On 16th June, KTLN reported the fantastic news that the Rehabilitation Centre in Kalkan, was to be reopened, after a temporary closure.

The new owners opened the doors again on 3rd July, to deliver much needed support to scores of children from the Kalkan area.

In this report we bring you, and the new owners, some heartwarming news, about the effort of fundraisers in the UK.

To begin this story, we need to rewind back to October 2010.  Kalkan regulars, Barbara and Allan Monks, were having a meal in the Pisces restaurant one evening.

Sat at the next table were Caroline Cassidy and Jennie Bingham, who were on holiday in Kalkan.  Barbara said to the ladies, "You are lucky with the weather because it was most unsettled until you arrived.  As a matter of fact, we had a charity morning at our house, and were so lucky because it stopped raining."

Caroline and Jennie asked what the fundraising was for, and Barbara told them about the Rehabilitation Centre.  The visitors were interested, if not a little surprised, to hear that Kalkan had such a facility.

The reason for their interest, was more than general curiosity: the fact is that both Caroline and Jennie work in a special needs unit, attached to a primary school, back in the south east of England.

Below: Caroline Cassidy (right) and Jennie Bingham (left).

Barbara explained all about the Centre, and arranged for them to pay a visit.  Following their guided tour, Caroline and Jennie decided they wanted to help in some way.

When they returned to England, they set about arranging an American supper, with all the proceeds from the ticket sale, raffle prizes and donations given by friends going towards this worthy cause.

The event was held on 1st April 2011, at the school in Dover. It was a great team effort.  Jennie's husband plays in a band, that played free of charge on the night, and the headmaster let them use the large school hall for the evening. 

There were so many who gave up their time to help, and there were about 150 people that turned up on the night.  Most of the money raised came from the entrance charge of £5 per ticket, with a massive £280 raised from the raffle. 

A further £100 was collected from parents of the school's special needs children during an Easter play, performed by children with a wide range of disabilities.

The total amount raised was a whopping £1028, which will be used to buy equipment and other essentials.

So, good news that the Centre has finally reopened, and equally good news that there are kind hearted and generous people out there, who are willing to support these dedicated teachers in their challenging work.

If you wish to support the Rehabilitation Centre, you could consider making a donation to The KTLN Trust.  We have made a donation to them before, and it is highly likely that we shall do so again.

The school, on Gül Sokak, has been renamed, and is now called the Derman Özel Eğitim ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi (Derman Special Education and Rehabilitation Centre). 

The top photo is of new Centre manager Firdevs Tekin.

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