Shiplake College has been the main supporter of Gap-Africa since 1994 and continues to fund raise for the charity and visit the schools in the Kikunduku Schools Project (KSP) through the medium of the Shiplake College Expedition Society (SCES).
The photo shows headmaster, Gregg Davies, handing over two cheques. The first, for over £19,000, was for money raised by the erstwhile College Chaplain, Robert Prance, who staged a 24-hour Organathon. Robert sat at the church organ for twenty-four hours playing the organ. A host of supporters spent time making coffee and singing hymns or simply listening to Robert push on hard, playing whatever came to mind, and preventing him from falling off the organ stool!
The second cheque for nearly £1,000 came from a Mufti day on campus organised by one of the sixth form pupils.
The College also has a bi-annual marathon length walk down the Thames path that raises funds for many charities including Gap-Africa. This walk is now an institution at Shiplake and deserves all the support we can offer it. Shiplake has a wonderful outreach approach so if you fancy the walk later this year, approach the College and find out how you can join and get yourself a donation form.
Shiplake College’s Burr House also supports a Kenyan orphan student through his secondary schooling. Gap-Africa tries to find sponsors to support very bright students with no hope of further education after Primary education. Primary is all but free, secondary education is based on boarding and cost in the region of £420 per annum for four years. We are indebted to Andy Dix, housemaster of Burr House and his support team of teachers and, inevitably, all the boys in the house who raise the funds in house.