'˜Fantastic support' - charity'sfundraisers net over £2,000

A rumble in the jumble at Iden village hall and a sponsored silence raised over £2,000 for a registered charity that recently saw its co-founder awarded an MBE.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Apr 2017, 12:21 BST
Updated 8th Apr 2017, 22:17 BST
Tracy Barnett and Sue White raising funds for Gambian charity Bace at Iden Jumble Sale SUS-170404-113820001Tracy Barnett and Sue White raising funds for Gambian charity Bace at Iden Jumble Sale SUS-170404-113820001
Tracy Barnett and Sue White raising funds for Gambian charity Bace at Iden Jumble Sale SUS-170404-113820001

Beckley resident Tracy Barnett is co-founder and chairperson of the UK and Gambian charity BACE (Building and Assisting Communities with Education). Volunteer-led the charity establishes and supports community projects in remote parts of the Gambia. BACE was set up in 2011. The charity has since funded and built a nursery school used by one hundred 3-7 year old children. Without the nursery the youngsters would face a 6 mile walk to school.

In November 2014 Trustees and volunteers from the UK opened the BACE Healthcare clinic offering essential health treatment and safe maternity care for a catchment of 20,000 local villagers. Over the coming years, they plan to expand and develop their services to ensure that all of the students and their wider families have the best possible chance of achieving their goals in life.

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Tracy, along with Iden resident and active BACE volunteer Sue White have been working hard to raise funds for the charity. On Friday March 24 at 5pm they commenced a 43 hour sponsored silence which Tracy says raised a “staggering” £1,400. Then on Saturday April 1 they were busy again with friends and locals from Iden with their annual BACE Jumble sale held at Iden Village Hall. Sue says it was a great success. “The Jumble Sale raised a total of £731, so over the two weekends over £2,000 was raised for BACE.

“We would like to thank everyone involved for their fantastic support in helping to raise these funds.”

In recognition of her work Tracy was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours last year. A spokesperson for BACE said: “We are extremely pleased to announce that the work of BACE has been recognised through the award of an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours to our Chair, Tracy Barnett.

“This is a fantastic recognition of the tireless work that she and the other Trustees and volunteers continue to devote to the betterment of facilities in Gambia.”

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The charity is currently raising the funds to build an additional third classroom to their nursery school and aims to have this completed before the new term in September. For more information visit the website at: www.bacecharity.org.uk

Related topics:MBE