Action Planning sponsors Toybox cycle challenge

At Action Planning we are keen to support the sector we work so closely with and this year are proud to be sponsoring Andy and Bev Stockbridge on their cycle ride of Hadrian’s Wall for the street children of Latin America. Andy and Bev left Whitehaven on the 16th August and arrived at the North Sea Coast in Newcastle on the 18th August. You can see an update and picture of the event here. Joined by 26 other riders they covered the 170 miles without major incident and amazingly the weather stayed fine! In total the group has raised more than £20,000 for the work of Toybox - fantastic. Andy and the team want to pass on a huge thank you to everyone who supported the event in wahtever way and in particular to Action Planning for their sponsorship of the event.

Sponsoring Andy and Bev appealed to us because Toybox does great work, because they have been a valued client, and because Andy and Bev are undertaking a challenging journey.

This resonates with our logo of a simple pile of stones - a ‘waymark’ – something that has long been used to identify a path or route. When we engage with clients we do so as fellow travellers on a journey, and we recognise that one client’s starting point may be different from another’s. Whilst the consultant’s familiarity with the route is a great advantage, each client will want to make the journey in their own way, and at their own pace.

About Toybox

Toybox is a Christian organisation working with street children in Latin America. Our vision is of a world where there are no street children, where families are restored, those who are disadvantaged have choices and hope, and all children have a voice.

There are thousands of children living and working on the streets of Latin America. Many more are at risk of going to live on the streets because of poverty, neglect and abuse.
Toybox works with ‘street-involved’ children – a group which includes children living full-time on the streets, children working on the streets, and those at high-risk in other ways – for example children living in extreme poverty, living in prison with their family, or suffering from violence or abuse in the home.

Faced with the task of helping these diverse groups of children, Toybox uses the Red Alert model which works in three ways – (1) prevention with vulnerable families to stop children leaving for the streets, (2) outreach to children who are on the streets to get them back into school, with their families or into alternative care, and (3) advocacy to tackle root causes through government policy change and creating an environment where child rights are upheld.

Toybox currently works in five cities – Guatemala City, Cochabamba and Oruro in Bolivia, San Salvador in El Salvador and Lima in Peru. Every year we help over 15,000 children.

Here is the story of just one:

Just a few months ago Fiama aged 13 was considering moving to the streets of Oruro because of her unhappy home life. Fiama’s story is similar to that of many girls in Bolivia, who prematurely take on responsibility for their homes and siblings, and at times bear the abuse of their parents. “Sometimes we didn’t eat. My family was in bad shape and I could no longer study properly. Each day was worse in every way.”

Fortunately Fiama was found by a Toybox-supported project. The project is a safe place for children at risk to go, giving them educational and emotional help, and a place to play. It is amazing to see how much difference a small project can make. From a sad, tired and shy little girl, a playful teenager has emerged:

“The leaders encouraged me. When I didn’t have paper to do my homework, they gave it to me. I would like to be a scientist one day.”

With the continued support of Toybox, Fiama may be able to realize her dream one day.