Leicester Lead Makes a Difference in The Gambia
Director and Leicester lead, John Hauton, has returned from The Gambia with a new perspective after volunteering with New Life Children’s Centre. John applied his 30 plus years of experience to help out with much-needed renovations to a 20-year-old school.
The works included completely remodelling an area within a school in Kanifing, including ceilings and walls coming down, stripping out toilets and entirely new electrics. The team also made 90 bricks in just one afternoon, putting a significant dent in the 300 required.
John said: “The visit to The Gambia was both moving and inspiring, and it really does put things into perspective. Witnessing first-hand the poor living conditions and what the local people go through on a daily basis is difficult to see, so I was only too happy to help wherever I could. My engineering background meant that I was able draw out a plan and offer design suggestions before work began.”
When flying out to The Gambia, John and the other volunteers each took a small flight bag with clothes and the necessities in, and then filled their 20kg case with donations, books, sanitary products, toys, clothes and medical supplies. Then, once they arrived, they delivered these to the schools and neighbouring villages.
John added: “There’s so many people suffering, so turning up with just one suitcase doesn’t feel enough. But the local people are just so pleased to welcome you and appreciate any support you can provide, even just sitting down with them and showing an interest in their lives or asking about their favourite football team has an impact. It’s clearly not just about physical items – support and encouragement for each person can go a long way.
“If anyone is thinking about volunteering or has any unwanted items that they’re looking to donate, I would strongly recommend New Life Children’s Centre based in Newark. The work they do is truly incredible and their impact can be felt around the local town, with everyone from teachers to bank managers having benefitted from an education through the school. I am also delighted to be a part of a company like CPW, which supports its employees in their charitable efforts. I look forward to seeing what more we can do to support the school and its pupils.”
New Life Children’s Centre has two schools based in The Gambia with a third about to be built. Its mission is to provide children in the local community with full-time quality education that will give them the opportunity to have a better standard of life. Since launching, the centre has provided access to full-time education and healthcare to thousands of children.
When John returned, the CPW team were so moved by his experiences, they agreed to donate technical drawing sets to the school – something the school had expressed a need for – as well as looking into opportunities to support the education of an aspiring young student. CPW has a particular focus on social responsibility and looks to make a difference through its own charity CPW4LIFE. Last year, the business committed to closing all its offices for two days to allow teams to get involved with local causes that really matter to them, raising over £7,500 and carrying out over 1,300 hours of volunteering.
Find out more about CPW’s charity efforts.
