience the opportunity to #DoOrdinary.
We especially want to thank Diane Stapleburg, who took the time to courageously share her personal story of growing up in South Africa in an institution. Di now lives independently and has a job she loves, working for Mencap (the leading voice of learning disability) in the UK. Di moved the room to tears with her factual account of the many injustices she has faced along the way, told with no drama and demonstrating an admirable resilience to keeping going in spite of these odds.
Thank you to Irma – our DJ for the night who managed to lure some old timers on to the dance floor (you know who you are!). To Natural Skincare Solutions for creating our very own label of natural skincare products and candles #UnLabelledofLondon to sell on the night. By the way the products are still available until Christmas to purchase with all proceeds being donated to Climb Any Mountain – see more at Unlabelled of London.
To all the volunteers, the team at Climb Any Mountain, incredible staff at Vanilla London – without you the night would not have been the fun-filled success that it was.
To the Pietermaritzburg Mental Health Society, which tirelessly takes on transforming the services it provides to the hundreds of people it supports. It diligently uses the funds raised to improve the quality of life of its service users.
And last but not least, to the people we support who provide us with inspiration every day to keep sharing their voices and taking the actions to create a world where all people are valued and included for the amazing contribution that they are.
Thank you once again and we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year.
Kim Danks and the Team at
Climb Any Mountain
