News Archive October - December 2015

13 December 2015 - Microscopy at Misera BCS Pageant visited Misera in November 2015, and gave the school some microscopes and hand lenses. In early December, science teachers, Mr Bah and Mr Baldeh, started to teach microscopy to Grade 7 and 8 students.
[more about teaching microscopy at Misera Basic Cycle School]

16 November 2015 - Carol Grace half marathon - Pageant member Carol Grace completed the Donington Park half marathon on Sunday 15 November, in just over 2 hours. So far she has raised £556 for her project in The Gambia. See Carol's Fundraising Page for further details, and please click the button to make a donation and show your appreciation of her achievment.

19 October 2015 - A Mobile Friendly Website - There are now more people accessing the internet on smartphones than on large screen computers. Up until now, the Pageant website has not been easy to use on small screen devices. We have been working to convert all our most used pages to be mobile friendly. Today, more than 20 responsive pages have been uploaded. Read more on this news page.

News Archive July - September 2015

19 September 2015 - News from Misera - Pageant has been helping Peace Corps Volunteer Jacy Bowman with projects at Misera Basic Cycle School. Misera is an up-country village far away from the tourist areas near the coats. Jacy has posted three interesting short videos showing gardens which she and her friends are cultivating. Also there is now a FaceBook Page for Misera Village, with lots of photos and news.

26 August 2015 - Making our website mobile friendly - There are now more people accessing the internet from mobile phones than from desktops and laptops. If you use a mobile phone, you may have noticed that our web pages need lots of annoying scrolling. We are working on making our main pages responsive, so they work equally well on all devices. Please have a look at some test pages which show how things will look. We would be really pleased to get your comments and suggestions, and you can do this using this feedback page.

24 August 2015 - Packing pallets for The Gambia - We have just finished packing five pallets of donated goods for shipment to the Gambia, with another two or three to follow. [read more about it and see the photos]

5 August 2015 - Donation of microscopes from Highgate School - We have had another donation of 15 microscopes under the Royal Microscopical Society scheme to recycle and refurbish unwanted microscopes, this time from Highgate School, in North London. These microscopes will be used for Pageant's Microscopy Workshops in The Gambia. [read more about the RMS scheme]

3 August 2015 - New Murals at Yallal Tankonjala - Pageant has helped Peace Corps Volunteer Laura Lyons with the cost of materials for painting educational murals on the school walls and throughout the village. [read more about it]

25 July 2015 - Pageant Summer Get-Together - Pageant members and their friends met up for this annual event at Pippa and Ian's. As well as having a good time, we raised £521 for Pageant.
[read more about it]

22 July 2015 - Building Progress at Albreda - Work has started on rebuilding the derelict classroom block, and is well advanced converting an old building into staff accommodation. [read more about it]

15 July 2015 - More Microscopes - We have had twelve more microscopes donated by the Harris Academy Merton in Mitcham. Pippa says she now has a 'wall of microscopes' across the end of their big sitting room!! Kate at the RMS has also been contacted by two more schools with microscopes, but she is not sure that they can get them to us in time for the 2015 summer shipment.

2 July 2015 - Misera BCS Excursion - Peace Corps Volunteer, Jacy Bowman, has organised an excursion for the Library Committee and Monitors at the school to see public libraries and other places of interest in the Kombo area and Banjul. Misera is located quite a way up-country, so for many of the students on this trip, it was their first visit to the region near the coast. [read more about the Misera excursion]

News Archive April - June 2015

13 June 2015 - RMS Recycles Microscopes - The Royal Microscopical Society has a scheme to recycle and refurbish unwanted microscopes. These can be sold to help fund their Outreach Project, or given to projects such as Pageant's Microscopy Workshops in The Gambia. [read more about the RMS scheme]

13 May 2015 - Two New Projects - Pageant has helped two Peace Corps Volunteers with funding for projects at two up-country schools where they work:

• Renovation of the resource room at Yallal Tankonjala Lower Basic School
• Repair of the roofs at Pallol Lower Basic School

8 May 2015 - Sponsor Jo Conlon in 2016 Brighton Marathon - The Sussex based artist and designer, will be competing in the Brighton Marathon on 17 April 2016. She will be fundraising for Thyroid Cancer Support Group Wales and Pageant, so please sponsor her and help two charities. For information on how to sponsor her and news updates look at Jo Conlon's page on this website.

7 May 2015 - Chestnut Grove Comedy Evening - Chestnut Grove Academy held another Comedy Evening on Friday 6 February, with a line-up including Arthur Smith and Elliot Steel. The proceeds were split between a fund for replacing equipment in key departments at the school, and projects at Banyaka Lower Basic School in The Gambia. We have now received a very generous cheque for £1,000 from the Friends of Chestnut Grove as Pageant's share, and we will discuss with Banyaka LBS how the money will be used during Pageant's next trip. Some may go towards sponsorship of needy pupils.

44 May 2015 - Jurunku Basic Cycle School - Latest updates - new kitchen and school wall

24 April 2015 - the tippytap Introducing the tippytap, a low cost solution to hand washing in places without a piped water supply. It is easily constructed using recycled or scavenged materials. Help us to publicise the tippytap and so help to control the spread of diseases. [read more about the tippytap]

22 April 2015 - Kings Kid Academy Library - We have photos of the splendid new library at Kings Kid Academy, partly funded by Pageant. [see the photos here]

19 April 2015 - Updated Humanity Nursery page - Our web page covering the Humanity Nursery in Farato Nema has been updated. We have also changed its file name. Please have a look at humanity.htm.

18 April 2015 - More Albreda photos - Carol and Richard have just sent us photos of the completed girls' toilet block and the new kitchen at Albreda Lower Basic School. [see the new photos]

11 April 2015 - Four New Pages - We have four new pages covering four Gambian schools:

• Albreda Lower Basic School - Albreda is a historic North Bank town, about 25km upriver from the ferry terminal at Barra. Pageant has helped to fund a new kitchen and a new toilet block for girls. Pageant member Catherine Marriott is currently fundraising to rebuild a ruined classroom block. Please help her with a donation - details on the Albreda LBS page.
• Banyaka Lower Basic School - Banyaka LBS has close links with Chestnut Grove School in South London, and also with Bishop's Waltham Junior School in Hampshire. Pageant has provided help with new flooring and windows in the library, new toilets and a food vending area.
• Kanikunda Lower Basic School - in a small community close to the town of Soma, which lies on an important road junction where the main east-west South Bank Road crosses the north-south Trans-Gambia Highway. Pageant member Miriam Reed's fundraising has helped with many things for the school, particularly the wall for the garden, and the next projects include a new dining room and a borehole with water storage tank.
• Unity Nursery and Daycare Centre in Banjul City. Pageant has helped by funding new flooring in classrooms and toilets, and has supplied the school with two 'didicars' which are especially useful for children with mobility problems.

News Archive January - March 2015

19 February 2015 - Pageant's February visit to The Gambia - Pageant's annual February visit is drawing to its close. A team of eight has been running Microscopy & Science Workshops. Kathy and Chris have been posting news on the Pageant News Blog, and we have been collecting their posts on this page so you can see them all in one place. Some of the team are now returning, but the rest are staying on a while to visit sponsored children, schools and villages.

25 January 2015 - Chestnut Grove Comedy Evening - Chestnut Grove Academy in Balham, South London, are once again holding a Comedy Benefit Evening - at 7:30pm on Friday 6 February. Tickets are £12.50 in advance. For further information, see this page on the school's website. Proceeds will be split between a fund for replacing equipment in key departments at the school, and projects at Banyaka Lower Basic School in The Gambia - Chestnut Grove's 'link school'. The line up will include Arthur Smith and Elliot Steel. If you live in South London, why not go along for a laugh-packed evening.

20 January 2015 - Time to book your holiday - It's that time of the year when everyone is booking their holiday. Did you know that you can now raise money for Pageant when you book your holiday online with some of the big tour operators? Sign up with EasyFundraising now by following these instructions and help Pageant get off to a flying start.

5 January 2015 - Practical Science Workshops - Once again, Pageant is running Practical Science and Microscopy Workshops for Gambian school teachers. 2015 will see the start of a 5 year project in collaboration with Gambia College. Three schools close to Gambia College will be studied to assess the benefits of such workshops. If there is a positive outcome, then the workshops concept could be adopted and funded by the Gambian state school system. [more information about the 2015 workshops]

News Archive October - December 2014

16 December 2014 - FGM in The Gambia - Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a widespread traditional practice in The Gambia, and is currently a divisive topic. As our members and sponsors have asked for more information, we thought you might be interested in recent interviews with Jaha Dukureh, a Gambian-born anti-FGM campaigner.

• Interview by Sainey Darboe in the Standard newspaper (The Gambia)
• Interview by Alexandra Topping in the Guardian newspaper (UK)

19 November 2014 - No Ebola in The Gambia - The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has so far not spread as far as The Gambia, and there is every chance the disease won't get there. At the moment there is no reason for anyone to cancel their holiday, but fear of the disease has resulted in a downturn in the tourism industry, which could have serious economic consequences for the country.
[more information about Ebola and The Gambia]

27 October 2014 - Shop online and raise funds for Pageant - Christmas is coming up fast. Many of you will be shopping online for presents, so why not raise some money for Pageant while you do so. EasyFundraising allows you to shop at over 2700 retailers, who make a small donation to Pageant, with no extra cost to you. Breaking news is that this service is now available on iPhones and iPads.
[how to raise funds with EasyFundraising]

13 October 2014 - New Gifts - We have revised our list of Ethical Gifts, and it now has two new gifts - a Practical Electronics Teaching Kit at £25 and a Practical Physics Teaching Kit at £40.
[see the full list of gifts here]

News Archive July - September 2014

23 September 2014 - New & Updated Pages - We have a new page describing Pageant's work at Humanity Nursery School, and we have updated the Wesley Primary School and Banjul Projects pages.

13 September 2014 - Updated Schools Index - We have updated our page which lists the Gambian schools and other educational establishments where Pageant has/had sponsored students, and where we have helped with various projects. [see the updated page]

27 August 2014 - More Goodies for The Gambia - Pageant team pack pallets for shipment (see details)

26 August 2014 - Pageant at West Horsley WI - Frances and friends gave a talk about their trip to The Gambia in April 2014. [see details]

7 August 2014 - UK Ambassador visits Gunjur - Sainey's latest blog post describes the visit of the UK's new Ambassador to Gunjur to look at projects supported by the Marlborough Brandt Group.

25 July 2014 - Sainey's new posts on our Blog - Sainey Darboe has just added three very interesting posts about life in The Gambia on our Blog.

• Gambian president calls for end to illegal migration
• UK MP who visited Gambia last year appointed Under Secretary for Transport
• Stand by for Standard FC in Gunjur

9 July 2014 - Pageant helps Peace Corps Volunteers - PCV Laura Osterman is working at Pallol LBS and Laura Lyons is at Yallal Tankonjala LBS. Pageant has provided funding for essential building and renovation work at these schools. [details on our new PCV page]

News Archive April - June 2014

12 June 2014 - More Baby Photos - We have more photos of Wandifa & Miriami's new baby daughter Nyima. You can see them here.

6 June 2014 - Wandifa and Mariama's daughter is named Nyima at a naming ceremony on 24 May. We now have photos and you can see them on this page.

26 May 2014 - Bishop's Waltham Worldclass Fayre - Bishop's Waltham Junior School in Hampshire, recently held their 9th annual Worldclass Fayre. They raised a total of £424.80 for Pageant. See more about the Fayre on on the Bishop's Waltham Worldclass Blog, and read about the school's long association with Pageant on our Bishop's Waltham Pages. We at Pageant would like to say a big thank-you to the Worldclass children and and their teachers for their fundraising and continued support of Pageant's work in The Gambia.

25 May 2014 - Dresses for little Gambian girls - Dress a Girl Around the World is an organisation which believes that every girl in the world deserves to own at least one dress. Individuals and sewing groups in many countries make these dresses for girls in poor countries, and one of these groups is based in Horsham. Esther Clark and her friends produced 170 little dresses, which Esther and her husband took to The Gambia during Pageant's visit in February 2014. You can read about this in the West Sussex County Times, and in the May edition of 'etc' magazine, pages 128-129. We're not too sure how long this second link will be available, so if it doesn't work, you can look at the entire May edition, and scan through to these pages.

20 May 2014 - Double your donation! - Over the next 5 weeks, every Wednesday between 5pm and 6om, if you donate to any of Pageant's projects via Virgin Money Giving and then use PayPal, your donation will be doubled by the 555 Wednesday Giveaway. So if you are thinking of making a donation to Pageant, choose any of the links on our Donation Page and then select PayPal between 5 and 6pm UK time on these Wednesdays:

• 5-6pm Wednesday 21 May
• 5-6pm Wednesday 28 May
• 5-6pm Wednesday 4 June
• 5-6pm Wednesday 11 June
• 5-6pm Wednesday 18 June

PayPal has a total of £5,000 to give away on each Wednesday, so to ensure Pageant gets some of this, please make your donation as soon after 5pm as you can.

If you don't already have an account, then you can sign up with PayPal here. If you do a lot of online shopping, PayPal saves you a lot of time entering you card details, address etc on dozens of different shopping websites. Also while we're talking about online shopping, please sign up to Easyfundraising, and Pageant will get a small donation each time you shop.

18 May 2014 - A baby daughter for Wandifa and Mariama Wandifa phoned Pippa to say that his wife, Mariama, gave birth to a baby girl yesterday, 17th May.  Both Mum and daughter are well and Wandifa and his two sons are waiting eagerly for them to come home from hospital, probably tomorrow.  The baby weighed 3.5Kg at birth (7lb 11 oz) and her naming ceremony is to be on Saturday.  Wandifa was very keen for us to tell as many Pageant members as possible about the new arrival, so Pippa made the 'birth announcement' on the Pageant Blog. Linda will probably attend the naming ceremony, so we hope for some photos, which we'll publish on the blog and on this website. MANY CONGRATULATIONS from us all, Wandifa and Mariama, on the addition to your lovely family.

11 May 2014 - Sports Day at Jambanjelly LBS - The full story, including the preparations, of this event during Pageant's April Trip to the Gambia. See Pageant News Blog - see also this page of blog posts.

20 April 2014 - Pageant's April Trip to The Gambia - A Pageant team have just returned from The Gambia. They visited sponsored children, schools and nurseries. Frances and friends gave some creative lessons and had lots of fun with children in several nursery schools. Frances reported on their exploits on the Pageant News Blog. We have collected all these onto this page of blog posts.

News Archive January - March 2014

24 March 2014 - Richmond Riverside Run - On Saturday 22 March, Frankie and friends completed the Richmond Spring Riverside Run. They have almost raised their target of £2000 in sponsorship for Pageant.
[Latest update on this page] 23 March 2014 - GTS Maps - The now closed GTS website had some excellent maps of The Gambia. These have now been copied onto the Pageant website. [GTS maps index]

7 March 2014 - Gambia's entry for Peace Corps competition - This short but inspirational video was submitted for the 2014 Peace Corps Week Video Challenge, It was filmed in a Gambian village and features teachers and students at the local school and other members of the community.
[watch 'My Country']

4 March 2014 - Richmond Riverside Run - On Saturday 22 March, Frankie and friends will be taking part in the Richmond Spring Riverside Run. They are hoping to raise £2000 in sponsorship for Pageant, and are training hard. [Keep up to date on this page]

13 February 2014 - Pageant's February visit to The Gambia - A Pageant team is in The Gambia running some Science Workshops for student teachers. Kathy Groves is hoping to post news from The Gambia on the Pageant News Blog and we will collect these posts on this web page so you can see them all in one place.

24 January 2014 - Charity Shave-off - On 8 January Ian Challis took part in a charity shave-off, losing his beard and hair, and raising £200, which was split between Pageant and the Bangladesh Education Trust. [ see details]

11 January 2014 - Mobile website? - Do we need to reconfigure the website for use on mobile devices [read more]

9 January 2014 - More children needing sponsorship - we have updated our sponsorship page, and there are 11 more children and young p[eople requiring sponsorship. [see details]

6 January 2014 - Pageant AGM will be held on Sunday 19th January 2014 at 2.30pm. All Pageant members are invited to attend.

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