Khushi Archive 2014 

February 2014: Cycle to Kolkata Announcement

We are very excited to reveal our exciting project for spring 2014 – Cycle to Kolkata!
Khushi will be encouraging us all (regardless of geographical location) to get on our bikes and cycle as many miles as we can, raising sponsorship money for Khushi Feet. All miles cycled will be added to our virtual cycle ride to Kolkata and progress can be monitored by visiting the Cycle to Kolkata Dashboard.

Cycle to Kolkata, will run from Friday 14th March until at least the end of May.

FAQs

What are you doing?
Virtually 'Cycling to Kolkata' by encouraging people, wherever they are, to ride their bikes and add their miles completed to our grand total. We are also encouraging riders to ask for sponsors, with a suggested aim of £1 per mile cycled.

Why are you doing this?
We are raising money to support schools for street children in Kolkata.

When is this happening?
The project is launched on Friday 14 March and will run until at least the end of May.

So you're not actually cycling to Kolkata?
No, we are adding together the miles covered by any rides, young and old, recreational or serious, anywhere in the world, who wants to join in. That way we hope to cover the distance between Faversham (where our charity is based) and Kolkata (where the schools for street children are).

How far is it to Kolkata?
Google says it's 6208 miles by road. It's a long way. Can we do it? If you help, YES!

Why should I help?
It's fun. It's for a great cause. It will be a fantastic achievement for all of us if we manage it. You might get fit(ter)!

How do I join in?
You can cycle as little or as much as you like. You can team up with a group of friends or do it on your own. Whatever you fancy! Just let us know you are doing it, download a sponsor form and plan your ride. All the information you need to get started can be found on our On Your Bikes page.

Anything else?
We're interested to see who can cycle the most miles and raise the most money. We're hoping to attract riders from different parts of the UK and other countries around the world. We'd love to hear stories and see photos of your efforts. All progress can be tracked on our Cycle to Kolkata Dashboard.

Khushi says . . .
Khushi says: 'Let's be careful out there!"

• wear some kind of protective hat and appropriate clothing
• we're not responsible if you ride like a fool or sustain injury
• remember the Highway Code (or whatever rules of the road your country abides by)
• it's not a race - we want to "arrive" in Kolkata as a team
• ride safely (like Khushi said before)

• Fill in the Cycle to Kolkata form to let us know you are cycling.
• Download a Cycle to Kolkata Sponsor Form. Or you could set up a Virgin Giving page. (Or both!)
• Ask your family, friends, work colleagues etc to sponsor you.
• Recruit others to join in. You could plan a ride together. (Download our Poster and Flyer and advertise it wherever you can).
• Ride! Your own route, wherever you are. For as many or as few miles as you can. As often as you like!
• Let us know how many miles you have completed and how much you have raised by making a Cycle to Kolkata Progress Report. We will add your miles and pounds to the total.
• Check the Cycle to Kolkata Dashboard to see our overall progress. You might make it onto our leaderboard!
• Collect your sponsorship money and send it to us. 

March 2014: Khushi's Birthday Party

It's Khushi Cow's Birthday!

On Sunday 2nd March Khushi is having a party, and you are invited to come and join the fun from 4-6pm in the Adventure Play area at Faversham Gym (Queen Elizabeth II Centre, Whitstable Road, ME13 8BF).

March 2014: And We're Off!

We are officially 'Cycling to Kolkata'. The project was launched on Friday afternoon, 14th March. Faversham's MP Hugh Robertson (who was Minister for the 2012 Olympic Games) met Khushi The Cow, and between them, they cycled the first mile of our epic virtual cycle ride.



Cycle to Kolkata, will run from Friday 14th March until at least the end of May. The bike ride is over 6,000 miles long! Can we cycle to Kolkata?

All we need now is for YOU to get on your bikes and get involved!

March 2014: Brownies Do Bollywood

Khushi had a great day yesterday (Saturday 30 March), joining hundreds of Brownies from across the south east at their one hundred year celebration.

Held at the Winter gardens in Margate, Khushi ran ten minute 'Brownies Do Bollywood' workshops throughout the day with a total of well over five hundred Brownies taking part. Everyone had a fun time learning and performing the dance, and hearing about the street schools in Kolkata. The day concluded with around a thousand people joining in a two minute Bollywood dance. The organisers were kind enough to give a donation to Khushi Feet. Exciting stuff!

April 2014: Cycle to Kolkata - Steady Progress

It's been great to see people getting involved in our Cycle to Kolkata challenge, though we still need many more of you to do your bit (find out how here). We now have seventeen registered riders helping us on the 'journey'. Some are clocking up the miles (and the money), others bravely completing fewer (but no less valuable) amounts, one or two still to get started. At the moment Hugh and Thomas Matthews head our leaderboard, with Kevin Martin, Alastair Gould and Steve Palmer all not too far behind.

The latest progress report can be found in detail on our Dashboard. The headlines are:
Miles cycled: 742
Money Pledged: £1125
Current location: Wels, Austria

April 2014: Adventure Novelist Supports Khushi Competition

Fiona Beddow is an author who writes fast-paced, heart-tugging adventure novels for girls. She is a member of the Girl Effect Movement and is passionate about championing the rights and aspirations of girls. We are very pleased that she is also a big supporter of Khushi Feet. Fiona recently interviewed Khushi Feet's founder, Emily Cook. You can read the interview here. (Fiona's exciting new novel ‘Fierce Resistance’ is out now on Amazon and we highly reccommend it!)

Khushi Feet, in association with Fiona Beddow Books, are running an exciting COMPETITION, giving you the chance to win a signed copy of Fierce Resistance and some Khushi goodies. On top of this, the name of the winner will be used as a character in Fiona's third book! To enter, all you need to do is answer this question:

What is the national animal of India?
a) Elephant
b) Tiger
c) Cow

Closing date: Sunday 31st August 2014. Correct entries will be drawn out of a hat. We have an even bigger and better competition planned for later this year, so watch this space!

May 2014: Cycle With Khushi - More Riders Needed

As the Giro d'Italia cycle race kicks off today in Belfast Khushi's own 'Grand Tour' is continuing.

We're well on the way to Kolkata now, with eighteen riders so far having taken part in our epic virtual bike ride. (See the latest progress on the Dashboard.) Some have been piling on the miles, while others have managed a creditable few - each mile adding to the total. How about you? We need more riders to sign up and help us to our target.

Just remember - every little helps. You may not think you have much to offer, but the odd mile here and there and a little bit of sponsor money will really make a difference! All the information you need to get started can be found on the On Your Bikes page. So why not sign up today!

August 2014: Into The Last Stages

We are now very close to completing our epic (virtual) Cycle To Kolkata.

With only a few hundred miles to go, we are planning to complete the ride in style, with a few of our most loyal supporters (including some of those who have cycled the most miles) finishing off the distance by riding from Margate to Faversham Market Place on Saturday 6th September. They will be arriving at 12noon.

Khushi the Cow will be on hand to greet the riders, and there will be cakes and Khushi goodies available for anyone who wants to say 'hello'. There will also be details of our next initiative which you won't want to miss!

September 2014: We've 'Cycled to Kolkata'

A huge thank you and well done to everyone who has taken part in our virtual cycle ride to Kolkata - to those who have cycled and those who have sponsored. We have collectively cycled over 6200 miles and have raised a massive £4280.



In all there were more than twenty regular riders who covered the distance, some contributing significant mileage, others doing their bit. Progress was monitored on the Cycle To Kolkata Dashboard, which also has a breakdown of what some of our riders achieved on the leaderboard.



Thanks again to everyone who helped us complete this fundraising challenge. The money raised through Cycle to Kolkata has been put towards the cost of a new school bus for the GNCEM mobile school. This means GCNEM can continue to transport the street children to school safely.

September 2014: New Bus for the Street Schools

The Mobile Street Schools at GNCEM are run for children who live out on the crowded streets of Kolkata's city centre. Many of these children are orphans. Every morning, the volunteer teachers drive round the streets of Kolkata in a big yellow school bus and pick up the children.

As you can imagine, this school bus goes through a lot of wear and tear. GNCEM told us that they needed a new bus for the mobile schools and we wanted to help.

We are so pleased to have raised £15,000 which is enough money to buy GNCEM a brand new shiny school bus! This includes the money raised recently through our epic virtual 'Cycle to Kolkata' fundraiser.

We are looking forward to seeing some pictures of the new bus very soon and we will share these with you as soon as we have them.

November 2014: Gala Dinner

Guest of Honour: Louise Jameson

Doctor Who and Eastenders star Louise Jameson will be giving an after dinner speech. Louise is an award-winning actress and director. She trained at RADA and has performed in Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shew, and King Lear with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Louise is probably best known as Leela companion to Tom Baker's Doctor in the classic series of Doctor Who (1977-1978). She also had a long run in EastEnders, appearing in over 200 episodes. Photo of Louise Jameson: Lisa Bowerman.

We have some other very special guests joining us for the evening:

Chetna Makan

Contestant from this year's The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, Wednesdays, 8pm) Chetna will be baking dessert for us. Chetna was born in India. She went to University in Mumbai where she became a fashion designer and started her own clothes label. In 2003, Chetna moved to Kent. Chetna's creative baking combines her mum's traditional Indian recipes and flavours with British bakes. She continues to impress Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry on The Great British Bake Off.

Arunima Kumar

India’s leading and most versatile Kuchipudi dancer Arunima Kumar will be performing a display of authenic Indian dance. Arunima has performed at numerous distinguished festivals and venues in over 15 countries, including the Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House, Delhi) and Sydney Opera House. In 2008, she received India's prestigious 'Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar' award, for artists who demonstrate exceptional talent in the field of dance.

When: Saturday 29th November 2014. Doors Open: 7pm
Where: West Faversham Community Centre, Kent ME13 7RH
Tickets: £30
Dress Code: Formal

Your ticket will include a welcome drink and a three course meal, entertainment and a chance to hear from our special guest, Louise Jameson.

Our main course will be cooked by Corinne's Creative Kitchen. Corinne prides herself in producing authentic Asian food using the best quality local ingredients. She has received the Kent Artisan Food Producer Award and guarantees to tantalise taste buds with delicious dishes.

Almost £2000 was raised at our gala dinner on Saturday 30 November.

The evening included food from local chef Corinne Goodman and Great British Bake Off star Chetna Makan. Kuchipudi and Bollywood dancer Arunima Kumar and 18-year-old magician Ashley Green provided entertainment and former Doctor Who star Louise Jameson gave the after-dinner speech, reminiscing about her time with some of the other members of the show. There was also a charity auction. which included packs of jelly babies signed by former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker. In total the evening raised over £1740.

October 2014: Faversham Carnival

Here is the video of our Doctor Who themed float at Faversham Carnival last Saturday.  We had a great time!

Go to: Khushi Archive 2015