Rushmere Set for Africa Day Event

A shopping centre in Co Armagh is to host a fundraising event this weekend, in aid of its Uganda Schools Project.

Rushmere in Craigavon is preparing for Africa Day 2010 on Saturday 15th of May, which will bring some of the "sights, tastes and sounds of Africa" to the centre in order to raise money for the completion and development of the Rushmere School in Uganda.

Martin Walsh, Centre Manager of Rushmere (pictured with former Miss NI Judith Wilson, who will be travelling with the team to Uganda as a volunteer) said: "Africa Day is a unique way of engaging shoppers with the ongoing Rushmere Uganda Schools Project and showing the real difference it is making to the local community in Kibaale - one of the most rural parts of Uganda.

"Last year we were overwhelmed by the generosity of the shoppers who donated much of their hard earned cash to the project – the project would have been nothing without their contribution.

"This allowed us to complete the shell of the school and set a solid foundation on which to provide a standard of education which simply did not exist previously."

He continued: "Now that we have the new building in place we are bringing another team of 25 volunteers from the retailers and management at Rushmere out to bring that development to the next level. In less than three weeks time we will have an essential drinking water borehole in place, a purpose built sports field, and new interiors for the classrooms.

"I would encourage shoppers to come down and see for themselves the impact that their donations are making not just to the 400 pupils but to the local community and the families of the children who are fortunate enough to get this start in life."

(NS/BMcC)