December 2011
Serenity Holidays staff raise £704.15 towards SDF
During the month of December staff at Serenity Holidays (The Gambia Experience) helped support a number of fund raising events. In total £704.15 was raise towards our lastest SDF projects in The Gambia.
Fund raising events include a charity raffle, our Serenity yearbook compeition, sales in Jewellery and Xmas cards plus donations from the sales of mistletoe.
We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported all our events, a great away to end the year!
We would also like to thank the following suppliers for the fantastic donations towards the raffle:
Please view more information about our latest projects.
October 2011
Soma and Bansang projects are complete
David Stock, from our UK office and Fatou, from our resort office (pictured here with Mr Faal, the headmaster of Bansang Upper Basic School) were pleased to present certificates to Bansang and Soma New Lower Basic school following the completion of their Shool Development Fund projects. For more photos and details of the projects visit completed projects in 2011.
October 2011
Helping blind children in The Gambia receive an education
The Bakoteh Upper Basic Sschool was established in 1999 near Serrakunda the largest town in The Gambia. The International charity Sightsavers has asked the School Development Fund to assist the school in two ways. Firstly, to fund the building of 14 ramps into the classrooms enabling the visually impaired children that attend the school easier access to the classrooms and secondly to fund a vegetable garden including the fencing, tools and seeds. This will benefit all the children at the school enhancing their studies of agricultural science.
The total cost of these two projects is £2, 280.
Please help us raise the funds for these important projects by way of a one off donation or a monthly donation by standing order (please email or call us for details).
Sightsavers Vision “Our vision is of a world where no-one is blind from avoidable causes, and where visually impaired people participate equally in society.”
Read more about Sightsavers work in The Gambia on The Gambia Experience blogsite.
September 2011
NEW School Development Fund Newsletter
All the news from the School Development Fund including fund raising in our UK office, completed projects and partnerships between Gambian and UK schools.
Please download a copy our newsletter
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August 2011
Funds are donated to help two more schools in The Gambia
Our resort team were pleased to present Bansang Upper Basic School with the funds for 40 tables and benches and Soma New Lower Basic School with the funds to build a perimeter wall. Further information and photographs can be seen under 'Projects in Progress'.
June 2011
Donation to the Kingfisher Trust
We recently donated £312.50 to the Kingfisher Trust in The Gambia for the purchase of 10 cassette recorders to support visually impaired and blind children.
The Kingfisher Trust was set up in 1980's by Simon Wezel after he had visited The Gambia on holiday. Moved with compassion by the poverty he witnessed, he resolved to find a way of assisting those who had no means with which to help themselves. Starting with few resources, he encouraged organisations and friends in the UK to donate goods and equipment which he then shipped to The Gambia and distributed to those most in need. After travelling to and fro between the UK and The Gambia for 14 years, he decided to reside permanently in The Gambia and thus expand the organization. Over the years tangible results of the Trust's effort began to emerge, and more people began to become involved. Links were set up with donors in Europe, all of whom were willing to assist this developing nation.
For more information on the Kingfisher Trust please visitKingfisher.gm
June 2011
Teachers accommodation
£855 was donated Jallow Kunda Lower Basic School to build a new accommodation block for the teachers.
May 2011
Staff hold a 'Back to School' Charity Day
Last Friday (20th May) Gambia Experience staff in our UK office held a fancy-dress ‘School Charity Day’ in order to raise money for ‘The School Development Fund’.
A total of £618.50 was raised (£118.50 by staff and a contribution of £500 from directors) with the specific aim of supporting the Kitty Upper Basic School in The Gambia, in particular the completion of its school roof prior to the onset of the rainy season.
Staff and management at the Serenity Holidays Hampshire office were asked to come dressed as a school pupil, teacher or dinner lady. Throughout the day staff enjoyed home made biscuits, egg & spoon races, guess the member of staff from the Serenity ‘school photo’ competition, and the unlucky few also experienced a five-minute detention!
Kathy Burrington - graphic designer at Serenity Holidays and member of the School Development Fund committee - who posed as ‘Headmistress’ for the day, commented: “Immense fun was had by everyone last Friday. Above all, we are delighted to have made a difference to this school project in The Gambia – Kitty Upper Basic School. We have now raised enough money to complete the outstanding building works, as well as carry some across to the next school which needs our help.”
For more information on Kitty Upper Basic School visit www.thegambiablog.co.uk
Photographs of the day can be found on The Gambia Experience Facebook page
February 2011
NEW School Development Fund Newsletter
The purpose of this newsletter is to raise awareness of the School Development Fund and to provide our supporters with project updates. Our goal is to raise as much money as possible in order to help many of the worthy projects the fund is asked to support.
Please download a copy our newsletter
Adobe PDF Reader is required to view this newsletter - Adobe Reader)
Sign-up and receive our newsletter
If you would like to receive our School Development Fund newsletter please join our mailing list. Sign up and keep in touch
January 2011
Nyodema "Helping each Other" - a film about people helping other people
Watch a short film by Lou Hamilton to see for yourself how tourists visiting The Gambia are helping to build a brighter future for Gambian children through the School Development Fund, the community group Nyodema (founded by one of our members of staff) and the charity Karmic Angels.
A film about people who help other people
