Another magnificent Beech Hill Gambia Day

A huge thank you to Beech Hill community primary school in Luton for their continued magnificent support for the children of the Sohm Lower Basic (primary) school. They recently held their third "Gambia Day", which raised in excess of £2,000 - which via Gift Aid can translate into £2,500 - for the Gambian school.

The day featured assemblies to all of the 1,000 children at Beech Hill, with slides, videos  and a chat about how their previous efforts have aided the Gambian youngsters. This was followed by activities in all classes, who addressed national curriculum topics through Gambian themes. There were drawing, writing, dance, history, geography, music and social studies classes working round Gambian topics.

 

 

                                    Some of Beech Hill's children responding to a video 

                                   showing Sohm children singing and dancing for them

In addition, Beech Hill's cheft did some demonstrations of how bread is cooked in African countries and an African drum teacher was brought in and conducted lessons on tribal drumming thoughout the day.

  

One of the African drumming classes , during Beech Hill's "Gambia Day"

At the end of the day some of the great parents and support staff sold food that they had made from donations by local traders, in takeawy cartons, for parents, as they picked up their children from school. Surplus school and donated books were also sold, on a stall, with funds going to Sohm.

  

Delicious food, lovingly prepared and profitably sold for the benefit of Sohm's children. Great work by Beech Hill staff, parents and supportive local traders! 

 

  

A fund-raising book sale was held during the day, of surplus school books and donations from staff and parents

As the "target" photo, below, illustrates, Beech Hill has raised almost £10,000 over the last few years for Sohm. This has lead to a formal twinning arrangement between the two schools, the purchase of all the stationery (books for the children, flip charts and duplicating paper etc for the staff) over the last four years, together with huge assistance with major refurbishing and modernisng projects at the school in Sohm.

   

Beech Hill has raised almost £10,000 for Sohm over the last five years. Magnificent!

The Luton children clearly enjoyed the day and have learned a great deal, over the years of the lives of their African counterparts. The children in Sohm have obviously benefitted materially, but in educational and communications terms, too. One of the great outcomes of the twinning arrangment has been the regular exchange of letters and artwork between the two schools.

What follows are some photos that illustrate how well the twinning operates in practice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Two of the Beech Hill "sponsored chairs" donated to the new hall the school helped to fund

Sohm children displaying some of the letters and artwork sent by their "twins" from Beech Hill, in February this year

  

Formal recognition of the twinning - Beech Hill's logo outside the Sohm school's headteacher's office 

   

Sohm's children displaying some of the donated stationery that Beech Hill's contribution has helped fund 

 

Over the last year we have helped fund the restoration of a classroom block in Sohm and repair some of the broken furniture. These nursery children are clearly benefitting!

So - on behalf of the children, teachers and parents of Sohm - we'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to all concerned at Beech Hill. Their support has been vital - and long may it continue!

April 2017 Newsletter: Getting bogged down in toilet matters

As we reported in our newsletter of October last year (see here), following a some dealings with Simon Danczuk, the MP for Rochdale over the last few years, we decided to name a toilet block in the senior secondary school after him.

The ceremony was covered by the Mail-On-Line (see here for full details and below for some of it) in February this year, and we reproduce, below some of their extensive coverage.

We are delighted to say that these facilities are now up and running and much appreciated by the staff and students, alike, at Sohm Senior Secondary school.

Ok, we'll leave out the endless puns.

We are pleased to report that we "sold" the story to the Mail-On-line, through a news agency and that money received will help us fix more school toilets in the village.

For the coming year, the Lower Basic school in the village has asked us to refurbish their toilets - for boys, girls and staff.  The photos tell their own story of how much this restoration is needed.  These three tiny blocks provide toilets for over 400 students and 25 staff.

This year's funding project

They are clearly insanitary and, until March this year, were nowhere near running water.

The concrete bases of the blocks have cracked and the ground underneath the blocks are home to snakes - particularly in the rainy season in the country (summer and autumn), with the result that many pupils and staff, alike, refuse to use them.

Roof and doors blown off
 during rainy season

The school's request for assistance is modest. We are committed to working in partnership with our colleagues from Jersey to: restore and recent the concrete bases and erect new doors and roofs, where necessary.

Girls' toilet - snakes nest
below the concrete slab.
200 girls only toilet at the school

Fortunately, because of a water supply project the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission has funded, a new standpipe was erected close to these outside toilet blocks in March this year, to try and address some of the sanitary issues associated with them.

Roofless staff toilets

Given the success of the naming of the Simon Danczuk block, we would look sympathetically on bids to rename any of these three blocks after other people, in return for a suitable donation.  

Water now running near toilets,
 for better sanitation

We will of course be willing to supply photographs of the unveiling of the appropriately named facilities to any sponsor.  Just contact us at: John@SohmSchoolSupport.org.uk if you are interested in this nomination facility!

Whose name would you like to
 adorn this fine facility
- when renovated, of course!