Trainee tradespeople at Coleg Gwent’s Pontypool Campus put their pedal power to the test when they took part in an all-day spinathon, raising over £550 so far for a community in Gambia.
Construction students spent eight hours on Friday 16 March doing a sponsored spin, to raise money to provide basic tools and equipment like paint brushes and trowels for villagers in Gambia. Proceeds will also go towards raising money for a plough for the village of Cheesay.
Care and Hair & Beauty students also got involved. Seventeen-year-old Health & Social Care student Josie Johnson from Cwmbran braved having her hair done by 118 runners (who were actually Level 3 hairdressing students) and 18-year-old Jake Llewellyn from Newbridge, had his legs waxed. Jake will be among the students making their donations in person when they visit Cheesay in April, as part of a project with the charity GLOVE (Gambian Longevity through Village Enterprises).
“It was tough on the bike, although we weren’t on them for a long period at a time, the 20 minute stints certainly took their toll,” says Brickwork student Jake, who by the end of the day was more than ready for the weekend. But with a ‘no pain, no gain’ attitude, Jake felt it was a worthy cause to get his legs waxed for: “The money raised is going to be really well spent. Being able to improve the quality of life of those in the Gambian village is a great opportunity. It’s good to know that our fundraising will help make a difference to people’s lives, so a bit of pain will be well worth it.”
Representing a range of trades, including brickwork and plumbing, the group of 10 will also be able to provide a full range of construction skills to make improvements in the village. They will make mud bricks, skim huts and walls with mud for protection during the wet season, construct fencing for animal enclosures and will also give a local school a lick of paint to make it more welcoming for its pupils.
Sixteen-year-old Suzie Godfrey-Wiggins from Crickhowell is also on a Brickwork course and is looking forward to experiencing a different culture: “We’ll spend a night with the villagers, immersing ourselves in their lifestyle and culture, including African dancing and sampling local food and I think seeing a different way of life will be a real eye opener, highlighting how fortunate we are.”
Care students have visited Gambia through the GLOVE project for the last three years but this is the first time construction students have taken the trip. Tutor Sam Murphy explains more: “As well as being able to help the communities by donating equipment and helping them with improvements, the students will be able to experience another culture; how different it can be from theirs in the UK.”
