Container update: 6th February 2022

We have received reports with photos from Fr. Alfred of Matumba and from Fr. Bello of Chiringa about the safe arrival of the container goods.

Report from Fr. Alfred of Matumba

Report from Fr. Bello of Chiringa

Container update: 25th November 2021

Our 2021 container to Malawi was safely and successfully unloaded in Blantrye on Monday 22^nd November and in Lilongwe on Thursday 25^th November 2021 (just over nine weeks late!).

It is good to report that we suffered NO loses or any damaged cartons, as in previous years.

The success of the 12^th Container was only made possible by our parishioners, donors & supporters who have donated financially towards containers, shipping & other costs. Also those who have donated  many of the items & those who have given so many hours packing & sorting, without you this project would not be possible.

It is not possible to thank everyone individually, but I feel I must thank Ruth of Tyler Holding who donated the use of a warehouse & for Chris & his team at Lenham Storage who donated the transport and the warehouse.  Both key elements of our container project, without them the project would not continue, so a big thank you to Ruth & Chris.

Over the coming weeks we will receive photos from our friends in Malawi of their collecting, unpacking & distribution of all the items we have sent. Each year I produce a DVD slideshow of each container which reflects all the activities of the container. This year, once the DVD is completed I will upload this to “YouTube”, I will send you a link so that you can view the slideshow at you leisure.

Once again it’s a BIG THANK to you for your continued support, without you this project would not be possible.

Friday 12^th November: The Malawi Shipping agent has let us know that the container has arrived and will be loaded onto a wagon for Malawi. Watch this space for updates …….

Container update: November 2021

Container update: July 2021

• Our Lorry loaded at our warehouse in Tonbridge Friday 11^th June, and then transferred our items ready to load on the container in Birmingham on Saturday 12^th June 2021.
• Our container successfully loaded to 100% capacity, it then transferred to the Birmingham railhead ready for transfer by rail to Felixstowe container port.
• Our container arrived at Filexstowe on 15^th June & loaded onto the Orion on 30^th June & departed on 4^th July.
• The Orion docked at Rotterdam 7^th July. Rotterdam is a transhipment hub, where containers are loaded on vessels for their final destination.
• Our container was loaded onto the APL Detroit, which departed Rotterdam on 22^nd July for its final destination of Nacala container port in Mozambique, but calling at port Pointe Des Galet en route.
• The estimate arrival date for our container arriving in Nacala, Mozambique is 27^th August 2021, so hopefully with luck & no hold ups by the customs in Mozambique & in Malawi our container should unload during September 2021.

Loading the transfer lorry in Tonbridge and loading the Malawi container in Birmingham

Preparation work continued during lockdown…….

We are taking a team of nine from Tonbridge, who will pack the container. Birmingham will provide a team of six to unload vehicles and transfer items.

You are all invited to come & lend your support next Friday (11th June) at 7pm, to help load or just come & support the Malawi parish project. It would also be good to see some of our supporters from outside the parish. 

Once again a big thank you to everyone who have supported our Malawi container project in so many ways, without your help & support our container project would not be the great success it has become. This is our twelfth container to Malawi and I am sure you are as proud as me with what we have achieved since 2009.

Malawi Warehouse address: Unit 4F Munday Industrial Estate, Waters Farm Road, 58-66, Morley Road, Tonbridge TN9 1RP. For further information please contact Brian on 07714-012915    

The departure is confirmed for: June 2021.

Container news 2021

Dates for your diaries:

• Loading of our Transfer lorry at Tonbridge 7pm Friday evening 11^th June 2021.
• Travel to Birmingham to load the Container Saturday 12^th June 2021.

We have a little over four weeks before we load our 2021 container. There is lots of work to complete & even more should we be allocated more space. Brian is asking for volunteers to work in very small (Covid safe) teams. If you are able to help please email Brian: brianrobertwilkins@yahoo.co.uk

We could not continue without the help of our supporters: 

• Our Packing Teams – Who give up so many hours sorting & packing on many Saturday afternoons.
• Our Warehouse – Thanks Ruth, at Alexander Management / Tyler Holding Ltd. for continuing to donate a warehouse for our container project, with no Costs to our charity.
• Our Transport – A big thank you to Lenham Storage Ltd. Who provide the lorry at totally no cost for transferring our items from Tonbridge to Birmingham, A Special thank you To Wesley Arthur & Chis Burt of the transport department.
• Our Driver – A big thank to Nicolas Devine who gives up Friday & Saturday to drive the Lenham Storage lorry.
• Our Parish – Who have supported our Malawi Twinning project since 2001.

For all those who have made our dream come true, a big thank you from Malawi.

Container news 2020

We had hoped that it might have been possible to load our 12th container in September. However, under Covid-19 regulations, it would not be possible to adhere to social distancing during the loading of our container (28 tons in just 6 hours) and we do not believe the situation will change in the next few weeks, thus our container will not load until March/April next year.

Peter Hoare Interior Designs

On Tuesday (18th August 2020) a full car load of Fabric & Curtains arrived from Peter Hoare Interior Designs of Tunbridge Wells. Jo Hoare has for many years made donations to our Malawi Container project, providing fabric, material & curtains which the women in Malawi make into clothing & many other items using the sewing machines we have sent over many years.

New donations from St. Gregory’s RC School

On Tuesday 4th August 2020, Jane & Frances Manlow, Colin O’Hara, Liam Elks & myself, along with David Burgess & Debbie Ryan from St Gregory’s, loaded our collection from the school. This donation consisted, of 68 desktop computers, 3 tablet pc’s, 28 flat screen monitors, boxes of used keyboards, boxes of new keyboards, mice & cables, along with some footballs donated from the Rusthall Foresters FC. We are most grateful for these kind donations.

At the end of July Liam, Tina & I, tidied & allocated all the donations into different sections ready for packing. Liam & I made space in our computer storage area for a donation from St Gregory’s RC school, Tunbridge Wells.

Last Wednesday St Gregory’s made further donations of IT equipment and ten digital cameras, which will be really great for the schools in Malawi.

New Sponsor: Kier Rail

One of our former parishioners, Aleline Swanson, moved to Bedford some time ago, but has continued to support & donate personally to the Malawi container project. Her partner Andrew works for Kier Rail. During the office relocation to Bedford lots of goodies became available.

Boxes of pens, pencils, files, stationery, plastic water bottles & much more. They made a delivery yesterday (Saturday 4th July). Thank you Kier Rail.

Update from Brian 7th June 2020

Dear Friends, Supporters & Donors,

How things have changed in just a matter of just a few weeks, we have been in lockdown; we can’t meet family, go to the pub or have a meal in restaurant & can’t go to a football match. Due to this dreadful coronavirus pandemic, here in the UK & around the world. Our twelfth container should have loaded yesterday (Saturday 6th June) and now be in Felixstowe ready to load onto a container ship, to start its long journey to Malawi.

Sadly our last packing session was on Saturday 21st March, at that time we had been making really good progress; we were well over half packed. Since then we have had a a small number of volunteers making progress.

• Colin has been in the warehouse on two separate occasions packing in self-isolation.
• Kevin has refurbished 12 laptop computers & loaded them with basic software.
• Anisa & Ruby (mum & daughter) have packed the laptops ready to send to six destinations.
• Jill & Roger have ordered and received over £1500 worth of school materials.
• I have sorted & shared these amongst the schools & parishes we support via our annual Malawi container project.
• Lillian, Anisa & Ruby (Grandmother, Mum & Daughter) will pack these in self-isolation on Monday 8th June. Once these are packed we shall be just almost three quarters packed.

So a big thank you to our dedicated packers for all their work in getting us this far in very difficult times.

We are hoping it may be possible to send this year’s container in September, but this will depend on how the pandemic “pans out” over the next few weeks. We shall have discussions with our partners in Birmingham during July and hope we may be able to set a date for departure. If this is not possible we may have to delay our twelfth container until early spring next year.

Can you Help?

Computers are always the most requested items for Malawi.
Our friends in Malawi, see this as the best way to move out of poverty, they regard education as the key to their future.
This year, we will send 35 Desktop & 12 Laptop computers, we have a few desktop computers left in the warehouse but no Laptop computers left in stock.

We are desperately looking for more computers. Do you know of any companies or schools who could help by donating their old & used computers? Do you work for company who may be able to help?
Be assured all computers are totally “wiped” using a specialised programme.

Our Friends in Malawi are so thankful & grateful for all the help we have given them & it is you who have made this possible. THANK YOU.