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So, my sister-in-law is like a saint....if a saint came bursting into family WhatsApp chats with the most inappropriate comments.... She is founder and CEO of @OddArtsUK and as a family, we have undertaken a ridiculous challenge to raise desperately needed funds for them. 
https://twitter.com/oddartsuk/status/1245444507866406914
https://twitter.com/oddartsuk/status/1245444507866406914
To give you a flavour of what she is like, has 4 kids but does respite care for 2 more. Bakes cakes to raise money for Manchester Children’s Hospital. When cake money was stolen, she got it into the press and raised even more! And runs Odd Arts.
Odd Arts works with excluded and vulnerable groups through theatre and other creative arts. Their work is vital for our society. They deliver workshops in prisons, secure care homes, pupil referral units youth and community centres.
Or did. Because #COVID19 has stopped all their face to face work. It’s also stopped their income because although @OddArtsUK is a charity, it gets almost all its funding from being paid for the work they do. It’s a model which has worked brilliantly...until now.
Two of the children's secure care homes where they have been delivering drama workshops every week 3 years are no longer able to access workshops or other outside visits or education. These are young people who have faced multiple disadvantages and mental health challenges.
The young people and staff there are in a really challenging situation. Odd Arts has tried to think of ways to continue engagement with the young people and fill their time with creative and meaningful experiences, without actually being able to visit the secure centres...
Their solution has been the 'Creative Box' idea. @OddArtsUK are planning to deliver simple but exciting creative tasks, with accompanying guidance and materials (props, crafts, note-books, art-materials). Each task will work towards completion of an Arts Award.
They can liaise with the young people, mark their work and give feedback and ideas. The young people will maintain contact with people on the outside; have worthwhile activities (not just from a screen, but things to touch, feel and experience) and gain an accreditation.
They anticipate that purchasing the materials and postage for the 'Creative Box', as well as the moderation for each young person will cost around ÂŁ1000 over a 4 month period.
So, instead of our 9 day holiday, my family and I are aiming to raise the money for this by rowing the navigable length of the Thames (306km) on an indoor rowing machine. It’s Day 7...and, honestly, we are hurting and dreading our turn on the rower.
Because @OddArtsUK raise their own money from their work, they were not even registered with @JustGiving....we have that in process and will get a sponsorship page up soon (which I will add to this thread) but in the meantime....
...you can donate here. https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/10713#!/DonationDetails
They are running with skeleton staff but still looking to help those less fortunate suffering under the #Lockdown. Any money raised over ÂŁÂŁ1000 will go to their ongoing work.
And... @JGhelp - if you could get them registered ASAP. 
