Dates for your diary

Dates for your diary

Saturday 13th November 2010
SAKA Quiz
7pm. Christchurch Hall, Southborough.
Tickets £6 per person (includes ploughman’s supper) from Mike Handcock.

Sunday 5th December 2010
Christmas Lunch
12noon. Abergavenny Arms, Frant.
Menu and Tickets £19.50 per person from Lynda Emberson.

Grand Charity Cabaret

SAKA The Southborough & Kaniv Association
is proud to present a
Grand Charity Cabaret
(with a traditional Fish and Chip Supper)
Saturday 9th October at 7.30pm. The Day Centre Hall of Christ Church, Broomhill Park Rd, Southborough at the old-fashioned price of £7.50.
For the fourth year running we proudly present our most popular social event. Included in the price will be various artists to entertain you, your Fish and Chip Supper, drawing of prizes for our Grand Draw. All proceeds will support our initiatives to help needy pensioners and support educational projects in Kaniv. We look forward to seeing you at the cabaret. Tickets from Colette Marsh on 01892 525042.


GRAND DRAW
۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞Star Prize۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞
£100 CASH
۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞

SECOND PRIZE: An all-inclusive meal with wine for two persons at
THE VIEW RESTAURANT, Tonbridge, by courtesy of Whiting and Hammond.

MANY OTHER PRIZES. TICKETS £1 EACH. DRAW TO BE MADE ON 9th OCTOBER 2010.

Order your draw tickets in advance from Mike Handcock on 01892 528495

SAKA Promoting friendship between Southborough and Kaniv in Ukraine

Other Dates for your Diary

Saturday 10th July - Open Garden Event

Saturday 9th October - Cabaret Evening & Grand Draw

Saturday 13th November - Quiz Evening.

For more details of all these events see the Chairman's Letter.

LATEST PRESS RELEASE

Eric Dias has agreed to become our Financial Scrutineer. May we thank you Eric and Welcome.

A note from your Secretary

Well, yes I did have my arm twisted by Mike which is how I have come to be involved in this very worthy organisation. I am amazed by what has been achieved in such a short time and would like to think that I can contribute in some way.
Because of other commitments I have asked Mike to keep looking for a Secretary but I will attempt to do the best I can while I am in post. I hope at some time to meet all the
members and be able to put names to faces.
In order that the Committee can work for the Association however, new members are essential. Please, please try and recruit. Maybe organise a small fund-raising event and encourage potential new members to come along.
Good Luck in the coming years.
Lynda Emberson.

Congratulations! And Thanks!

Congratulations to the following members who, on the 6th May, stood as candidates in either the General Eelction or in the Borough Council Election; Colin Bothwell, Alan Bullion, Greg Clark, Peter Crawford, Dianne Hill, Trevor Poile and Jackie Prance. Thanks to all of them for their community spirit and endeavour.

Also well done Elaine Lawrence who received a Civic Award at the Town Meeting on 13th April. A long over-due recognition of her splendid community work. Remember to call in and see her at the Bliss Cafe opposite the Library.

Thanks to Colin Bothwell who has been a splendid President for us for two years and grateful thanks to Peter Crawford who has agreed to become our new President. We wish both Peter and Colin well in the years ahead.

Do you have an idea for a fundraising event?

We are always open to new ideas. In order that the organisation can continue, and able to help with future projects we are in need of further funds. We would love to hear from you.

Coffee Morning – Thursday 2nd September (come rain or shine)

Time 10.00-12.00. Refreshments. Raffle.
£3.00. Members and Friends only
Venue: , St. Marks Road, Broadwater Down, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5LT

Why I went to Ukraine in March by Mike Handcock

This Summer Southborough should be hosting the Euro Youth Project but instead our youngsters will be involved in EuroCamp 2010 at Swattenden, near Cranbrook, a project organized by the Kent Youth Service of K.C.C. Also taking part will be eight young people from Kaniv provided they can get their visas and their parents can afford the air-fares.
At the A.G.M. it was agreed that one of our projects this year would be to support the Ukranian group by providing funds to help the payment of their visas. So armed with official invitations and all we could afford to help them I paid a short but well worth-while visit as ever enjoying kind hospitality and consideration from friends in Kaniv.


Group of youngsters with their two leaders, who are coming for the EuroCamp 2010 in July. (Taken on my last visit)



Some of you may recognise Oleksandra Kucha and Viktoria Voyutska, the girls who danced for us at the Open Gardens event last year. (They are third and sixth from the left in the group photo.) and of course Iryna Datsenko (far right), who will be paying her third visit to Kent as one of the group leaders

Vladimir and Vitaly Klichko

As reported some time ago the Klichko brothers, who between them hold four of the five versions of the world heavyweight boxing title, donated to SAKA two pairs of signed sparring gloves. We have decided to sell these to the highest bidder, rather than use them as prizes in our Grand Draw, because we can find another prize for the draw, resulting in the proceeds for the gloves raising extra revenue.
We did try E-Bay, though unsuccessfully. In hindsight we did place too high a reserve price on them. We have contacted all the companies selling memorabilia and one of the company directors wants the gloves for his own private collection. He has offered us £150 for two pairs. Before we agree to a sale, we want to advise all members of the situation and to the boxing fans amongst us, giving them the first opportunity to purchase the gloves.
If anyone is interested, would they please notify Mike Handcock by 7th June 2010.
Brian Dobson, Publicity Officer

Our School is 25! by Alina Kharchenko

In 1984, on the picturesque bank of the Dnipro, on Shevchenko Street, leading to Taras Hill and the Museum of the Great Kobzar, a new building appeared - The Kaniv Secondary School named after the great Georgian poet, A Tsereteli. In 1997 this educational establishment got a status of the School Specializing in Learning Foreign Languages (English, German and French). 25 years have passed since that time and 2009 was a jubilee year for our alma mater. Our pupils and teachers are our pride. Almost 1500 school-leavers left our school for this period of time, 83 of them got gold medals, 38 silver ones, 37 former pupils became teachers, giving knowledge to students, bringing them up, taking care of them. The pupils of our school take part in Olympiads in different subjects, contests and sport competitions, they attend numerous clubs - dancing, singing, sporting, drama ones.



9 teachers of foreign languages work in our school. They help pupils understand themselves, teach them moral values, about our country and the world around us. At the lessons of the English and American literature our pupils get acquainted with the world of W. Shakespeare and Defoe, Ch. Dickens and G. Byron, J. London and Hemingway, R. Burns and W. Scott. Teaching languages, my colleagues and I use communicative fluency activities/questioning, discussion games, role plays, problem-solving activities. At the town English Olympiads the pupils of our school are mainly the winners, and it brings our teachers pleasure and pride.
Extra-curricular activities are an inseparable part of our work. Strengthening ties with the sister cities, and with Southborough in particular, encourages pupils to learn foreign languages, increases their outlook and urges them to work. Senior students worked at the projects – “Many People, One Heart”, “English in My Life”, “Our Friends All Over the World”. They also willingly put into practice the ecological project embarked by SAKA, planting trees and flowers, watering young seedlings, weeding flowerbeds round our school and in the neighbouring area.
Annually the English teachers arrange the English language week in our school. It includes contests for the best composition or poem, the best wall newspaper, reciting poems, preparation of concerts devoted to Christmas and New Year, St. Valentine's Day, Easter, and Halloween.
A very memorable period was the one devoted to the 25th birthday of our school. Our senior students prepared the film about our school, they acted in the play by Bernard Shaw “Pygmalion”, in the scene from Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet”, recited the sonnets of the great playwright, sang songs of the famous Group The Beetles and modern English songs about love and friendship. The choir solemnly sang “The Anthem of the European Youth”. The atmosphere of the party was very exciting, and the pupils were so proud of their performance.



Really, teachers' job is difficult, but how honourable is to be an adviser, a supporter, a creator, a leader and a friend! How nice it is to discover the world of Knowledge and teach children to be kind and merciful, loving and helpful! This is a Teachers' task. And we, teachers, give our pupils our Heart full of Faith and Love.
Alina Kharchenko, Kaniv

Obituary

Jancis Margaret Wilson, 18.7.38 - 27.2.10
Most of you know by now of the sad death of Jancis aged 71. This followed an operation which she was confident would restore her to full health and enable her to resume the active life she had enjoyed during the time since her retirement from full-time employment. Sadly that was not to be.

Jancis was the first Hon.Secretary of our Association and a founder member.
She visited Kaniv in September 2004 and had several friends there with whom
she kept in regular contact. She was a loyal and generous member of S.A.K.A.
and a good friend, sorely missed not only by us but by those connected with St.John’s Methodist Church, her Morris Dancing friends and of course her family.

A New President for Ukraine

So, much as expected, Ukraine’s new President is Viktor Yanukovych who narrowly beat one of the heroes of the Orange Revolution, Yulia Tymoshenko, in the final round of the election. So now we must wait to see how things develop there before we can answer the question posed by Professor Alan Mayhew at our A.G.M.
Will it be a brighter future for Ukraine? Certainly the President has many problems to address. The World economic crisis has hit Ukraine particularly hard and the population is finding just everyday life very difficult. They cope because sadly they, over the years, have become accustomed to hardship.
The most important decision Yanukovych seems to have taken is to agree to a 25 year extension of a lease which will allow the Russian Black Sea fleet at Sevastopol to stay there until 2042. In return the Russians have reduced by 30% the cost of Ukraine’s gas bill. Whether that is a one-off reduction or an annual discount for a similar 25 years I have no knowledge, but it will certainly help the immediate situation whilst making Russia’s hold over Ukraine very much stronger. It certainly stirred opposition M.P’s to anger in Parliament and Yulia Tymoshenko described the decision as a ‘black day in the history of Ukraine’. The bill agreeing to the extension of the lease was approved by ten votes but it may have united a divided opposition which ultimately may be a good thing.



The Memorial to the victims of the 1932-33 Famine in Ukraine. It is somehow such a meaningful memorial. The black and light blue reflection is clever and I was pleased to capture that and the wording on the side of the stone itself, erected just two years after Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet State.



A further move towards Russia was the President’s denial that an act of genocide was perpetrated against Ukraine in 1932-33 by the Soviets under the rule of Joseph Stalin. Former President Viktor Yushchenko campaigned strongly for world- wide recognition of this induced famine to be recognized as genocide. Many countries support that view, but the U.K. government does not. One wonders what will happen now to the memorial outside the St.Michael’s Cathedral in Kiev, which members of our Association have seen.
It is hoped that we can organise a trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon next year to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Natalia Vorozhbit’s play “The Grain Store”, which is based on the famine. This play was first brought to my attention by Jancis Wilson a few weeks before her death.
On my short visit to Kaniv in March I was told that the President had visited the town, appointed a new Director of the Taras Shevchenko Memorial Museum and decreed that work should recommence on the extension of the building in the near future. As work had been stopped for a six year period due to financial restraints this is good news for Kaniv although, obviously not good news for the former Director who appears to have lost his job through no fault of his own.
So the jury remains out on the question of a brighter future for Ukraine. Certainly the new President appears to have given away his major bargaining power to his powerful neighbour - perhaps a five year extension of lease might have been acceptable but uniting the opposition Parties in Parliament may become a telling factor in the years to come.
Mike Handcock Chairman

Annual General Meeting-5th February 2010

Twenty members attended the A.G.M.including two new members. Iris Veness and
Jean Jenkins, who joined prior to the start of the Meeting.
The Chairman reported that four events, plus the Grand Draw had been held during the year. TheAnnual Dinner in March was much enjoyed and well attended. Our four Ukranian guests arrived on the 12th June and so were able to take part in the Open Gardens event held on the following day. We were particularly grateful to John Cooper and Tom Rusbridge, who are not members, but opened their delightful gardens for us and, of course, to Val and Bert Alldis and Jackie and Robert Prance, who are members and who made their lovely gardens available for visitors.
A new venture was the Quiz held in July and Mike Bailey was particularly involved in getting that successful event underway. Tickets for the Grand Draw were sold throughout the Summer and a full list of winners appeared in Newsletter No.15. This was our main fund-raiser and the Draw itself was made at the Cabaret Evening, held in October. As usual, that event was great fun and Colette Marsh had assembled a splendid cast, mostly family members, who, together with a group of youngsters from the Cannon School of Irish Dance, provided great entertainment during the evening. Once again the Fish and Chip Supper was much appreciated.
The Mayor of Southborough, Councillor Colin Bothwell, presided over the election of the
Committee for the next 12 months and with the exception of Jackie Prance and Ann Nolan, who were not continuing, all the other Committee Members were re-elected. Paddy Moran also joined the committee and Lynda Emberson was later co-opted as Hon. Secretary in place of Jackie, to whom tribute was paid for her sterling efforts in this crucial role. Lynda has taken over on a temporary basis until such time as someone else can be found to take over permanently. Thanks were also expressed to Ann for her efforts and to David Coward who has moved from the area and can no longer be our Financial Scrutineer. We are therefore looking for someone willing to take on this task.
Projects: The £900 we were able to send to Kaniv is being used to help with aid and welfare for a few elderly Residents and for the environmental garden being established at
School Number Six. Both are very worthwhile projects chosen in conjunction with K.A.S.A, our Friendship Organisation in Kaniv. So we supply the funding and they deliver the projects in the community.
The Chairman and Hon. Treasurer's Reports were both accepted.
Our guest speaker Professor Alan Mayhew gave a most interesting talk entitled: After the Presidential Election a brighter future for Ukraine?
The first round of the Election had taken place and the two candidates to contest the second round to determine who would be President of Ukraine would-be Viktor YANUKOVYCH, who received 35% of the votes in the first round, and Yulia TYMOSHENKO, who had 25%. So this decider would be held on Sunday 7th February. A higher percentage of people voted in the West and Central Ukraine, where Tymoshenko’s support is but her opponent’s support, mainly in the Eastern part and in the South around the Black Sea, appeared to be well ahead. People's displeasure with the constant bickering between the President Viktor YUSHCHENKO and his Prime Minister TYMOSHENKO seem likely to reverse the result of the Orange Revolution of 5 years ago. Ukraine has very serious financial problems, continues to suffer severely from corruption and whoever wins, massive problems remain, especially with their powerful northern neighbour Russia with whom both candidates want better relations. A question and answer session followed and Professor Mayhew was warmly thanked for his contribution to the Meeting.
After the break a couple of minor amendments were made to the Constitution and it was agreed to raise the membership subscription to £4.00 p.a. or £7.00 p.a. for a family membership.
It was also agreed to continue to support the 2 projects referred to above from 2009 and to give financial help to the group coming to England in July for the Youth Project in respect of the high cost of Visas.
A membership target of 55 was set for the year ahead.