Our Thai guests have arrived and they've already seen Bleasdale House, Beaumont College and had a reception with the Mayor of Lancaster. On Sunday we're off to the Disability Awareness Day in Warrington and on Monday it's down to London. In London we've been invited to have meetings with MPs at the House of Parliament, and senior managers from the NHS, Scope and Leonard Cheshire.

We've been asked to arrange another disabilty awareness tour. We're invited the most senior government officials in the Department For Social Welfare for the whole of Thailand to visit the UK in early July. We're hoping to visit some of the same places in Lancaster as the first group and spend time in London too. Thanks to all those who have agreed to have a second visit, and to our new contacts in London. We look foward to seeing you again / meeting you soon.

We've had a kind donation of a tv and dvd player so the children have been working hard to keep good physical posture and watching movies.

W follow up appointment was good and hip and leg given the all clear. Hospital Physio impressed with his strength and walking pattern.

The change round of ward staff seems to be a great improvement for our ward.

Nicola has been assisting with some adoptions and one child who went to America just before Christmas has just given her life to Jesus. Nicola has been in contact with the family and little girl lots since they left, and is over the moon for her.

Please pray for the adoption processes taking place at present that they will get to take their children home soon.

Four staff from the orphanage are going to English language lessons on Mondays at the international church Nicola goes to. Nicola is also a teacher of students in level one and really pleased with the link of church and staff. Pray they will stay for the evangelism part, improve their English and meet with the Lord and Saviour.

The latest shipment of donated items has arrived in Thailand. We're just waiting for the paperwork to be checked and then it will be released and transported to the orphanage.

Rescheduled from April 2010, the Disability Awareness Tour (DAT) took place during October. 7 senior Thai officials from the orphanages and the government Department for Social Welfare were invited to the UK for two weeks to share and experience UK care provision for disabled children and adults. They visited schools, colleges, residential homes, a farm, met the Mayor of Lancaster and even had trip to Space (the amazing multi-sensory centre in Preston rather than 62 miles in an upwards direction). More details and photos to follow.

The second shipment of donated items is due to be shipped very shortly. This time, in addition to the equipment mobility and positioning equipment, we hoped to send some computer equipment but we have ben unable to send it because Thailand's import laws require computer equipment to be less than three years old.

1Step2Step held a family friendly treasure hunt around Lancaster to raise funds for Nicola's work. More on this later.

Nicola is back in England and has been invited to attend an evening at the Thai Embassy in Liverpool. More on this later.

Nicola has been invited to attend a reception at the Thai Consulate in Liverpool in January! She is intending to come home a little earlier than planned so that she can attend.

The Thailand orphanage also celebrates its 30th birthday this month.

Paul and Becca Chamberlain have moved down South. Becca will continue to do the newsletter.

Nicola has a student physio working each afternoon with two of the children in her care, which is great, but now they complain they don’t see as much of Nicola!

Nicola has moved condo at the beginning of October and now has air-conditioning, hot shower and a lift which is a big improvement from having to struggle up 5 flights of stairs when hot and tired. She now has internet in her room and the new condo is opposite her church and very near Carrefour supermarket.

The build-up drinks have been shipped and arrive safely in Thailand.

Nicola is now better.

Nicola is on her 3rd course of antibiotics for the chest infection, which has been diagnosed as bronchitis.

A sign of the influence the work of 1Step2Step is having in the way the children are cared for has been the arrival of some chairs for the ward staff to use with the children. An American donor, having seen Nicola working with her small group, has arranged for chairs to be made and delivered to the ward to enable the orphanage staff to feed the children in an upright position. This helps with digestion and also allows the children to see the world differently, sitting rather than lying down. It is hoped the staff will use the chairs not just for feeding, but also to sit some of the children in from time to time, to encourage them to lift their heads, building strength in their neck muscles.

The Baby Massage Course is finally organised and paid for. This is a great testimony to the strength of Nicola’s relationship with the orphanage and will be really helpful for the children.

Richard and Chris Wood held a ceilidh in honour of their wedding anniversary and donated some of the money given to 1Step2Step. Thankyou.

We have recently been given at cost price some build-up drinks that benefit the children when they are recovering from illness. Thank you to the pharmacy in Lancaster who gave these, they will be on their way very soon.

Nicola has not been well lately, with a mysterious stomach illness, a nasty cough, and now acute tonsillitis! She has worked through most of these things and is particularly keen to shake off the tonsillitis to enable her to attend to her visa.

A sewing group has been formed to produce dolls for the baby massage course. This is to allow attendees to practise their technique before performing their new skills on the children.

Project Pedro. We have been given a number of specialist items that UK children with disabilities have used and grown out of. As they can't be re-used in this country they generally end up being thrown away despite being in good condition, but not anymore. Project Pedro aims to collect, sort and send this equipment to the orphanage in Thailand for use with the children there. The project is named after the Piedro boots and shoes that children wear to correct problems with walking and standing. The difference in spelling was an accident but it's stuck now, and it's probably better to stay clear of Piedro's trademark, and the project involves other equipment anyway. As for Pedro, we have no idea who he is. But he's probably Spanish. Or maybe Portuguese.

The Baby Massage Course is scheduled to take place sometime next year.

Chutipong, one of Nicola’s smallest children, has made real progress under her care and the head of physiotherapy believes he would now benefit from physiotherapy sessions as well as the work he is doing with Nicola.

The room Nicola has been able to use for 1-1 portage work with the children has been really helpful in enabling the children to concentrate. She says, 'Some of the group are starting to recognize the room and smile when we enter.' Some of the group have been learning new skills like gripping and releasing objects with their hands and holding concentration when looking in a mirror. These are going well and Nicola is pleased with the progress.

The orphanage has accepted the offer of 1Step2Step to send a trainer in Baby Massage from the UK to run sessions for staff, volunteers and parents. Baby Massage is a technique that improves circulation, muscle relaxation and emotional bounds. The details of this are yet to be arranged, however this will be a significant step in helping to stimulate the children and build relationships between them and those caring for them.

1Step2Step have purchased foam supports and car seats for use with the children, which are very useful for positioning the children and propping them up so that they can take part in activities.

We're been offered the use of a small room, separate to the main room, for portage sessions. This should help the Children's concentration during these sessions.

The Thai Church Nicola attends is looking to physically expand as it is regularly full. It is a lively place, which organises a full programme of events and charitable work. Hopefully the development will mean Nicola can take some of the children to services, as there will be room for wheelchairs.

Julie Purvis, who works in a special school in the Lancaster, is visiting in the summer to help Nicola write Individual Education Plans for the children and to teach Nicola how to do this in the future.

Our project is still very much in the fledgling stages and getting ready and well prepared for the work that we are about to take on.

Nicola Anderson has completed Portage training and she is now ready to go and start the pilot scheme with a small group of the children in Thailand. We have many of the toys required thanks to the Early Learning Centre in Lancaster. We will be shipping it over for Nicola to use with the children at the orphanage.

At present all we can say on this page is watch this space for news updates when Nicola starts working in Thailand. If you wish to hear more often why not ask to be added to the newsletter email distribution list? This will make sure you receive the news straight to your inbox.

Pudding party (Raises £312)

Sure Start North Lancaster held a Pudding Party for Nicola Anderson’s work leaving do and it raised £312 for 1Step2Step. A great evening was had by all who attended and a huge thank you goes out to Val Baxter for holding that wonderful event in her house. Thanks also to all those who went along and took such amazing cakes and desserts.

Auction of promises (Raises £4227)

St Thomas’ Church in Lancaster held an ‘Auction of Promises’. The event was a truly enjoyable night full of fun, food and fundraising. We are grateful to the church for hosting this event and backing it so solidly. The room looked so beautiful. We have had some amazing offers of lots for this event from weekends in people’s holiday homes to car washing and gardening, to cooking an Indian meal for 30 people. A special thank you to Joan and Brain Robinson who have put their car in the bidding pot. This generosity is greatly appreciated.

This whole great idea is down to our wonderful friend Jess Walmsley. Thanks go out to her for all the hard work, organisation and effort she has put into this night of fun.

The evening raised £4227 on the night and this was amazing. Thank you to everyone who was willing to bid and dig deep into his or her pockets to make this happen.

Raising awareness of 1Step2Step

Over the summer 1Step2Step has been hot on the lips of the committee members getting the word out about the needs of the children in Thailand. The official launch of the project in June at St Thomas ’ Church Lancaster was a great success with many people catching the vision and backing this work.

Since then there has been a radio interview at New Wine North Christian conference in Newark, a exhibition stand at Soul Survivor youth Christian event in Shepton Mallet and a short talk given and video shown in Goffs Oak Methodist Church in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

We hope for articles to go in the Lancaster Guardian soon too.

All these events will hopefully have raised awareness of the project aims to help the children, with cerebral palsy, in Thailand ’s orphanage.