About Me:
Hi, my name is Evalena Styf and this is my blog. I am a Swedish, 42-year-old, mother of five, living in Ilford, Essex.
The Paperclip Files is a project I have dreamed of launching for a long time. It has multiple purposes, some of which are highly selfish, wheras others are totally charitable. But more than anything else, I hope this blog will be an inspiration to people who think there is no way they could [insert whatever it is you think you can't do]…
I have taken control of my life. I know what I want, but I haven’t reached all my goals yet. In my blog I will put my dreams and ambitions on the table for public scrutiny. I will share my joys and my pains with you as I work to realise my dreams. This will be an exercise in personal and professional development, and you are welcome to join in the fun.
The foundation has already been laid. The planning stage is over. Today, the 5th of May 2008, I set sail and the real journey begins. It begins with One Red UK Paperclip. I know it isn’t much, but you know Da Rooles. It has to start with something small and insignificant and seemingly worthless, or it won’t be much of a challenge.
I have a total of six paperclips to gamble with, but I can not put the next one out there until the first has done its first trade. Five of my paperclips have a target destination. One, the last one, is for serendipity; I feel confident I’ll know what it was destined for when I find it.
During the course of this project, I shall endeavour to fulfill five of my wildest dreams. In the process, I hope to touch a few lives, kick a few backsides and set up a charity, so that the end result of this may be a blessing for many people. I’m sure not all days will be like cruising on a shrimp sarnie, but we have to take the rough with the smooth, innit, and every single journey must begin with that first step…
You coming?
About Us:
Although I started out writing in I-form, I am not alone in this project. In fact, this project would not be happening right now if it wasn’t for my significant other, John Atkins. He is my boss, my inspiration, my guiding light, my body guard, my care taker (as in the one taking care of me!), my keeper of keys and grounds, my east, my west, my working week and my Sunday rest. Essentially, he is everything! Because he stands by my side, albeit slightly in front of me, by choice not by necessity.
John is a 45-year-old British West Indies father-of-five. He’s got a never-ending hunger for knowledge, and he approaches every new situation with a fresh-faced curiosity, yet he never made it through the mainstream education system! His dyslexia was treated as ignorance; thus what could have been a budding Doctor became a belligerent Drop-out.
Against the odds, John took control of his life. Now, he wants to share his love for learning, give something back to the community that raised him and do something for children just like him. The Paperclip Peeps.
We both believe that we were brought together by destiny; the hungry student and the inspirational teacher. A Scandiribbean Combo that met by chance working for the same private college in London. Together we aim to make a difference!
About Atkins Academy:
We believe that every story has a beginning, every journey begins with that first step, and every big achievement is born out of passion, inspiration and determination.
For us, the big dream about an Independent School and Lifelong Learning, began with the foundation of Atkins Academy. We don’t have the money to buy a school or to rent a classroom somewhere, but we can do online tuition, and we can meet students in their homes and in public places. It is not ideal – but it is a start.
We had the money needed to register a company and a web domain, but building an Academy worth its name from scratch is a costly exercise. To cover the costs involved (for promotion, stationery, books etc) we decided to use my eBay account and start selling off things we can live without. Thus Ya Man! Markets was born and we began to get a steady little trickle of an income that helps paying for stamps and other things we need.
Since we started a year ago, much has happened, and we are now working towards City & Guilds accreditation, looking for a space for our school and recruiting volunteers to work with us. We have set up a fundraising page and we have got ourselves a volunteer fundraiser.
