Following on from the very successful charity golf day fund raiser the BASIG team are very pleased to announce they are to seek firm quotations from local builders within The Gambia to commence work on the school in Sukuta mid October with a view to completing the project in April/May 2012. Martin Englefield said “we were so surprised to have raised the amount that we did at the golf event in May and thus caught a little bit on the hop having no real plans to start the construction phase this year, nevertheless we have now rallied and organised the project so that it can complete before the rainy season in 2012.” BASIG expect to award the contract in early September after finalising a specification with the successful bidder and final local authority permissions have been approved.

During the final construction phase next March/April the team are hoping to gather a group of individual volunteers together to help with various finishing off jobs. Project manager Alan Seager said “the volunteer plan is very much embryonic at present but we expect to formalise the plan by December, the hope is that with appropriate building trade input we will be able to reduce some of the build costs.”

The team plan to visit The Gambia again in November so that detail on the specification can be finalised, they will also have initial discussions with local education organisations so that a formal curriculum can be formalised well in advance of the planned opening date in September 2012.