December 2013 Newsletter

As winter sets in, our thoughts are turning to the warmer climes of the Gambia, and thought we would share some of them with you.

Sponsorship

Our supporters are paying the school and associated learning costs of a dozen youngsters in Sohm.  We have recently received upto date school reports on their progress, together with letters of thanks from the pupils, which by now are winging their way to the sponsors.

Most pupils have made significant educational and social progress over the last year, as reflected in the reports and letters.  What is clear, however, is that there would have been no educational progress without the help from the sponsors, because that alone has enabled them to continue with their studies.



A selection of school reports and letters from sponsored students

So, thanks to all who are supporting Sohm's students.  For just £5 per month you, too, could sponsor a Gambian youngster's education and receive an annual school report, letter from the student and recent photo of the student. Please contact us, if you would like to join our band of supporters.
 
This could be the ideal, selfless, Christmas present for that person who has everything!

Christmas Fair

Speaking of Christmas, we'll be making one of our regular fund-raising appearances at Derwentwater Primary school in Ealing, at the school's Christmas Fair on Friday 6 December.



Recent fund-raising fair at Derwentwater Primary School

Derwentwater is twinned with the Lower Basic School in Sohm and all money we raise through our brik-a-brak stall and raffle will be used to help restore two badly damaged classrooms in the bulging Sohm Primary school.

So, big thanks, in advance (!) to the pupils, staff and parents of Derwentwater for continuing to assist their "twinned" friends in Sohm.

Plans for January

Sandra and I will be off to the Gambia in early January for a month.  As part of the preparations, we've totted up the charity's earnings for the year, and claimed our Gift Aid from the government.

So, in total, we will have raised around £6,000 over the last year.  About £1,000 of this is earmarked for the sponsorship of students, mentioned above.  Of the rest, we have spent around £500 on getting batteries and supplies (ink etc) for the 10 laptops and printers donors have given us.  These, with the addition of the 100+ memory sticks we have been given will provide a major boost for the teaching of ICT in the schools without mains electricity.



Back on the road: broken bikes mended with SSS funds
which improves school transport for youngsters

We have continued our practice of topping up the book and bike funds we established last year and have bought a supply of blackboard paint, to provide for very basic needs for the schools.  We will, once again, fund a school trip for all the final year students in the primary school and will continue to help with photocopying exam past papers etc.
As indicated above, we will be looking to make a major push in trying to restore a couple of ramshackled classrooms in the Lower Basic School, to help with much needed accommodation there.



Funds raised will restore Sohm classroom in need of repair

Political situation in The Gambia

Following press reports over recent months, a number of our supporters have asked what is happening, politically, in The Gambia.

The Gambia left the Commonwealth in October, some weeks after President Jammeh caused some controversy with an appearance at the United Nations. The Gambia is also changing some of its key international alliances.

We do not feel able, nor need, to comment on these events.

What is clear to us, however, is that the education needs of the youngsters in Sohm remain unchanged, and we will continue, via the charity and the help of our supporters, to help meet them.

Please feel assured that all donations to this charity will continue to be spent for the benefit of pupils in the Sohm schools , directly under the supervision of this charity's trustees.  We know that you would wish no different.

Congratulations!

And finally, huge congratulations to Ian and Christabel Stapleton of Football Gambia - our good friends and supporters.  Christabel has recently given birth to their first child, Sebastian.  We are delighted to report that all three are thriving!

Best wishes to you all at this festive time of the year, from us at Sohm School Support.

Sandra and John Walker

All Above Board - our legal status

UK Sohm Secondary School (The Gambia) Support Trust is a small charity registered with HM Revenue and Customs for UK Gift  Aid (ref: XT31271). This means that for the vast majority of donations made to us, we are able to claim 25% more income from the British government, if the donor signs a simple consent form.

We bank with Santander, who assist us in administering the charity, for the benefit of the children in Sohm - at no administrative cost.

Our constitution and accounts are freely available to all who seek them, from us, at the contact addresses on this site.

There are currently three trustees: Rose Phillips (chair), Sandra Walker (secretary) and John Walker (treasurer).

ALL money donated to the trust is spent directly on identified projects, for the benefit of students in Sohm.  We undertake to provide photographic evidence of the use made of all donations sent, if required. We will be happy to share these photos with donors.

• The Jersey Start - early beginnings
• Our Involvement - progress, to date
• All Above Board - our legal status
• Local Ownership - all together

November 2012 Newsletter - Number 2

Progress continues to be made in our efforts to help with the education of the pupils at the schools in Sohm.  Read on, for an update on our activities.

Derwentwater Primary School Twinning

This West London primary school has twinned with the Sohm Lower Basic School.  There has been quite a bit of contact, profile raising and friendship building over the last four months.

Sandra and John, from the charity, visited the school during Black History month and took year assemblies covering the whole school and talked about African masks.  This provoked quite a bit of interest, and launched a whole school 'mask making' competition.  There were some fantastic entries (a few, we suspect, with a bit of enthusiastic parental involvement!).  So, we'll be back soon, to do a bit of judging and prize awarding (they are all winners!).

The good, the bad and the ugly,
Derwentwater pupils enthusiastically
demonstrate masks in action!

We'll be back at the school in December running a stall at the Winter Fair, with some table top items, a raffle, and some Gambian food.  This will, hopefully, maintain the interest in Sohm, and hopefully raise a little money for the schools there, from the good folk of Derwentwater.

Fund Raising

Funds continue to trickle in to the charity (and many thanks to those supporters with standing orders).  All money raised will be spent, by us, on items directly benefiting the education of the Gambian youngsters (books, visual aids, a bit of teacher training, equipment etc).

Particular thanks go to Elin and Paul, who arranged for a collection for the charity at their recent wedding reception.  The happy couple are at the left of the photo, below, on their special day, with School Sohm Support trustee, Rose Phillips, far right in the photo - resplendent in maid of honour dress.

Paul and Elin (left); and  SSS trustee, Rose ( far right)

Hopefully, we'll add to the charity's funds with our appearance at the Derwentwater Winter Fair, in a couple of weeks

Train the Teachers

Two Derwentwater teachers, Natalie (Sandra's daughter) and her work colleague Nicola (pictured below) will be giving up their February half term break to visit the schools in Sohm and provide a bit of teacher training for the staff.  They are working hard on a pack, that they will deliver to all teachers, at both Sohm schools, with the enthusiastic support and encouragement of the two head teachers.

The pack will be offered to the Regional Director of Education, for use in other Gambian schools.

Africa bound: two Derwentwater teachers:
Nicola (left and Natalie (Right),
thoughtfully wearing a pair of bunny ears!

It won't be long

Another couple of months and Sandra and John will be off to the Gambia, for a few weeks, working with the schools in Sohm village and ensuring that every penny raised in the UK is spent to benefit the education of local children.

One of the highlights of our trip will be the project our very good friends at Football Gambia (web: www.footballgambia.org; Twitter (@GambiaSchools).  Bringing 40 volunteers to the Gambia, Ian and his team will deliver a day of football training to the schools' pupils, and teacher training to the schools staff.

Other great friends @KitAid will be supplying kits to all the schools' hundreds of children.  This is international aid at its very best: help, training, international goodwill, capacity building, friendship and co-operation.  Don't know who is more excited; the kids of Sohm, the good folk of Football Gambia, or us!

Some of the great volunteers from Football Gambia,'on tour' during their last visit to The Gambia.

Legal stuff

We obtained formal recognition from HMRC for the charity last November (reg number: XT31271)- which means we can get Gift Ad (an additional 25%, from the exchequer) for every £1 that people give the charity.

Keep in touch

We have a presence on:
Facebook (UkSohmSchoolsSupportTeamTheGambia),
Twitter (@GambiaSchools)
Website (www.sohmschoolssupport.org.uk)

and can be contacted via e.mail at info@sohmschoolssupport.org.uk.  Keep in touch and find out how we are getting on, and spending our income!

That's enough from us, for now.  Until the next time,

John and Sandra Walker
(Trustees, Sohm Schools Support)

August 2012 Newsletter - Number 1

The charity has been established for less than a year, but has achieved a great deal in a short time.  We hope you have a chance to look at this newsletter  and to see what use we have put to the support  we have been given by dozens, or possibly hundreds of people backing us.

Establishment

We obtained formal recognition from HMRC for the charity last November - which means we can get Gift Ad (an additional 25%, from the exchequer) for every £1 that people give the charity.

Since that time, we have established a presence on
Facebook (UkSohmSchoolsSupportTeamTheGambia),

Twitter (@GambiaSchools) and a

website (www.sohmschoolssupport.org.uk)

Links

We have extremely close relationships with the heads of the two schools in Sohm (the Lower Basic (primary) and Senior Secondary Schools) and their respective PTAs.  We have good relationships with the country's regional director of education and a number of Gambian based NGOs.

We already had close ties with the Jersey Gambia Schools Trust, who inspired us to get involved in Sohm.  Since that time we have established links with two UK charities, Football Gambia and Kit Aid, who have helped and will offer great support to the schools in Sohm, in the future (see below).

We are extremely fortunate to have encouraged a twinning/friendship relationship between the Lower Basic School in Sohm and the Derwentwater Primary School, in Acton (see below).

Garden Party and Fundraising

We held a very successful fund-raising party, in early July; where, despite the alternative attraction of Mr Murray on the Centre Court and the pretty grim weather, we raised almost £3,000.  With the assistance of Mr Osborne and one more push, we are confident we can make that £4k, gross.  Fantastic, and it really did feel like a fun - raising party!

In addition, we have a dozen people sponsoring individual students' education in Sohm (fees, books, uniforms etc) and have regular monthly direct payments to the charity of more than £100 per month.
So, we are pretty happy - but not complacent!  All offers of support, suggestions for income generation, for the future, most welcome!

Twinning

The twinning arrangement between Derwentwater Primary School and the Sohm Lower Basic school has resulted in a flurry of exciting initiatives.  These include: us presenting to a number of year assemblies in Acton, and the school  raising several hundred of pounds through a school fair,  a "dress down" day, raffle ticket sales etc.

The Derwentwater pupils held a very  successful International Week at the end of the summer term, which resulted in some very creative work by the Acton pupils, including a song contest, production of scrap books and diaries, dancework and poster creation (see below).

Children in both Acton and Sohm are enthusiastic about this link and will be exchanging course work, exhibitions, scrapbooks and letters, over the coming months.  We will actively promote this excellent initiative, that benefits so many youngsters.

We are now on the look-out for a secondary school link.  All offers or suggestions most welcome!
These links will be among the most exciting outcomes of our charity, benefiting pupils in both countries and extending the hand of international friendship and understanding.

Progress

Even with the Olympics as a massive preoccupation, we haven't been complacent over the last month!  Our friends at Football Gambia will be sending a container to The Gambia in September and have given us some space in it.  So, we've been busy putting some of the funds raised to good use. People have generously donated laptops that they have upgraded and we have bought 10 litres of blackboard paint, brushes - so vital for an education system that is so dependent on "talk and chalk", where blackboards quickly get worn out and become almost impossible to see and use.

In addition, we've raided every Poundshop for miles, for stationery supplies.  So, yesterday we dropped off seven well-packed cases to the container depot, ready for despatch to The Gambia.  In addition to the laptops and paint this included:

• 1,000 ball point pens, 1,000 pencils, 1,000 crayons (enough to give every pupil in both schools two of each), 500 document wallets/folders
• Fully equipped pencil cases (geometry sets, pens, pencils, erasers, rulers , pencil sharpeners, bundles of colour pencils/crayons etc.) for each of the 12 students sponsored by the charity
• 30 textbooks for the primary school, which can be photocopied locally, for all pupils to gain access, 33 educational wall posters, 40 sets of geometry sets for use by whole classes
• A dozen tennis balls, rackets and Frisbees

Much needed help, packed,
and ready to go to The Gambia!

All of this, for less than a quarter of the funds we have raised to date!

We will work with the schools to ensure that all of the above is well cared-for, and is put to good and proper use. And, rest assured, every penny of the money spent - under our supervision - in The Gambia will be used to directly benefit the education and life chances of the young people of Sohm.

The Future

Sandra and I will be going to The Gambia for six weeks in January (well, somebody has to do it!), totally at our own cost, I should add.  And it will be a busy time.

Our good friends at Football Gambia will be in the country at the time and will be visiting Sohm for a day's activity.  The party of 40 will be leading some education and leadership games, offer 2 hours football skills training and run a match, between themselves and the village.  They, together with our friends at Kit Aid, will be donating new/nearly new football kits to all those involved.

The school are already preparing a pitch, our charity will pay for woodwork and metalwork teachers to build posts etc.  It really will be like a mini-Olympics coming to the village: international friendship, skills transference, a generation inspired, legacy for the future etc. And a good time, and feel good factor will be shared by everyone involved!

A couple of weeks later, Sandra's primary teacher-daughter, Natalie and a work colleague will go to the Gambia for their half term break and spend time working with teachers and pupils alike, in both the lower basic and senior secondary schools, upgrading skills, and hopefully inspiring teachers and pupils alike.

That's enough from us, for now.  Until the next time,

John and Sandra Walker
(Trustees, Sohm Schools Support)