Back in our September 2022 issue, we covered the extordinay story of Alan Wolstencroft, a member of Banbury Rotary Club since 2004, who first went to Sierra Leone in 2005 as a volunteer member of a Rotary Mission Challenge team, with the Charity Mercy Ships, believing it would be a “one off life experience”. For Alan, the eleven days he spent in Freetown were life changing and he has now visited the country many times.
We are delighted to bring you Alan’s latest update:
A week today I will be in Sierra Leone and will dig the first sod of earth to start the footings for the new two classroom block at The Banbury International Community School and, when completed, they will be named “The Fayia Foday Memorial Hall” in memory of my great friend Fayia.
A massive thank you to Martin at Newsome Tools, Sheffield for the donation of handsaws, hacksaws, brick trowels, pointing trowels, plasterers floats, tape measures, line &
pin sets, spirit levels. ALL these, hopefully, will fit in my hold luggage and will be given to the builders at the Banbury International Community School. Tools in Sierra Leone are not always good quality and are also very expensive so this donation is greatly appreciated by both me and the builders.
Banbury Rugby Club
A big thank you to the Club for donating last season’s Colt’s shirts. The photo shows me with Colts captain Leon Atherton with Owen Perkins, head coach of the Academy Colts
These shirts and kit donations from Oxford United, Easington Sports, Banbury Irish FC and Orchard Vale Community School, Barnstaple will be distributed to several communities that I support during my trip. MANY thanks to ALL the donors You are helping to Make A Real Difference for lots of kids who will receive the various donations.
Hot off the press!!
On Friday 18th November I will be meeting the Vice President of Sierra Leone – better pack a suit! This has been arranged by Abu, the coach at Oxford United Mahera Wharf. I’m not sure what will come of it, if anything, but it is too good an opportunity to miss and it will be interesting, to say the least.
Banbury International Community School
The school desperately needs the extra two classrooms that we are about to build and will probably need further classrooms in the future to cope with the inevitable increase of children wanting to attend a school with decent facilities.
As you are probably aware I have launched, with a LOT of help from Sam at Books & Ink, a Just Giving page which runs until the end of the month. It has been a slow start to the fundraising campaign but I have had some “offline” donations as well so we are well on the way towards funding the project.
If you would like to donate, please visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/alans-africa EVERY £ donated goes directly to the project and EVERY £ will “Make A Real Difference”
General Information
These latest 2 classrooms will take the total number of classrooms built since January 2007 to 41. The funding includes the equipping of the rooms as well In addition, we have funded the building of 9 toilet blocks, sunk 3 wells, put running water systems into 2 buildings (benefitting over 300 people) and we have installed basic water harvesting systems onto 21 classrooms and 6 of the toilet blocks, complete with handwash stations. We also built Momoh, my disabled lad a 2 bed house. We have refurbished 24 other classrooms & 3 wells and completed several other projects including the installation of electricity into parts of two schools.
Since January 2007, when I first started working directly with communities, a total of £351,000 has been raise through a vast network of individuals, Clubs and societies, businesses & Charitable Trusts
During my trip I will visit 6 of the schools that I am supporting, visit Momoh’s new home, visit Fayia’s widow, Tewah, and I will be looking at a possible future project in a community I already support.
