UNISON YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE GAMBIA PROJECT. Incorporating the Wendy Nichols Presidents Charity Appeal 2015/16. Annual Report 2016

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1 UNISON YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE GAMBIA PROJECT Incorporating the Wendy Nichols Presidents Charity Appeal 2015/16 Annual Report 2016

2 ABERDEENSHIRE BRANCH UNISON PRESIDENT S PROJECT GAMBIA BIJILO SCHOOL FALKIRK COUNCIL BRANCH UNISON SCOTLAND NEWCASTLE HOSPITALS NORTHERN IRELAND REGION NEELB NORTHERN REGION ROYAL HOSPITAL TRUST NORTH WEST REGION NORTH YORKSHIRE BRANCH YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE REGION UNISON PRESIDENT S PROJECT GAMBIA BIJILO SCHOOL DONATIONS GRATEFULLY RECEIVED FROM: CYMRU/WALES REGION NEELB LANCASHIRE POLICE BRANCH EAST LANCASHIRE HEALTH BRANCH FALKIRK COUNCIL BRANCH MANCHESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY PETERBOROUGH CITY BRANCH HALTON LOCAL GOVERNMENT YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE REGION BRADFORD UNISON UNISON AUTUMN CONFERENCES NORTH WEST REGION NORTH YORKSHIRE BRANCH NORTHERN IRELAND REGION UNISON CHOIR DUKERIES HEALTHCARE BRANCH LONDON FARMERS MARKETS ROYAL HOSPITAL TRUST BRANCH SOUTH WEST YORKSHIRE LIVERPOOL BRANCH PARTNERSHIP HEALTH BRANCH WIGAN METROPOLITAN BRANCH MID YORKSHIRE HEALTH BRANCH ROYAL NATIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC CITY OF SHEFFIELD BRANCH HOSPITAL BRANCH HULL UNIVERSITY BRANCH GREAT ORMOND ST HOSPITAL BRANCH HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM BRANCH NORTHERN GENERAL HOSPITAL LEEDS LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRANCH ABERDEENSHIRE BRANCH CHARNWOOD LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRANCH ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL UNISON SCOTLAND WALSALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT HARROGATE HEALTH CARE BRANCH COMBINED DONATION FROM HULL/ CHRISTINE HUGHES SCHOOL CHOIR/CONFERENCES UNIVERSITY EAST LONDON BRANCH MERSEYSIDE POLICE CIVILIAN BRANCH DERBY COUNTY BRANCH UNISON GREATER LONDON REGION LONDON AMBULANCE GMB NATURAL RESOURCES WALES JAMIE BRAMWELL EAST MIDLANDS REGION UIA (ELEANOR SMITH) WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE BRANCH UIA (LUCIA MCKEEVER) STOCKPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRANCH UIA (JON CRAVEN) WREXHAM BRANCH WHITE RABBIT (HELEN JENNER) SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS BRANCH WEST MIDS INTERNATIONAL FORUM MANCHESTER BRANCH EAST SUSSEX AREA BRANCH PONTYPOOL BRANCH SUFFOLK AREA HEALTH BRANCH NORTHERN REGION EASTERN REGION NEWCASTLE HOSPITALS THOMPSONS ROCHDALE BRANCH STAFFORDSHIRE & WEST MIDLANDS PROBATION SERVICE BURNLEY BRANCH WEST YORKSHIRE TRANSPORT BRANCH MERSEYSIDE POLICE CIVILIAN BRANCH LIVERPOOL BRANCH WREXHAM BRANCH CYMRU/WALES REGION NATURAL RESOURCES WALES PONTYPOOL BRANCH EAST LANCASHIRE HEALTH BRANCH HARROGATE HEALTH WHITE RABBIT CARE BRANCH (HELEN JENNER) LEEDS LOCAL GOVERNMENT LANCASHIRE BRANCH POLICE BRANCH BRADFORD UNISON BURNLEY BRANCH ROCHDALE BRANCH MANCHESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY WIGAN MET. BRANCH MANCHESTER BRANCH HALTON LOCAL STOCKPORT GOVERNMENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT DERBY COUNTY BRANCH STAFFORDSHIRE & WEST MIDLANDS PROBATION SERVICE WALSALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT WEST MIDLANDS INTERNATIONAL FORUM ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE BRANCH WEST YORKSHIRE TRANSPORT BRANCH MID YORKSHIRE HEALTH BRANCH HULL UNIVERSITY HULL BRANCH SOUTH WEST YORKSHIRE PARTNERSHIP HEALTH NORTHERN GENERAL HOSPITAL CITY OF SHEFFIELD BRANCH SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS BRANCH DUKERIES HEALTHCARE BRANCH CHARNWOOD LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRANCH EAST MIDLANDS REGION UNISON GREATER LONDON REGION GREAT ORMOND ST HOSPITAL BRANCH ROYAL NATIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL BRANCH PETERBOROUGH CITY BRANCH JON CRAVEN, ELEANOR SMITH, LUCIA MCKEEVER: UIA UNIVERSITY EAST LONDON BRANCH LONDON FARMERS MARKETS HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM BRANCH LONDON AMBULANCE EAST SUSSEX AREA BRANCH EASTERN REGION SUFFOLK AREA HEALTH BRANCH 2

3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CYMRU/WALES REGION LANCASHIRE POLICE BRANCH FALKIRK COUNCIL BRANCH PETERBOROUGH CITY BRANCH YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE REGION UNISON AUTUMN CONFERENCES NORTH YORKSHIRE BRANCH UNISON CHOIR LONDON FARMERS MARKETS SOUTH WEST YORKSHIRE PARTNERSHIP HEALTH BRANCH MID YORKSHIRE HEALTH BRANCH CITY OF SHEFFIELD BRANCH HULL UNIVERSITY BRANCH HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM BRANCH LEEDS LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRANCH CHARNWOOD LG BRANCH UNISON SCOTLAND HARROGATE HEALTH CARE BRANCH CHRISTINE HUGHES UNIVERSITY EAST LONDON BRANCH DERBY COUNTY BRANCH LONDON AMBULANCE NATURAL RESOURCES WALES EAST MIDLANDS REGION WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE BRANCH STOCKPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRANCH WREXHAM BRANCH SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS BRANCH MANCHESTER BRANCH PONTYPOOL BRANCH NORTHERN REGION NEWCASTLE HOSPITALS ROCHDALE BRANCH BURNLEY BRANCH NEELB EAST LANCASHIRE HEALTH BRANCH MANCHESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY HALTON LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRADFORD UNISON NORTH WEST REGION NORTHERN IRELAND REGION DUKERIES HEALTHCARE BRANCH ROYAL HOSPITAL TRUST BRANCH LIVERPOOL BRANCH WIGAN METROPOLITAN BRANCH ROYAL NATIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL BRANCH GREAT ORMOND ST HOSPITAL BRANCH NORTHERN GENERAL HOSPITAL ABERDEENSHIRE BRANCH ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL WALSALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMBINED DONATION FROM HULL / SCHOOL CHOIR/CONFERENCES MERSEYSIDE POLICE CIVILIAN BRANCH UNISON GREATER LONDON REGION WEST MIDS INTERNATIONAL FORUM EAST SUSSEX AREA BRANCH SUFFOLK AREA HEALTH BRANCH EASTERN REGION STAFFORDSHIRE & WEST MIDLANDS PROBATION SERVICE WEST YORKSHIRE TRANSPORT BRANCH GMB THOMPSONS UIA (ELEANOR SMITH) UIA (LUCIA MCKEEVER) UIA (JON CRAVEN) WHITE RABBIT (HELEN JENNER) JAMIE BRAMWELL JULIE SUGDEN WENDY NICHOLS JOHN CAFFERTY JED MURRAY ASH DHOBI DAVE AUGER ABIOLA KUSORO GARY WILLIAMS / COLIN DERRIG JULIE HALLAM / VAL JOHNSTON DAMIAN TUXWORTH RICHARD WALTON COLLETTE SENIOR THANKS TO ALL Thank you! 3

4 Signing the contract for the new school block on the site of the new building - Ousman Bojang (Contractor), Wanto Jallow (Head Teacher) and Jim Bell The aim in 2017 is to send a container of medical equipment to Serrekunda Hospital 4

5 FOREWORD - JOHN CAFFERTY The project we have been running in the Gambia with the Bijilo school reached its peak when Wendy Nichols made it her Presidential project, during her term as President, this concluded in June last year. Over the 5 years UNISON have been involved in this project your assistance has allowed us to develop the school vegetable garden, equip the school with gardening equipment, improve and secure the perimeter wall protecting the garden, install water tanks and improve water supply, install and improve toilet facilities, build a secure equipment store and with the money from the Presidential appeal build and equip a four classroom block to improve the schools capacity. The time, however, has now come to move on from the school and look at other areas to assist in. During her Presidential visit to the school to open the classroom block, Wendy and Jim Bell, the project co-ordinator, met with representatives of one of the three public hospitals in the whole of the Gambia, Serrekunda Hospital. This meeting resulted in a memorandum of understanding between Y&H UNISON and the Hospital which will be the focus of our efforts going forward. The hospital has a team of 12 Cuban doctors and nurses providing medical support but the hospital deals with the poorest people and is really struggling. They need beds, sheets, blankets, medical supplies and equipment. Jim Bell has had discussions with another charity in the UK who collect and store equipment, clothing etc and who then ship containers out to the Gambia. The charity has agreed to store any bedding and equipment we can collect and send container loads across to Gambia provided we meet the transportation costs. The total cost per container is approx 4,500 with a further 500 for transport from the docks to the hospital. So for each container we send we would need to raise around 5,000. What do we want you to do? We would like Health branches to speak to their employers and see if there are usable beds, bedding and/ or medical equipment that they are prepared to donate to our project. Many Hospitals have closed wards and put beds, etc into store can they donate some of them to our project? For all branches we would like you to consider making donations so we can get the materials across to Serrekunda Hospital. Remember, this is one of the poorest countries in the world with little in the way of health care, everything we do will help save lives and improve the lot of the poorest. Please do all you can to assist. John Cafferty UNISON Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Secretary 5

6 INTRODUCTION - JIM BELL Dear Friends of our Gambia Project, This is the second Annual Report of the Yorkshire and Humberside UNISON Gambia Project, since it replaced the Gambia Bijilo School Project, previously run by retired Regional Organiser Jim Bell, who remains the unpaid Project Organiser. This report also incorporates the work of the Wendy Nichols President s Charity Appeal for 2015/16. The decision by Wendy Nichols to make this project the beneficiary of her charity appeal, meant that we were able to commit to build a new four classroom education block at Bijilo Lower Basic School. This put the project that had been running for five years on a different level to our previous efforts at the School. We invited tenders and negotiated the specification and price, eventually entering into a contract with a Government approved contractor, Mr Ousman Bojang of Bogis Construction. As is our usual practice, we do not hand over money and let the builders get on with it. We only sanction and pay for work when we are present, basically acting as an old fashioned clerk of works. There were many obstacles along the way, but the project was completed on time and within budget. We have listed all the generous contributions to the project, but would particularly want to thank UIA for their generous support, as well as Jed Murray of East Sussex Branch who took part in a sponsored Triathlon event and Ash Dhobi of the NBMSOG Committee, who donated sports equipment which was gratefully received. Jim Bell and Wendy Nichols with the School Union Reps Whilst in the Gambia, Wendy on behalf of the Region, signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Gambia Teachers Union and Serrekunda Hospital. 6

7 As Regional Secretary, John Cafferty has explained, we are now aiming to diversify the project building on our trade union links, whilst maintaining a humanitarian dimension. The Region is aiming in 2017 to send a container of medical equipment to Serrekunda Hospital. This will be a two stage project. The first is to raise the money to pay for the container and the second stage is to fill it. We will be contacting Branches after stage one to seek their help in approaching Health Branch employers about donating obsolete or redundant equipment. In the meantime sincere thanks to all who have contributed to the success of the project and please consider making a further financial donation. Cheques should be made payable to the Gambia Bijilo Project and sent to Jim Bell, C/o Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Office, Commerce House, Wade Lane, Leeds LS2 8NJ. Jim Bell Project Organiser Jim Bell and the new four classroom education block 7

8 WENDY NICHOLS Hi All Well I left Manchester on the 22nd of October at 6.30am to start the journey to Gambia. It didn t seem 5 minutes since the phone call I made to Jim bell telling him I had decided to make the Bijilo Schools project my Presidential Charity, although as Jim tells people when he got the message he didn t ring back straight away, he thought what does Wendy want, what have I done wrong!. Anyway my presidential year had been hard and I had been to all regions bar one and held quiz nights, raffles and received donations from all over the country and from our service providers. Raising in excess of 25k the most that had been raised in any presidential year, so I want to thank all who contributed to this very worthwhile project that Yorkshire and Humberside have been involved with for a number of years. We arrived at Banjul airport after a long flight to be sent into a room to have our luggage checked, we had pens, books and other UNISON material to take to the school, along with 2 football kits donated by Ash Dhobi the vice chair of the NBMC, we were told we could go as long as we let them have a box of pencils. Jim was waiting for us and escorted us to our hotel. I arranged to meet Jim the next day which was Sunday and we would visit the school. Obviously because it was Sunday the pupils were not there but it gave me the opportunity to see what we had achieved. I had seen the development as it progressed but there is nothing better than seeing it in real life. My first thoughts were what an achievement and what a difference we were going to make to the children, it looks amazing and we can be very proud of what we have achieved. We visited the school again on Monday where I met the headteacher and other staff and also the children, it was unbelievable and they could not thank us enough. 8

9 Jim and I also went to the local hospital. We met with a number of staff and we are hoping that our region will try and forge links in the future. Wednesday was the opening ceremony and what a day that was. The whole school, village, elders and representatives from education had turned out, along with the local scout band. The children put on a play about how we had come to help them, one child playing me and one playing Jim, they sang and had put together a song which made me cry how UNISON Wendy Nichols and Jim Bell would always be close to their hearts we had the television cameras there and I was interviewed. It was overwhelming. I spent the rest of the week visiting the school and on Friday had my picture taken with the kids in the football strips, it was also my birthday on the Friday and the school had the school choir sing happy birthday to me and they had a cake for me, which I shared with the choir. It was an amazing experience and something I will never forget, we made some good friends whilst we were there and we are still in contact with them (well when their internet is working). I hope that some of you will be able to help in the future when we try to get equipment to the hospital. Many thanks for your support Wendy Nichols UNISON Yorkshire & Humberside Convenor UNISON President 2015 /

10 AFTER SIGNING THE CONTRACT WORK BEGINS ON THE NEW FOUR CLASSROOM BLOCK. OUSMAN, WANTO AND JIM THE CREW TAKE A PHOTO BREAK FROM FOUNDATION WORKS 10

11 OBSTACLES IN OUR WAY. A HUGE TREE TRUNK AND ROOT SYSTEM SLOWS PROGRESS. WITH NO HEAVY LIFTING EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE THE CONTRACTORS HAVE TO REMOVE WITH AXES AND SPADES. 11

12 WORK STARTS ON THE GABLE END WALL PROGRESS IS SWIFT 12

13 FOUR CLASSROOMS TAKE SHAPE ROOF IS ON 13

14 HARD AT WORK IRRIGATING THE LAND READY TO SOW CROPS THE SECURE TOOL SHED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VEGETABLE GARDEN (SEE PREVIOUS ANNUAL REPORTS!) 14

15 THANKS TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROJECT. WENDY NICHOLS RASING MONEY AT NATIONAL DELEGATE CONFERENCE PLAQUE IS UNVEILED TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE CLASSROOMS 15

16 INSIDE THE NEW CLASSROOM BLOCK THE FOOTBALL TEAM ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE NEW KITS SUPPLIED BY ASH DHOBI VIA THE RAF 16

17 WENDY NICHOLS SPEAKING DURING THE OPENING CEREMONY SIGNING THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN UNISON AND THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF GAMBIA TEACHERS UNION (GTU) MARIE ANTOINETTE CARR 17

18 WENDY WITH THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF GAMBIA TEACHERS UNION (GTU) MARIE ANTOINETTE CARR NEXT STEPS. WENDY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF SERREKUNDA HOSPITAL SIGNING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 18

19 Memorandum of Understanding Between The Gambia Teachers Union and UNISON Yorkshire & Humberside (UK) We the undersigned, in recognition of our shared desire to improve the quality of life and education of Gambian children, undertake to work together co-operatively in a spirit of mutual respect and international solidarity as far as is reasonably practical to achieve this objective. For Gambia Teachers Union For UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside Memorandum of Understanding Between Serrekunda Hospital and UNISON Yorkshire & Humberside (UK) We the undersigned, in recognition of our shared desire to improve the quality of life and health of Gambian citizens, undertake to work together co-operatively and in a spirit of international solidarity as far as is reasonably practical to achieve this objective. For Serrekunda Hospital For UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside 19

20 UNISON Yorkshire & Humberside Region is aiming to send a container of medical equipment to Serrekunda Hospital. The hospital deals with the poorest people and is really struggling. Your contribution to this project will make a huge difference. Cheques should be made payable to the Gambia Bijilo Project and sent to Jim Bell, C/o Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Office, Commerce House, Wade Lane, Leeds LS2 8NJ.