Sunderland worker completes firm's African charity project

Customer experience representative Jade Bambrough helped the team complete a new three-classroom block at Bissell Community School outside Lusaka.

The Bissell School project is the fourth initiative BGL has funded in Zambia through Build It International.

It follows on from the building of a school in Kabaka (2014), a health clinic in Kapiri (2016) and science laboratories at Linda Community School (2017), and forms part of BGL’s ambitious corporate social responsibility strategy, which aims to improve the lives of over 250,000 people by 2020, both internationally and in BGL’s local communities in the UK.

Jade, who is based at BGL Customer Services in St Catherine’s Court, Sunderland, was joined on the trip by 14 colleagues from BGL’s other offices.

She said: “Working with the school and community in Zambia was an incredible experience. To have been given the opportunity to make such a difference to the lives of others and provide help first hand is something I feel truly grateful for.

“Seeing how genuinely happy the community was with the simplest of resources was a real eye opener.

“The children loved playing with the toys we had donated and the smiles on their faces will be a memory forever close to my heart.”

Everyone who took part was tasked with raising at least £2,000 towards the project, with the total sum raised in excess of £40,000, in addition to the group’s contribution of £85,000.