Sunday 25 March saw 53 folk gather at the Mohan Tandoori Restaurant in Stevenage Old Town for a fundraising evening for Peacemakers.

There was a raffle, a speech by Brenda, our Director telling everyone of the latest developments in Kenya and thanking everyone for coming. Much chatting and good food was enjoyed by all.The restaurant did us proud with good service and the Manager donated 40% of the takings to our charity.Together with the money made in the raffle this amounted to just over £600 which will be used to help complete the Kisimani House.

Thanks to the Owner of the Mohan, Maurice Gordon who organised the evening and Sandy Bissell who sold the raffle tickets.

The Mohan can be found at:  http://www.themohantandoori.co.uk/

We want to thank you again for your support over the past year.

This year has seen the building work at The Dennis Marshall Foundation, Peacemakers Resource Centre in Kenya make steady progress.

We have had many people visit the site, which is now habitable, to help with the work that continues.  We have had a number of young people visit to help in 2010/11 and we know it has been a life changing experience for them, as well as being such a help to Peacemakers and our other contacts in the area.  But of course, it’s not just young people that visit; we have had professionals in different educational fields, giving of their time and skills, in training the local communities to care for themselves.

Peacemakers’ aim has always been to provide facilities, projects and training so that communities are self-supporting and not dependant on outside aid.  We are beginning to see this happen and it’s very exciting for all involved.  The following is a précis of the progress of the building work so far:

Prayer House is complete with 3 adjacent rooms, office and two Counselling rooms and is already being hired out for Weddings, Group meetings, Women’s Prayer meetings, etc. with Hospitality.

Kitchen roof has now been finished; we have a fridge, but need a domestic oven. We cook on an open wood fire on the ground at the moment.

Traditional House is complete and can be hired as a holiday/retreat.  We want to build another 3 of these on-site.

Kisimani House (meaning Well Spring) The structure is complete.  Internal fittings and furnishings are still to be purchased but we are happy to report two bedrooms are ready to be used. The cost to finish is approximately £10,000.00.

General. All buildings are multi-purpose built, available to the communities to hire, also Business Houses for conferences, Interdenominational Gatherings and Tourists travelling on Safaris. The buildings can be adapted to suit any event.

We will need to have workshops on site to bring in more revenue.  We have mentioned a domestic oven above. We also need an industrial oven to start a bakery plus a pisho machine to grind the maize for this.  We also would like to purchase more Computers to begin training courses on site next summer.

From money raised all the underground work on site was completed throughout the summer, overflow for septic tank completed, manhole covers purchased, external plumbing for guest house fitted, drainpipes and internal fittings for plumbing are in place.

We are already self - sufficient in growing our own vegetables and selling the surplus which pays the wages of the two night watchmen on site.

As you read this you might like to think of visiting Kenya yourself, or maybe you know someone else who has time on their hands to make that commitment and would love to get involved and be part of this huge project, if so please get in touch with Brenda Marshall, the Director of Peacemakers.

We want to start advertising and marketing the Centre next year with the aim of generating income to build a restaurant and a community hall, which will house a clinic.

Some other highlights that we would like to share with you:

January and February: Christine Gibbard was in the UK on vacation and renewing her visa.

Committed supporters of Peacemakers opened up their home and served 30 guests to a 3 course meal.  The evening raised £1,000.

March: Christine and Brenda returned to Kenya together.

Peacemakers held Market Stalls at GSK Ware, Social Services and MBDA Stevenage through the year selling Kenyan ware.

Ardeley School and friends continued to raise money for the building of disabled toilets in Kivuria Secondary School and the money raised was taken out in March which enabled the work to continue through the summer months.  It is hoped that these will be opened officially next year.  Also in March Peacemakers Kenya had its first Fund Raising event on site and raised the equivalent of £400, which was excellent.

April: Park High School in Hemel Hempstead had an International Evening and donated £500 which we have used as a deposit for the purchase of 10 Computers.

June: 2 Guest rooms in house habitable just in time for a visitor from UK to be the first to enjoy the luxury of showering in hot water and have electricity in her room.

October/November: Visitors from UK staying in the house on site, bed and full board.  We await a report on this visit.

December: 2 weddings in the Prayer House and garden plus the hiring of chairs, which happens all through the year.

There are some specific thank you’s that we want to make:

To all the sponsors paying children’s school fees and special needs children’s costs. We visited them all and paid for the medical care and in some cases, operations from money raised by you.

Sponsor supporting Cyrus monthly, who is running CADA Drug Rehabilitation based on the site.

Sponsored sheep purchased and placed on site.

Various training courses on site.  More visiting to sponsored children to assess their needs and searching for residential placements for disabled children.

Open house Fund Raising Event in Watton-at-Stone. Raffle with as first prize a flight for four in a light aircraft.

A sponsored half a marathon run in Edinburgh was an opportunity for a friend of Peacemakers to take part in June, and was successful in raising over £2000.

Famine Relief: Somalia refugees flocking into Kenya. There is already one camp overflowing from 20 years ago.  Consequently another camp had to be opened to accommodate the masses flowing across the border.  Friends of Peacemakers donated money to feed the starving; we hired a lorry and encouraged our Kenyan neighbours to give of their crops, and all the clothes that the WI in UK has knitted for them. The lorry joined the aid convoy and drove across to the camps.  Peacemakers have made 4 runs distributing food bought with the money donated and with newly knitted clothes and blankets.

I know this is a lot to absorb, but there is so much happening due to your caring hearts and generosity. I felt it was necessary to give you a more detailed account, so that you can appreciate the effect and change your caring has made to the people in Kenya and the many lives you have saved and improved.

With Love and every Blessing

Brenda

It was felt that Peacemakers should put down on paper in a formal way its pupose and its operating procedures. This has lead to two documents being produced; a "Charter" and a "Constitution". It is hoped that these will help to give everone who supports Peacemakers and anyone looking to become part of the vision, a clearer understanding about who we are, what we are doing and how we go about it.

At the end of these two articles are links to the two documents in pdf format which can easily be downloaded to save or print.

Peacemakers International – A Christian Charitable Trust - Charter

 

 Peacemakers International, www.peacemakers-international.com is a Christian Charitable Trust. Its UK address is 19 Lammas Road, Watton-at Stone, Hertfordshire, SG14, 3RH.

 

Hereafter in this document Peacemakers International is named The Trust for brevity.

As the Charter is a living documents it will be subject to review and changes on an annual basis which will be carried out by the Officers and Members of The Trust. Details of such changes will appear at the foot of the document.

 

The Trust works with Churches and other Community groups, primarily in Africa to initiate and support social action projects for the benefit of local people and to share the unity of Jesus Christ. It is an interdenominational Christian organisation.

 

Peacemakers had its beginnings with Dennis and Brenda Marshall who were the leaders of Stevenage Christian Fellowship until Dennis’ death in 1998. Dennis had met Sammy Gitungu from Kenya whilst teaching in Kvinisdal Bible College in Norway and Sammy had invited Dennis to Kenya to teach in the Meru District, which is on the south-east side of Mount Kenya.

From that first visit the Peacemakers vision evolved.

 

Peacemakers International vision is to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ by meeting the Spiritual and Practical needs of people both at home and abroad. Brenda continues the work and is The Trust’s Director. For more information about the history and development of Peacemakers, please see the website.

 

The Trust is in partnership with two other groups:

 

1. Links International www.linksinternational.org.uk, a registered charity, number 327000 which connects with partners in the West and in developing countries to inspire, empower, train and resource individuals and communities to break free from poverty and disease. Links handles The Trusts finances and collects Gift Aid on its behalf through an Act4You account. In this way The Trust can guarantee that every penny donated will go to its intended beneficiary.

 

2. Peacemakers Kenya, a partner organisation and a registered Community Based Organisation (CBO) in Kenya with a separate, currently acting Board of Trustees (as of December 2011), with its own Constitution but which operates under the guidance of The Trust.

 

Peacemakers Kenya has a further partner, Campaign Against Drug Abuse (CADA) which is applying for CBO status.

 

The Trust owns the Dennis Marshall Foundation Peacemakers Community Resource Centre, an Interdenominational Prayer House and other buildings which stand on 1 acre of land at Kivumburi, Kivuria; Plot 6171, Runyen’jes, Embu, Kenya. Peacemakers Kenya employs two Askaris (night watchmen) on the site and is responsible for paying the Askaris salaries. The Trust is responsible for the upkeep of the land and buildings and hiring of the buildings. Peacemakers Kenya is responsible for the hiring of other equipment in order to generate funds.

 

There are 3 Officers of The Trust, each being committed to the vision of Peacemakers which is defined in the Peacemakers Constitution.

 

1. Director

Brenda Marshall, who gives spiritual guidance to the other Officers and Members of The Trust and Peacemakers Kenya Board of Trustees.

 

2. Treasurer

Responsible for the finances of The Trust which has one bank account with Lloyds TSB in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. This account contains money that is not subject to Gift Aid. All other money is lodged with Links International.

 

3. Secretary

Responsible for calling meetings as instructed by the Director, minuting meetings and submitting the minutes for approval to the Director. The minutes, once approved are distributed to all Officers, Members, Supporters and to anyone else upon request.

 

Other Individuals Supporting the Trust

 

Project Director of the Resource Centre in Kenya

There is one person working at The Dennis Marshall Foundation on a semi-permanent basis, Christine Gibbard who is funded by The Trust and its supporters. She is accountable to the Director, takes instruction from the Trust and coordinates the work in Kenya.

 

Members

These are participants, also committed to the Peacemakers vision, who partake in meetings and advise, take action and support the Officers of The Trust.

 

Supporters, Associate Members and Sponsors

These individuals are not necessarily Christian but are involved in one way or another in the activities of The Trust.

 

Activities

In the United Kingdom these consist of fundraising, planning and encouraging people to visit Kenya to help with the development of the Resource Centre in Kenya.

In Kenya activities are many and varied, but have involved the following: Aids Awareness, Primary Healthcare, Drugs awareness Training and Seminars, Cultural and Sports events, Micro Enterprises including the purchase of livestock, boreholes for water and other Community projects. These are resourced and managed by The Trust, with help from Peacemakers Kenya.

 January 2012,  Document introduced.      M Gordon/D Bissell


Charter in Adobe PDF format

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Peacemakers International, www.peacemakers-international.com is a Christian Charitable Trust.  Its UK address is 19 Lammas Road, Watton-at Stone, Hertfordshire, SG14, 3RH.

 

In this document Peacemakers International is named The Trust for brevity.

 

Mission Statement

 

The objectives of The Trust are:

 

1. To advance Christian principles of living in a spiritual and practical way.
2. To demonstrate God’s love by endeavouring to meet people of all ages at their need level, both at home and abroad.
3. To raise funds to facilitate projects which enable people to overcome poverty at home in UK and in underdeveloped countries.
4. To network across Christian denominations and with other charitable organisations to encourage and enlarge knowledge and skills through working together in the field.
5. To purchase resources and equipment to assist those in the caring professions.
6. To guarantee The Trusts commitment to channel the full amount of donations to sponsor’s chosen projects.
7. To monitor the development and progress of self-supporting projects which impact on the work and lifestyle of all age groups in local communities.
8. To organise and facilitate the delivery of knowledge and skills by qualified trainers and professionals in preventive care for health and social needs.

 

Membership

 

Membership of The Trust  is open to any individual (or organisation for Associate Membership) who (or which) supports the objectives contained within the Mission Statement and seeks to become actively involved in the work of The Trust .

A register of Members (including names and contact details) is held by the Secretary.

A meeting of The Trust may, by a majority vote, terminate the Membership of any individual or organisation whose continued Membership would in their view be harmful to The Trust. This may only be formalised following consideration of any written representation by the Member or organisation concerned which is provided within 14 clear days after receiving written notice of a proposed termination of Membership as agreed at a previous Members meeting.

 

Director/Officers

 

The Director of The Trust is Brenda Marshall (co-founder with her husband the late Dennis Marshall) who has ultimate authority and sanction of all The Trust’s affairs.

The Trust shall be administered by the following Officers, all of whom shall be Members - Director, Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer.  One person may hold more than one role.

The Members of The Trust shall elect the Officers at the Annual General Meeting.

 

The Chairperson shall act as Chair at all meetings with the exception of the Annual General Meeting, when the Secretary will Chair the meeting.

 

 

Director/Officers (Continued)

 

The Director shall work with the elected Officers and other Members to formulate and maintain policies and guidelines for The Trust.

The Director shall have a casting vote in the event of a tied vote.

 

The Secretary shall give notice of all meetings and take and distribute the minutes.  The Officer’s annual reports are to be circulated with the notices for the AGM.

The Secretary shall also carry out any correspondence on behalf of the Director as instructed and maintain with the Director the register of Members.

The Treasurer shall manage with the Director the financial records and the bank account of The Trust.  The Treasurer and Director are authorised to repay expenses incurred by Members from Trust’s funds as agreed by a previous General Committee Meeting.

 

Meetings

 

Meetings are to commence and finish in prayer.

General Committee Meetings of Members of The Trust are to be held monthly (except August) on the 1^st Tuesday, unless otherwise agreed at the previous meeting.

An Annual General Meeting is to be held in April when the Officers of The Trust are elected by a simple majority vote of Members present.

 The AGM and General Committee Meetings shall determine the policy of The Trust by a majority vote with the Director holding a casting vote.

At each AGM a report is to be presented by the Director and each of the Officers of The Trust.  A  Financial Report by the Treasurer is to include a separate report of the Links and Peacemakers Account and an Income and Expenditure Account for Peacemakers Kenya.

Extraordinary Meetings may be called by the joint written application of a minimum of 3 Members with 7 days’ notice to the Director and Secretary.

The quorum (minimum number) at all meeting shall be 3 Members including the Director.

The conduct and rules governing meetings shall be determined by a majority of Members with changes to the Constitution approved by a 2/3rds majority at an AGM or Extraordinary meeting only.

 

Property

 

Property, including goods and equipment, owned by The Trust will be managed and administered by The Trust as agreed by a General Committee Meeting.

 

Dissolution

In the event of agreement to dissolve The Trust all debts are to be paid from Trust funds and the remainder transferred for the benefit of an organisation as agreed by The Trust.  All property or goods and equipment owned to be transferred or sold by agreement at an Extraordinary Meeting called to arrange the dissolution of The Trust.

January 2012,  Document introduced.      M Gordon/D Bissell

 Constitution in Adobe PDF format

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This act of kindness and care from a 7 yr old, has inspired others to donate through Peacemakers to the famine relief in Somalia.  Because of the violence and killings in Somalia thousands are fleeing to Kenya to the refugee camps that were set up over 20 years ago.  This is the worst famine in the area for 60 years and many thousands are dying.

  Because of your donations we have organized the churches in the area where we are building a Resource Centre, to encourage the Kenyans to give their crops and to meet the need of their neighbours. Consequently a lorry has been donated for the trip plus food and water and this week Peacemakers are linking up with other charities and driving the aid to the camps adjacent to Somalia.  We have managed to get all the money donated to the cause.

If there are people who still want to give then please contact us via email or the contact page to make your donation via Peacemakers for Famine Relief.

Thank you.
Brenada Marshall