Crieff girls shop venture for Romanian schools

Aug 6 2010 by Lynn Duke, Strathearn Herald

Romaniacharityshop

TWO Crieff High School pupils are on a mission.

Jennie Logan and Amber Fairlie were challenged by Ruth Farrer of Crieff’s Seventh-day Adventist Church to raise £100 each for an impoverished Romanian school.

Ruth said that if they were successful she would arrange for the girls to travel to the Eastern European country to buy and hand over much needed equipment.

Both 15-year-olds rose to the challenge and soon achieved their total by taking packed lunches to school instead of buying their meals.

And now the girls, who say they could be accused of “being greedy for the needy”, have set themselves a new target of £3000.

To achieve this they are opening a one-week charity shop in the old Fish-in-Crieff premises in Crieff’s High Street. The shop will be open from Monday to Friday next week from 10am to 4.30pm and the girls hope that Strathearn residents will go along and support the shop and the project.

Ruth, a former secretary-treasurer of Scottish Agency for Relief and Development who has run similar charity shops in the Strath in the past, will be helping them to organise the venture and will also accompany them to Romania.

The veteran aid worker is looking forward to introducing the go-ahead girls to all the friends she has made in the country during the 20 years she has been working with aid projects there.

Ruth told the Herald: “These days all we hear is the bad news about teenagers – their under-age drinking, drugs, graffiti and bad behaviour – so it is very refreshing to hear of two youngsters who are excited about helping other people.

“I hope when they see the needs of Romania that they will be inspired to do even more.”

The girls are very excited about the project and are being encouraged in their efforts by another seasoned aid worker, John Arthur OBE, former director for Adventist Development and Relief Agency, who now lives in Crieff.

Their parents have agreed to pay their air fares and Amber and Jennie intend to visit Romania in the October break.

Issuing an appeal for people to come along and support their shop. they said: “We have such a lovely new school here in Crieff and we really do want to help Romania have something better.

“Do you think we can raise £3000 in only one week? It is going to be very hard to do but can we all work together and try? We look forward to seeing you in the shop.”

Donations of bric-a-brac can be handed in on Sunday from 10.30am until 3pm and during the shop’s opening hours on Monday and Tuesday.