Gambian Projects Overseas AGM 2020 - 2021
Date:12th June 2021
Venue: The Old Fire Station, Castle Street, Tonbridge, TN9 1BH
Time: 4pm
Charity Registration number: 1178497
Present:
Apologies: Will Skinner
Approval of Minutes of last AGM: 10[th] September 2020
Matters Arising:
Accounts: Summary: Balance B/F £6116.40 Income £12,581 Spending £12,073 New Balance £6625
See circulated spreadsheet -This will be available on The Charity Commission Website
Funding Activity April 2020 - March 2021
Accounts approved and agreed and signed off by
Appointment of Chairperson -
Re- Appointment of Trustees
Nominations of New Trustees - Kate Garnham, Will Jackson, Marty Pardoe, and Eleanor Robson
Alterations to constitution? –
Reports:
Chair:
Well, of course, like the rest of the world we have been, and continue to be tied down by the Pandemic, which has led to all normal trips and activities being suspended.
However, this has not stopped us carrying on the work of the charity or continuing to fundraise.
We have had a number of different ‘campaigns and new supporters who are contributing, plus regular sponsors who have continued to give to our wonderful cause.
Helen Hobhouse Family Trust have agreed a regular annual donation of sum £400 (a huge thankyou to Helen for proposing and organising).
St. Mary’s Church PCC have also agreed to keep us on their away giving list with another generous donation of £1400.
We will be delivering a Catchup Presentation at the Family Service on 13[th] June.
Our ‘Food Fund’ Campaign has been highly successful, delivering much needed rice and other food supplies to many families in Sinchu, Wellingara, Tallinding, Soma, Gunjur and Sanyang. We continue to keep an eye on the situation there and are happy to send out more funds where the need arises.
2 container shipments were organised over the past 12 months, sending out much needed resources and equipment, with our sister charity GEMS, joining us with a generous donation of £1500 towards transport costs.
The 2[nd] classroom was completed and started being used in September.
Report from Fatou, Headteacher at Sinchu Baliya
Hello members of the Gambia Project overseas, I greet you all. My name is Fatou Barrow, headteacher of Gems nursery School in sinchu Baliya Banjul The Gambia. It gives me a pleasant time to write you this report. The community, staff and pupils of Sinchu Baliya & Gems nursery School are so excited to have you as a charity group sponsoring our school. Since the initiation of your charity group we have benefited a lot from you. The first thing that the GPO does was to do a general maintenance of the whole school, provided enough furnitures for the classrooms, enough teaching resources for both teachers & pupils & also connected water and electricity in the school, you also funded training for teachers within the catchment areas of Sinchu Baliya. Since then every year when you come to the Gambia, you always come with a project for the school. We are also excited with the shipping of the container you sent twice every year as you provide second hand clothing, shoes etc for the school children as well the people within the community.we are also grateful that you have sponsored our teachers to attend the Gambia college and also paid for the teachers to have a computer training in certificate and diploma which he has just completed. The most exciting you did is the building of the old school. At first, we have only one school in the entire village but through your support we now have two schools, thank you for sponsoring the project of construction of the buildings. We now have a computer room & 2 classrooms completed & are already in used. Water & electricity is also connected as well & final classroom is upon completion & hoping to be ready for use by September 2021. The pupils and teachers at Gems nursery School seized this opportunity to thank you for your wonderful support especially during the Corona virus pandemic. Over 50 households have benefited from the food package and also flood victims who we're also given the food package and secondhand clothes funded by the GPO. I am so delighted to see you all soon in the Gambia in November. I wish you all the best & may God bless you abundantly & keep us safe and well. Once again, I thank you all. Fatou x.
A report from Baba Drammeh, Headteacher at Bojang Nursery and Cluster Chairman.
Bojang nursery school is located in Tallinding Medina, Buffer zone street. The road opposite the patrol station right down the river side.
The was established in 28thSeptember 1994, and it was officially registered to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in 1998 to become recognized (ECD) centre. The school development started from the community support. Since the inception of the school headmaster is Baba Drammeh. The current staff working at the school is 10 people.
With 4 classroom and library. The teachers are 4 ,1 axillary teacher and 1 teacher training, 2 cooks, 1 cleaner and 1 security on night duty.
Furthermore, we join the computer lab and library together. We sincerely thank the G.P.O for the donation of the computers, stationary materials, football kits, desks, and chairs. They help us to complete girls’ toilets as well. Our next project we want electrical materials to wire the computers room and ceiling the roof so that we can use the computers.
The Advent of covid 19 the school was affected because the teachers’ salaries come from children’s parents, and it find very difficult to manage to pay the staff. We loss some kids and the payment of staff salaries is our biggest problem as well. I cannot say everything but to maintain staff is my dream.
Thank you.
List of Nursery Schools GPO support
Sinchu (Little Gems and the annex)
Mary’s Little Lambs Nursery School, Kololi.
Marie’s Nursery School, Wellingara
Bojang Nursery School, Tallinding
Salvation Nursery School, Latrikunda.
St Michael’s Nursery School, Soma
AOB -
Date of next AGM - TBA Meeting finished at