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| Valerie Dix Hall |
Dear Supporter,
Having returned late last month from Awutu on a brief mid-summer visit I thought it was a good moment to update you all on current developments.
The two most important infrastructure projects are the Valerie Dix Assembly Hall and the F.A. Hughes Sports Field.
First the "Auntie Valerie" Hall:
Well it's coming together well. Although we still have some issues to sort out, the roof is now on and we are still hoping for completion in time for the new academic year which begins on the 24th September. We are planning an official opening on Friday 8th November, when the Hall will be officially named after Valerie Dix, dear godmother shared by me and Nick Robertson (whom many of you may know is Chief Executive of Asos plc.). Nick has given a very generous donation to help to finance the building of the Hall, and its completion will be a tremendous boost as it will give the school accreditation as an exam centre. It will also double as an Assembly Hall and will be a versatile space which can be used for drama, dance and aerobics as well as for public functions and as a canteen area.
Many people have given their time and effort to make this project come together and we are very grateful for all the support. In particular I would like to mention our hard working Project Manager, Marcus, and his pal Drew who funded a trip over from the States to help in the supervision of its construction, as well as Martin who, along with John, has given us so much support on the architectural drawings, and most especially Baffour, without whose expertise the project would never have progressed. A big thank you to all!
Secondly the Sports Field:
Again, thanks to an anonymous benefactor, we have secured the land and have cleared and almost levelled it. Now we need to finish off the drainage, add top soil and seed it, to turn it into a precious green space for a variety of sporting activities. One of the aims of our Great South Run team - which sees a record twenty-five EDP supporters all running together on October 27th - is to raise enough money to finish it off. Our target is £10,000!
On other fronts also there has been much activity at the school this year. Deputy Head Seth and his team of hard working teachers and staff have put in a big effort to help the third year (our first batch of our students to graduate) complete their syllabus. They will be sitting their final exams next month: we wish them well and will let you know how they get on. At least a dozen of the eighty-five are expected to go on to university, but those who do not will still stand a much better chance of finding work just by virtue of having completed their senior secondary education, which is financially accessible to less than 50% of the population.
Thank you to everyone who has given support to EDP in the pursuit of its goal – improving access to education for disadvantaged youngsters in Ghana.
With best wishes,
David
30 August 2013
P.S. For those interested in contributing to the charity or sponsoring the runners on Oct 27th, the website is now up and running at Virgin Money Giving: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/goforGhana2 . We also have an active Pay Pal connection on the website : www.edp-trust.org
We are still looking for more student sponsorships as this income helps to provide much needed support and equipment for the pupils – sponsorship costs only £300/$500 a year. More information on the website or via Inez on : inez@edp-trust.org
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