SANDRA Westwood knows all about the rigours of working in bad weather. For the past four years she has steadfastly manned her open-air stall in Polis market and, come rain, hail, biting winds, and the blistering heat of summer she has never failed to be open for business.
No matter how many times there is an outbreak of verbal Brit bashing, one thing is written is for certain: if you want to raise money for charity get the Brits on board. If they need something, they have the talent and persuasive technique to beg, borrow but never to steal the particular service they require. The result in this particular case is a staggering £24,000 raised for local charities by 15 Polis-based women. That money has gone to benefit a number of charities from cancer patients to helping disabled children.
Of course, not all this money was raised via the sale of old paperbacks. Bake sales, raffles, quiz nights and car boot sales have also been held.
These ladies also agree that the meaning of true Christian charity has, over the years, been diluted, with less and less support being given to help those who are disadvantaged, leading to many decent, honest falling through the cracks.
Sandra and her colleagues are however in full celebratory mode: they have opened their own shop in Polis so can divest themselves of the layers of Damart clothing and luxuriate in surroundings that don’t end up giving them colds, chills or involuntary hot flushes.
The money spent on the shop was minimal, with all the fixtures and fittings being donated or DIYed by willing spouses. It says a great deal for this small but perfectly formed charity that they can boast so many ex professional women. This ‘Powder power’ is now all around us and is one of the truly positive ways that retired women from Europe can ‘put back’ something into a society they now consider as their adopted home. In other words they get involved because no body else will.
No body else was willing to spring for the cash to purchase equipment for the Pan Cyprian Downs Syndrome charity but the Polis ladies have provided new equipment to set up essential music therapy classes for these children. This includes special cushions for the children to sit on, CD players, guitars, and keyboards plus the payment of part of the salary for a specialist teacher.
l Polis Charity Fund raisers. PO Box 66306, Polis Chrysochou, Paphos 8831. Tel: 26 323106 or 99 867511. email: [email protected]
What car do you drive?
At present I have a Honda Logo, but am toying with maybe changing for a 4×4 Toyota Rav 6
Describe your perfect weekend
Curling up on Saturday afternoon with a good book, by a roaring fire, followed by a good old ‘weepie movie’. Enjoying roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with loads of gravy for Sunday lunch and not having to wash-up!
Assuming you believed in reincarnation, who or what would you come back as?
I would love to return as a nice person’s pampered cat, no responsibilities, fed regularly and I could roam wherever I wanted.
What is your greatest fear?
Dying before I’ve accomplished all I am capable of.
What is your earliest memory?
My brother Brian’s 16th birthday party, the cake with all those candles, I was 3 years old and was totally mesmerised.
What did you have for breakfast?
I’m no use to man or beast until I’ve had 2 cups of tea & 1 cup of coffee accompanied by 4/5 cigarettes, this usually takes about 2 hours.
What was the last item of clothing you bought?
Pair of cotton pyjamas from M&S for my forthcoming holiday in Egypt.
