Retrak - News Detail

Manchester Police and Retrak in 2011

10/3/2011

“GMP’s partnership with Retrak in 2010 was a model volunteer programme. Those involved feel honoured to have made a lasting difference to the lives of children in Africa through Retrak’s essential work.

We are pleased to be able to present this life changing opportunity to GMP officers and staff again in 2011, and grateful to Retrak for allowing us to be a part of their efforts to see no child forced to live on the streets.”

Chief Constable Peter Fahy, Greater Manchester Police

After the huge success of the partnership of Retrak with Greater Manchester Police last year – a partnership which saw more than £40,000 raised and a team of 20 volunteers travelling out to Ethiopia to do vital work at our Addis Ababa project – we and GMP are proud to announce the beginning of a new joint undertaking for 2011.

This year, 24 individuals have been selected from across Greater Manchester Police to fly out to Africa to volunteer at Retrak's projects in November.

As with last year, it’s a diverse group spanning many disciplines and skill-sets within the police force – from a counter-terrorism detective to an administrative assistant, a 999 call-handler to a community support officer – and they’ll be bringing their skills to bear both directly upon our projects when they fly out to Africa in November, and also in an array of inventive fund-raising activities throughout the year designed to finance the trip and to augment Retrak’s existing fund-raising initiatives.

Unlike their 2010 predecessors, however, this group of volunteers will be split into two distinct teams. The first team of 12 will travel to Uganda’s capital, Kampala – the site of Retrak’s first-ever project. There they will help to build a playground for the boys living in our half-way-home cottages at Tudabujja, just outside the city, as well as skill-sharing with the Ugandan Police Force and, perhaps most excitingly, meeting the ‘Tigers’ – the Kampalan Retrak street boys’ football team!

The second team will follow the footsteps of the 2010 volunteers by travelling to our Addis Ababa project in Ethiopia, where they’ll help to turn our old drop-in centre into emergency accommodation, meet the Retrak pioneers helping to create Ethiopia’s first programme of foster care, and run alongside our staff and children in the Great Ethiopian Run.

GMP’s Chief Constable, Peter Fahy, says;

“I am often struck by the charitable spirit and dedication of our officers and staff, who devote so much of their time to a long list of worthwhile causes. GMP personnel are working closely with Retrak again this year, to help make a difference to the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children.”