Gambian school dedicates library to Brian Bamford of Northern Voices.

 

"Following former Northern Voices editor, Brian Bamford's death last year, his wife Pat asked that all donations (in lieu of flowers ) should be sent to an educational project in The Gambia, that was close to Brian's heart, beliefs and aspirations. Friends, relatives and comrades were generous with their support.

 Sohm Schools Support was set up by John Walker - a long- time friend of Brian, and former joint editor of Rochdale's Alternative Paper, in the 1970s - and his wife Sandra 12 years ago, to provide help to the pupils in two schools in the relatively remote Gambian village of Sohm. Over the years the small charity has added to the scarce resources the government has been able to provide the schools with, and Brian was always a passionate supporter and contributor to this endeavour.

 So, classrooms have been restored, a sick room installed, electricity provided for the first time, a new assembly hall built etc. Each year the charity spends about £1,000 in supplying stationery, so that all pupils at the Lower Basic (primary) school have all their exercise books, pens, and other material, as well as teaching aids, supplied. The results have seen the school climb rapidly up school league tables, achieve great Ofsted-equivalent reports, and been used as an exemplar for how to run rural schools in the community.

 Those who knew Brian will have been touched by his on-going beliefs in the empowering nature of education in helping people fulfill their potential, and his love of books. It seemed fitting, therefore for the school to name its library (which the charity has rebuilt and stocked) after him, in recognition of his support and beliefs. The picture illustrates some of the children and teachers with the mural they created, after a small ceremony of remembrance and dedication, just last week.

 Brian would have taken particular delight in not only seeing this tribute, but in knowing that the only other building in the village named after a European are the school's toilets, named after his long-time adversary and disgraced former Rochdale MP, Simon Danczuk"