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Gambia News : Golf Marathon Boost Gambia Mission
A NEWPORT couple’s campaign to help transform the lives of children at a Gambian school was boosted by marathon man Clive Beard.
Osborne Golf Club member Clive embarked on a marathon round of golf as part of he and his wife, Amber’s, efforts to fundraise for the African appeal.
The pair decided to fundraise for Peter and Margaret Jones who started a £6,000 appeal following a visit to Western Gambia.
Peter and Margaret had been appalled when they visited a school of 950 pupils to find it had no toilet facilities and they decided to support the work of the new headteacher who was trying to transform the school.
They immediately donated £600 to the project and pledged to set about fundraising the rest of the estimated £6,000 cost.
During the year their friends and colleagues ran fundraising events which, together with donations, raised £3,400 ��" £2,100 coming from Clive and Amber.
While Amber persuaded and cajoled workmates and people in the construction industry to donate £1,000, her 48-year-old husband set about playing as many holes a day as he could in a day at Osborne.
He set off at 6am and by 8.30pm had completed 144 holes, or eight rounds, with the help of six club members operating in pairs for five hour shifts providing ball spotting, caddying services and refreshments throughout the day.
Clive refused to use a buggy, instead power-walking and often running between shots and recording scores of 79, 72, 70, 66, 66, 68, 66 and 74 off his ten handicap.
Remarkably, the average round of 70 equals the course par.
Peter and Margaret plan to return to Kafuta in the Gambia on November 11 to push the project further forward.
Retired civil engineer, Mr Jones, 73, of Staplers Road, Newport, said: “We went to the Gambia on a holiday and discovered this school in great need.
“They had a library containing just five books and no sanitary facilities except for a hole in the ground. My wife took the library project on board and they now have 500 books.
“I am managing the building of the toilet block where there has been no work possible for the past four months because of the rainy season which has also washed out crops and caused the price of cement to double.
“But there is a real difference being made to the lives of students through the generosity of people on the Island, not least Gurnard Scouts who have raised £400 now. We really hope that people will rally round and help us raise the £2,000 needed to finish the job.”
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