Thank You

I sat in our garden on Saturday morning with a local taxi driver, a security guard and six local children, the children I took by the hand and showed them around the garden and then asked them to go off and play. Other than the births of my own children I have never experienced such moments of joy and exhiliaration. In six days we transformed an arid site into one of the most spectacular gardens I have ever had the joy to visit. Our fantastic team of 54 have built this garden not just with materials but with their hearts, and the families in Freedom Park have seen this effort and will appreicate their facilities for many years.
I can not express in words the effect that this week has had on my life, I have made many new friends and seen how my old friends have surpassed their loyalties to me during this great project. Ultimately I think we can all go back to our families, friends and sponsors with our heads raised high, knowing we have have brought them and us great pride in our efforts.

It would be a great pleasure to see many of you join us again next year. Plans are already in progress for the site and the theme of our next garden. In order to help with the fundraising for next year I was hoping to collect as many photographs and video footage as possible so that we could produce a short film of our project. I would appreciate it if you could put whatever you have on a CD or DVD and post it to me.

For anyone wishing to go next year the forms can be downloaded from the charities website, for those that can not, many thanks and I hope that you will always cherish the memory of your time in Freedom Park. For the rest of the stalwards, I'll see you all soon.

We will be organising a night out in a bout three weeks, so I'll keep you posted. Many thanks and kind regards, to you and you families. Dominic

Postal Address:

Dominic Loughran
Garden of Hope Project 2008
2 Earlsfort Glade
Lucan
Co. Dublin

Tel: 01-6249612
Mobile: 087-2854602

See you in Cape Town

Hi Guys, Just getting ready to leave tomorrow morning. I'll have 4 days on site prior to your arrival. I'll keep you posted over the next few days how's things are going and I'll get a few photo's too.
I want to thank you all for coming on this journey, now that all the fundraising is over the project can begin.
I'll see you all in Cape Town!

Safe travel - Dominic

Schedules

The schedules have been listed below, these have changed slightly from originals. Each evening schedules will be reviewed and amended as required.

Teams

50 team members are listed below - 10 additional labourers to join team for tree planting scheme in greater freedom park

Team Colours

Just to let everyone know teams colours were announced at management meeting last night. We are the Olive Team!! So get matching!!!

When you arrive at hotel room you will be given, 1 holdall bag, 1 cooler bag, 6 Olive t-shirts, 1 polo shirt, 1 jacket and 1 hat.

Dominic

Tools required

The list below is a guide, use the tasks listing to help you select tools needed. Labourers will not required most of the tools below. But should bring sand paper, paint brushes( 5 pack) and gloves. Anyone not taking tools of their own could help some of the others.

Sample tool list
Socket set
Spanners
Powered screwdriver
Hand saw
Hack saw
Screwdriver
Hammer
Tape measure
String line
Paint brushes
Pliers
Wire snips
Safety glasses
Knee pads
Sand paper
Jig saw
Circular saw ( Small)
Pencils
Stanley blade
Gloves (Lots)

Preordered tool list

Tools to bring List

I would recommend that everyone take at least one paint brush. The building teams should take, measuring tapes, string line, trowels, and mallets. We will also need a couple of jigsaws, power screwdrivers, hand saws, socket sets, spanners, hacksaws, sandpaper(lots), pliers, drill bits, screwdrivers, squares. I will post a full list of items required and items to be on site which I have preordered. If anything is missing please let me know. I'll also post a list of recommended clothing and safety items. Thanks again for all the post. Dominic

Daves Tools

Dave is taking some heavy tools and welding rods with him, if anyone has space please let us know. Dominic

Niall Mellon - Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dominic Loughran

Photographed by: Dave Kenny Productions