Four years ago, in January 2008, Richard McCance and Andrew McClure, aka ‘The Mourne Men’, who are both officers in 1st Slieve Donard Boys’ Brigade Company, participated in the 2008 Plymouth-Banjul Challenge. The event was loosely based on the famous Paris-Dakar Rally, but with a twist. Each team’s vehicle must be a left hand drive ‘banger’, cost less than £500 and be capable of a 4000 mile journey! For Richard and Andrew this was a 1989 Land Rover Discovery, affectionately known as ‘Disco’. The journey took them from Newcastle, through England, down through Europe, across to Africa, through the Western Sahara and finishing up in The Gambia some 4 weeks later.

To justify their madness, Richard and Andrew decided they would like to use the opportunity to raise some funds for those less fortunate than themselves. In 2000 the Boys’ Brigade Down Battalion built a Primary School in Nakasongola, Uganda, in co-ordination with Fields of Life Charity. From a starting attendance of less than 100 children meeting under a tree, the Primary School now has 856 children attending, under the wonderful leadership of the Principal Annet. The Battalion has continued since then to provide practical and financial support to the school.

As part of their fundraising Richard and Andrew organised many events including a table quiz, a duck race, and formal dinner and charity auction. Local businesses also got involved by sponsoring space on the vehicle.

Through the generosity of many, the amazing amount of £28,000 was raised by Richard and Andrew, and following discussions with the principal, it was agreed that the money would go towards the purchase of land for the purpose of a new High School in the area, and towards the actual building of the new school. Bethel High School is now built and currently has 255 pupils attending.