Read below Janet O'Shea's report of dispatching the annual shipment to Sierra Leone - which was not without its challenges!

Getting everything packed and ready in time for the shipment was our first concern as we needed to deliver all of the boxes to Hailsham by 8 October. 

We'd originally planned for two vans to travel up from Cornwall, but the amount we were transporting necessitated the use of three vans - all fully loaded, which then led to difficulties along the way. At Andover our van was stopped by the police, who informed us that it exceeded the allowable weight limit.  As a result, half of the van's contents had to be unloaded and stored overnight at Andover, accompanied by the payment of a hefty fine and one day’s journey turning into two.

Meanwhile, on 8 October, Tim Wells and Martin Brown with a small group of willing helpers took on the task of packing hundreds of boxes into the forty-foot container. During this mission of considerable expertise, I received several messages saying, 't’s never going to fit!’ but Praise the Lord - it did!

On behalf of the Sierra Leone Mission (SLM) committee I would like to extend huge thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to Shipment 2025. The container was due to arrive in Freetown port yesterday, 18 November. We will keep you posted of its progress!