In September, TACC donated £20,000 to some great causes in Vilnius.... 

At TACC's request the money will be spent on bringing a little happiness and fun to the children’s lives. State support for disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe is usually the bare minimum, and it's the kind of things we're funding that they miss out on, so your help really has made a difference.

Childrens Care Home ''Gile'' 

This home provides care for orphaned children aged 1-18 as well as temporary care for children from unstable and socially disadvantaged families. They have told us they would love to get modern TV equipment, something like home entertainment set. 

Our donations will be used to provide: 

• Equipment used by the children during fun/leisure time (eg the TV equipment, playground equipment and appropriate toys and games for blind children)
• Day trips and Christmas Parties
• Clothes and shoes  
• For the disabled children our grant will fund the building of a basketball court and football pitch.
• For the orphanage our grant will fund day trips and cinema visits, plus a renovated kitchen to allow the children to learn to cook for themselves, in preparation for them leaving the home.
• Each child also got a special gift on the day – a rucksack with a toy, t-shirt, pencil case etc inside.

Vilnius City Children’s Home for disabled children

This home next door to the orphanage was in desperate need of a decent outdoor play area for the disabled children.

Our donations will be used to provide:

• a basketball court - the old surface can be seen in the gallery. This is now being rebuilt.
• a small football pitch and goal posts

The Centre for the Blind and Partially Sighted

The Centre provides education and accommodation for blind and severly visually impaired children of different ages from all over Lithuania. Often the kids are from socially disadvantaged families, making them even more vulnerable. Some of the kids are very talented, but they badly lack funds for a variety of activities and social programmes and our support will make a big difference to them.

Our donations will be used to provide:

• For the blind school our grant will fund day trips, Braille books and other important games and toys that help children with sight difficulties.
• Each child also got a special gift on the day – a rucksack with a toy, t-shirt, pencil case etc inside.

We also organised a party at the British Embassy in Vilnius for the children of both organisations, with fellow supporters, pipers etc.

And lastly,

In Kaunas, TACC funded the purchase match tickets and scarfs for 140 local orphans to allow them to go to the Lithuania vs Scotland match.

Press coverage in Scotland...

Click here to read the full Scottish Sun article.

(Photographs: Les Gallagher, The Scottish Sun)