Orkney Helping Hands

"Furthering the health, well-being and protection of children and families in Latin America" 

Orkney Helping Hands (OHH) is a Registered Charity set up by Barbara McVean, responding to the many donations given to send on to her daughter Barbara Ann McVean, who currently lives and works in Bolivia, South America. 

OHH has six Committee Members, five live locally in Stromness, Orkney and one lives in Aberdeen (OHH was registered 13th December 2006 - SCO37666).  Committee members work voluntarily to run the charity and raise cash to send to Barbara Ann. 

Barbara Ann sources projects in Cochabamba and other areas in Bolivia and manages each project from beginning to end to ensure that money donated is spent carefully.  

Barbara Ann is unpaid and her day to day living expenses are paid for by separate sponsors.  OHH fund Barbara Ann's annual insurance policy payment, also we have purchased a camera to allow her to take photographs of the different projects. 

As we have very little running costs, most of the money OHH raises goes straight to where it is needed most - worthwhile causes. 

For further information about OHH or for a copy of OHH's Constitution please contact Barbara McVean at 22 Grieveship Brae, Stromness.  Or contact Barbara on 01856 851052 or email at orkneyhelpinghands@hotmail.co.uk 

To make a donation, large or small, please click on "Make A Donation". Every penny counts!

Thank you for taking time to read about Orkney Helping Hands.

ABOUT BARBARA ANN

Barbara Ann was born in 1981 and grew up in Stromness, Orkney.  At the age of 17 she saved up to go to Malaysia where she spent one year as a volounteer worker at an orphanage. 

Having always loved children and because she enjoyed her time so much in Malaysia, Barbara Ann came back to Orkney to save up again, with a view to doing similiar work somewhere different.  This time she went to Gautamaela, Central America, where she spent two years working voluntarily at an orphanage called Casa Bernabe.

After Gautamaela, Barbara Ann came back to Orkney to save up again and returned this time to South America.  After working for one year with children in an orphanage and one and half years sourcing projects for OHH, she fell in love with the area, the people and the culture.  Barbara Ann now considers Cochabamba, Bolivia to be her second home. 

As well as working for OHH independent projects, Barbara Ann also works closely with local charity Ninos Con Valor - translated as "Children Of Worth" (click here for more info).   This charity has vast experience working with street children/young people and has links with local childrens social services.  OHH has given financial assistance to projects supported by Ninos Con Valor in the past and we plan to consider assisting future projects. If you would like to make a donation to Ninos Con Valor, you can do so through OHH - if you donate by cheque, please write "NCV" on the back of the cheque.  If you donate online, please email OHH to advise that you wish for the money to go to Ninos Con Valor.

See Barbara Ann's Newsletter for quarterly updates on how she is getting on, in Bolivia.  See Achievements So Far for projects OHH has helped in the past and see Current Projects for projects we are working on and projects in the pipeline.