8th August 2000

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A Romanian orphanage is to get a consignment of duvets and pillows, courtesy of the Magee campus of the University of Ulster.

The duvets and pillows, surplus stock at the student halls of residence at Duncreggan Road and Coppin House, are destined for Fagaraf Orphanage in Brasov, home to 120 girls aged between 4 and 18 years.

University housekeeper Doris McCarron says when they heard that a ‘relief lorry’ from the North West Romanian Fund was leaving for Romania next month, they decided it was an ideal opportunity to do something tangible to help those less well off.

"The duvets were due to be replaced but it would have been a sin to throw them out as they’ll come up like new when they’re laundered," said Doris.

Conditions in the Romanian orphanages, although improving, still fall far short of what would be considered acceptable, says Sean Boyle, one of the volunteer workers with the North West Romanian Fund who has visited Fagaraf on many occasions.

"Fagaraf Orphanage is very overcrowded and resources are minimal so we are delighted to get the duvets and pillows from the university.

"The building is old and in a poor state of repair. The dining room, for example, is in the cellar where conditions are so cramped that the children have to get fed at different ‘sittings’. The food is very unappetising and the standard bill of fare is like a thick gruel.

"The ethos of the North West Romanian Fund is simple," he continues. "We encourage the sharing of resources but in a way that will allow those on the receiving end to maintain their dignity."

Informal links between the University of Ulster and the North West Romanian Fund go back several years, with both staff and students getting involved in a wide variety of projects.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk