The amazing story of a local man's efforts to raise over £325,000 to build classrooms in Sierra Leone was shared with members of The Rotary Club of Warwick last week.

The club held its International Understanding Evening last week with Alan Wolstencroft, of Banbury Rotary Club, telling members about his work in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

Mr Wolstencroft said he had first gone to Sierra Leone in 2005 to volunteer for 11 days with the charity Mercy Ships to help a team of Rotarians build a hostel at the Fistula Clinic.

The trip turned out to be life changing and he returned to the country the following year.

Visiting a local school, he realised their need for classrooms and returned to his club to raise money for the work.

Over the next 16 years he has visited the country 12 times, raised over £325,000 and built and equipped 35 classrooms using local labour and materials.

His charity "Alan's Africa" has built nine toilet blocks, installed three wells and numerous other projects such as sanitary provision for girls to ensure they stay in school, and provided thousands of pounds of humanitarian aid, micro loans and medical support during Ebola.

The audience for his talk included many familiar with the country; a group from One World Link, the 40-year partnership between Warwick and Leamington with Bo in Sierra Leone, with one of their members joining from Australia on Zoom.

The University of Warwick's Professor Lisk, who comes from Sierra Leone, brought a student studying the country. Rotarians from clubs near and far joined the gathering, pleased to meet after two years of lockdown and restrictions.

Most of Alan's work has been within 20 miles of the capital Freetown, 160 miles from Bo, in the east of the country.

Warwick Rotarian Alan Bailey explained that One World Link had also built a hospital in Bo using a Rotary Global Grant bringing together clubs in Australia and in Sierra Leone.

They had built toilets in the local market, and more recently raised money to install solar panels for the maternity unit. The next project is for toilets at Sewa road school where 300 students and teachers have virtually none.

Giving the vote of thanks, organiser Prof David Smith said both speakers re-enforced that here in the UK "we don't know how lucky we are", and it was inspirational to see what can be done if we work together.

The club will continue to support charitable efforts in Africa and elsewhere.

President Paul Jaspal presented Mr Wolstencroft with a cheque towards his next trip.

During the evening Mr Jaspal also presented Rotarian Jon Wassall with a 'Paul Harris Fellowship", one of Rotary's highest awards for "Service above Self".

President Paul Jaspal with Dick Dixon, Jon Wassall, and Alan Bailey

Jon has been both Secretary and President of the club and actively supports all their projects including Carols at the Castle. Jon's work as secretary of the King Henry VIII Endowed Trust has brought him into contact with all the charities and voluntary organisations in Warwick giving them advice and assistance and the award was well deserved.