Nottingham Supports Chinese Earthquake Victims

In May 2008, the world was shocked by the scale of a massive earthquake (measuring 8.0 on the Richter Scale) which devastated parts of Central China, particularly in Sichuan Province which was at the epicenter.

Few could fail to be moved by the newsreel footage of children’s broken bodies being pulled from the rubble of what had been their schools.

The people of Nottingham, led by the Nottinghamshire Chinese Community Association, responded to the disaster by contributing freely to street collections in aid of the victims. In just one weekend some £15,000 was donated. The Association continued to work on behalf of the victims and by September was able to send more than £28,000 to the schools building fund of Sichuan province.

Working with the Local Authority in Sichuan Province, which added to the fund and also made land available, the Nottinghamshire Chinese Community Association is using the money raised in order to build a new, earthquake resistant, school to serve the children of five villages in Sichuan. The school, to be named the Nottingham Love School is already under construction and is expected to be up and running by December 2009.

Some members of the Nottinghamshire Chinese Community Association belong to the Saturday Singers, a mixed choir of around sixty men and women, which rehearses each Saturday morning at The Nottingham Masonic Hall. The choir will be continuing the theme of Nottingham’s support through its next concert.

On Saturday 4th April 2009 the Saturday Singers will hold their Spring Concert at the Masonic Hall (tickets £5) and all income from the concert will go towards providing exercise books and other equipment at the school. The concert starts at 10.15am and will finish shortly after 12 noon.

Why not give your support to the children of Sichuan by coming along to the concert. It is a pleasant way to spend Saturday morning and you could always stay on afterwards and have lunch in the Belgrave Suite at the Masonic Hall.

Tickets can be obtained by ringing Dick Huskinson Tel: 0115 9312157 or by e-mail to randj.huskinson@ntlworld.com or come along and pay at the door. (Tickets limited to 200)

            The Saturday Singers in Concert