One of Mayor of Hastings Phil Scott's charities this year is the Hastings Sierra Leone Friendship Link.
When the people from Hastings in war-torn Sierra Leone appealed to Hastings UK for humanitarian aid, their cause was taken up immediately by Michael Foster MP and LOAF, the group of local churches dedicated to carrying out projects in some of the poorest parts of the world. Although the civil war is over, and UN forces with considerable input from the British have restored peace, the need is still huge.
Many of Hastings' bridges still need repairing, and the biggest challenge is to rebuild the trades school and to construct a building that can serve as community meeting place, town hall, post office and administrative offices. Now it is hoped that we can get more involved, with residents across the community working together, with the support of Hastings Borough Council, to pool ideas and raise funds to carry on with the superb work that LOAF started. It is hoped that two-way links will grow between schools, the hospitals, the police forces, and so on.
In July, Alexandra Park throbbed to the rhythm of African music, at the Mayor's African Festival - staged, with the generous help of the Round Table, to raise funds in aid of Hastings Sierra Leone, and to raise public awareness of the fledgling link. Council Leader Jeremy Birch spoke passionately to an audience of some 1500 about the enriching experience that this offers the residents of both Hastings.
As About goes to print, the next step was due to be a public meeting on Thursday 9th October. Local and national figures who know Sierra Leone well will be helping to launch the Hastings Sierra Leone Friendship Link. There was to be an audio-visual presentation, personal accounts of what Hastings Sierra Leone is like, and invitation to young and old alike to sign up for the HSLFL, to roll up those sleeves and to extend 'making a difference' to our African namesake.
For more information, please contact the Liaison Officer telephone 01424 781130.
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This page last updated: 07/10/2003