Pageant News 5 October 2008

Pippa reports that Pageant has gratefully received donations of money raised by a number of fundraising events:

Downsend School

We have just received an amazing £4,932.94 from Downsend School. This was raised for us during the last school year. I gather most of the money was raised at special events during Charity Week at the end of the 2008 summer term. We went to Downsend on the Friday before Charity Week to give a presentation to the school children and staff about Pageant, but had no idea that they would raise such a staggering sum! We are going to decide on the project on which to spend their donation while we are in The Gambia in a couple of weeks' time.

Mannings Heath Millennium Club

We received £675 from the Millennium Club of Mannings Heath, a village near Horsham. The money was raised by holding a 'Last Night of the Proms' party in the village hall, where people took along their own food and wine for a dinner party and the televised programme was projected onto the white sloping ceiling at one side of the hall. We went along as invited guests and had a great evening - lots of hats and flags and the odd 'hooter' all added to the atmosphere.

Horsham Rotary Club

We received £200 from the Rotary Club of Horsham. The Chairman of the International Committee wrote "The Rotary Club of Horsham is most impressed with the work you are doing for The Gambia and agreed at the last business meeting to provide support for you."

Horsham Inner Wheel

While thinking of the Rotary Club donation, I should add that we had a donation of £650 in July from the ladies of Horsham Inner Wheel - this was raised by a Ram Roast run as a fund-raiser on our behalf. We have spent this money on continuing the construction of the Sika Women's village market hall and the donation from the Millennium Club will complete the project when we take it out to The Gambia in October.