Thursday, January 28, 2010, 07:00
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A FORMER Torrington mayor is urging North Devonians to buy and name water wells in Sri-Lanka.
Journal columnist, Anne Tattersall, who writes Tatt’s Life was inspired by one of her subjects Braunton’s Tim Tanton who set up Paddle4Relief to help Sri-Lankan victims of the for Tsuanmi.
Tim told her it cost just £50 to build a well to get a whole village fresh water and Anne subsequently donated enough for a well.
Anne decided to call the well, which is now up and running, Mandela, after Nelson for his work in fighting poverty.
She said: “I was so impressed it only costs £50 to bring fresh water to a village and I think would be great if we could get a few more Devonians to donate £50 and have a well named.”
Paddle4Relief works in the Arugam Bay area of Sri Lanka and for more information and to make a donation visit www.paddle4relief.co.uk.
February 27th, 2010
The first Paddle4Relief fund raiser of 2010 was organised by Jill Jewell and held in Bratton Fleming, at the Village Hall. A fantastic £321.00 was raised for the victims of the Haiti Earthquake disaster and the forgotten victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami in Sri Lanka.
Paddle4Relief would like to say a huge thank you to Jill and Lynn Bawden (scoring), John Huxtable (compare), Brian Williams (Scoreboard), and the rest of the team involved in organising and running the fun filled evening. Special thanks to Chris Lilley, Jill and Shan who worked hard in the kitchen to provide the enjoyable light supper that was enjoyed during the interval.
Many thanks must go to all those who participated in the quiz, and who also willingly purchased raffle tickets, t-shirts and hoodies, as well as making considerable donations to the collection pot.
The Paddle4Relief Team of three that entered the quiz, showed courage in their performance of coming last! Congratulations to Team K for their win and to Team H for winning the Interval Quiz.
John Huxtable – compare for the night.
P4R Team members; Emms and Angie.
January 28th, 2010
The surfers of Arugam Bay, members of the Arugam Bay Surf Club, have managed to fund a project where they took the initiative and made and erected signs for their beach. Since the end of the civil war, back in May 2009, the beach in Arugam Bay has seen countless more visitors, and with it, rubbish! The young surfers are very much aware of the importance of protecting their natural playground. The sea and beach is not just a playground though, its a way of life, its where they fish to earn the money to support their families.
So with the help of travelling surfers and Paddle4Relief, the boys raised enough money to purchase materials to make four signs. The local surfers were concerned at the state of the beach and the effect the rubbish was having on their environment.
Fawas, Chairman of Arugam Bay Surf Club and Krishantha, Secretary, built the signs whilst myself, Leah, Erandathi and Fawas carried out the artwork in three languages; Sinhalese, English and Tamil.
Now there is no excuse for people to throw their rubbish on or around the beach area. The signs are clearly there to inform visitors that their rubbish is not wanted.
The local Special Task Force and Tourist Association have also acted on the problem and got involved. They have provided bins and more signs.
I personally, am very happy at seeing this initiative develop. From back in 2005 when we were involved in the first village clean there has been a slow but progressive movement towards keeping the village and beach clear of rubbish. The young surfers in particular appear to be at the forefront of this movement and are fully supported by the Paddle4Relief Team. Their focus reflects the focus of Paddle4Relief in its determination to protect our beautiful environment. Beach cleans are an important initiative in the fight against pollution.
(Photographs are courtesy and copyright of Paddle4Relief and Aiya Surf Photography)
January 25th, 2010
amped at the latest issue of Pit Pilot! Awesome Mr Tony Plant - the best article by far of the Champion of champions uk pro surf tour trip
September 12th, 2009
A light hearted note!
My beloved Abay!
An invasion of the surfing pre-madonnas from the UK into my adoptive village in Sri Lanka. Oh how they brought carnage to the line up!! Scared off all the travelling surfers - some of which just bolted to their cabanas and only surfaced once the sponsored surfers and their entourage had left! Oh how i received such verbal onslaught from these travelling surfers.
Having travelled on the Thursday, as part of the first group, I made my escape at the Bandaranaike Airport on the Friday afternoon. I left the exclusive group to wallow in living the high life at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, Colombo, for a night. I knew where my high life would be! In Abay with my adopted family, eating rice n curry. I frantically travelled through the monsoon rainstorms to my home, our final destination, Arugam Bay, reaching there long before my driver intended! Now Sri Lankans drive fast and chaotically, but I was on a mission! When the driver went to get water, I grabbed my opportunity and jumped into the drivers seat, informing him on his return that he was in the back, I was driving! Three hours and numerous security checks later we were in Abay.
My planned quiet surf a few hours later, was not as quiet as intended! The verbal onslaught from the travelling surfers a constant reminder of the week to come! They were somewhat aggrieved! Apparently it was my fault that they wouldn’t be getting waves, as I had the audacity to encourage the UK Pro Surf Tour to come to Arugam Bay for a surfing competition! Me!!
Me at Abay, my home! (Photograph copyright Alex Williams)
I smiled the Sri Lankan smile and replied ‘it’s not about you and your wants’, ‘it’s about the needs of the community, and how they may benefit from it, and be able to feed their families as a result of the circus coming to town!!’
Arugam Bay is my home now, I am Sri Lankan! And I have been determined to help the community get back on it’s feet since the 2004 Asian Tsunami and the devastating affects of the civil war.
So I won’t get as many waves for a week! So I surf a 9′ 5” Gulf Stream log! So I am a long boarder! Somebody has to be, don’t they? But Abay is my home break! It doesn’t mean I won’t surf the Main Point! I’ll compete with the pro boys for a wave, seek sympathy, smile, complain of old age, and hopefully snag a wave or three! I’ll enjoy what they and the tour bring to the village and especially what they bring to the local surf boys. I have watched Asanka, Krishantha, Milan, Santa. Praneeth, Siril, Ata, Babu grow up, from boys to men. They had a ball and learnt a lot. And perhaps, the pro boys learnt a thing or two as well!
It was fun having the opportunity to show off my adopted home, to show so many that it was safe to travel to Arugam Bay and that the waves are consistent, fun and world class! The community needs surfers to return, to bring their friends and families, and to embrace an area so devastated by both the tsunami and the affects of the civil war.
And on a special note! It allowed me to make so many new and talented friends with huge caring hearts. Who showed empathy towards my beloved community.
Special memories will be of Potti Point one evening. Having a chill surf with the sun going down. Josh loving the rock on the take off! Foolish youth! Tony snapping away at surfers jumping off rocks! Lloydy ‘have you seen my picture in the paper’ Lloyd and Aaron snagging a few waves, and me, well, just loving it – sharing my home with new friends.
And I was blessed! Truly blessed! It allowed me to venture off to other point breaks with my good friend and fellow North Devon surfer, Nick ‘Lloydy’ Lloyd.
Lloydy in ABay (Photograph copyright Aiya Surf Photography)
A surfer who has as big a heart as me, although a somewhat larger belly than me! A man who has fallen in love with Pineapple curry and Tapioca Chips! A real surfing gent and who scored some fun waves whilst experiencing the real Sri Lanka! War torn and Tsunami destroyed areas further north, security blocked areas further south, but true Sri Lankan style. On a mission for waves with our joking, dancing Tuk Tuk driver Tissa.
Tissa and Lloydy (Photograph copyright Aiya Surf Photography)
Tuk Tuk! (Photograph copyright Aiya Surf Photography)
2010 – bring it on!
Tim Tanton
www.paddle4relief.co.uk
August 20th, 2009
