As I am sure many of you are aware, Queen's College has a link with Brikama Methodist Academy in the Gambia as 
part of the World AIMS, World Action in Methodist Schools project.
One of the places that the Queen's College pupils have visited with the Headmaster and I has been the village of Marakissa, nine miles south of Brikama, only accessible by a dirt track.
There we saw the Methodist primary school and the clinic, also run by the Methodist Church, next door.
When Queen's College first visited Marakissa ten years ago we were shown a recently deserted malnourished children's clinic that had closed due to lack of funds.
Successive groups of our pupils who had been to the Gambia felt strongly that getting this re-opened should be our next charity fund-raising project. Indeed you may have heard us talking about it, as we started to fund raise.
Progress however was frustratingly slow. One of the things we were able to do on our trip earlier this year was to urge our Gambian friends to move this project forward and to reassure them of our support.
The good news is that work on refurbishing the clinic has now began and that next year we will help complete the project and hopefully witness its official opening.
The clinic will care for malnourished children and their families. Part of the work will be remedial, but an even larger part will be preventative and education will form a significant element.
The clinic will also keep chickens and have a fruit farm as well as ground crops to emphasise the need for a balanced diet.
Although we have raised some money towards the re-opening of the clinic there is of course more to be done. Our challenge is to raise £14,000 to repair the building and to see the scheme up and running.
We would therefore like to invite the whole College – pupils, staff, parents, Governors and anyone else who would like to help, to join us on Friday 8th February for a Fun Run/walk/amble.
The Seniors will undertake to run 5K. Younger pupils will go an appropriate distance at an appropriate pace!
We are hoping that everyone who takes part will be able to raise at least £10 in sponsorship.
Contributions from British tax payers can also be Gift Aided so please do add your current address and tick the box on the Sponsorship Form – downloadable here.