The Parish Magazine March 2023

HOME AND GARDEN
Spring cleaning? Need to
find a new home for your
old tools and machines?
Tools With A Mission (TWAM) is looking for those
unused tools and machines that you no longer want.
They will refurbish them and send them to Africa to help
the recipients to generate their own income, create their
own businesses and build a mind set of independence,
not reliance.
TWAM was established in 1984 by Jack Norwood, John
Bennett, and the Baptist Men’s Movement and is based
on the belief 'The Lord is close to those whose hearts have
been broken. He saves those whose hearts have been
crushed' Psalm 34:18 and 'Love thy neighbour as yourself'
Mark 12:31.
Countrywide, TWAM has 200 volunteers who collect
unwanted tools which are refurbished by 120 volunteers
at five locations, and eight support groups. The tools are
sorted into trade kits and sent to the Congo, Uganda,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
TWAM will find new homes for:
— Hand and power tools for builders, agricultural
work, masons/groundworkers, carpentry workshops,
electricians, plumbers, motor mechanics and garage
workshops
— All types of sewing machines
— Knitting machines, machine wool, needles and
patterns
— Haberdashery: buttons, needles, cottons, large material
pieces/rolls, zips, patterns
— Fully working IT equipment: desktop and laptop
computers running a minimum of Windows 7, flat and
widescreen monitors, tablets, network switches, routers,
cables
— Ironmongery: nuts, bolts, screws, nails
— Bibles in modern English
Volunteers are also needed for this rewarding work.
More on https://www.twam.uk or https://www.facebook.
com/toolswithamission or 0147 321 0220.
A Facebook for seniors
For those of my generation who do not, and cannot,
comprehend why Facebook exists: I am trying to make
friends outside of Facebook while applying the same
principles. Therefore, every day I walk down the street
and tell passers-by what I have eaten, how I feel at the
moment, what I have done the night before, what I will do
later and with whom. I give them pictures of my family,
my dog and of me gardening, taking things apart in the
garage, watering the lawn, standing in front of landmarks,
driving around town, having lunch, and doing what
anybody and everybody does every day. I also listen to
their conversations, give them 'thumbs up' and tell them I
'like' them. And it works, just like Facebook. I already have
four people following me: two police officers, a private
investigator and a psychiatrist!
In the garden
The Parish Magazine - March 2023 27
A refurbished sewing machine provided by Tools With A Mission is
improving life in Africa
Becoming a rotter is good
for you and our world
Lianem, dreamstime.com
Fahmi Ariza, unsplash.com
Compost UK Week (13-19 March) is when we are all
encouraged to become 'rotters'.
Compost is nutrient-rich material that can transform
your soil and give plants a dramatic boost. It is created
from decomposed organic matter, with help from bacteria,
fungus, insects, and other organisms.
It is a natural process and can transform household
and garden waste into nutrient-rich food for your garden.
No matter how large or small your garden is, a compost
heap, is a valuable asset for every home — and for the
world that is concerned about climate change. The
ingredients for compost are:
— Browns: carbon-rich materials; dry leaves, plant stalks,
and twigs.
— Greens: Nitrogen-rich materials include grass clippings
and food scraps.
— Water and Air
Please remember your donations
for the Woodley
Food Bank inside
St Andrew's Church