Youngsters receive supplies boost from Clydebank church

YOUNGSTERS living in remote parts of central Ghana are to receive clothes, toys, notebooks and pencils from their Clydebank friends as efforts are stepped up to support African families living below the poverty line.

The support is coming from the congregation and friends of Clydebank Methodist Church, which has along with other congregations set up 'Go For Ghana Scotland’.

Established around nine months ago, the charity aims to support vulnerable families in rural communities that have not benefited from the economic success that followed the discovery of oil in Ghana in 2007.

The organisation is led by Clydebank man Dennis McLaughlin and Ghanaian Isaac Obahi (who currently lives in Pollokshaws), who have been coordinating the collection of goods to send to their Ghanaian friends.

Dennis said the people receiving their support were in desperate need.

“I have been there twice and Ghana is a have and have not society,” Dennis said. “You can go from the capital city Accra and a £10 million footballer’s mansion to somewhere people are living in shacks.

“These are people who live off the land, or rely on a bit of tourist trade. People who sell cocoa or yams to passers-by. They live in shacks and the kids have nothing. Through the Methodist Church in Ghana we have identified these areas to support. We have people in the area and family over there who will make sure that everything is distributed fairly.”

The Methodist Church is central to the success of the organisation as many of its members are from Ghana and the church has its own Ghanaian society.

Dennis explained inspiration for Go for Ghana Scotland came from former Clydebank minister, Reverend Daniel French, whose new congregation in Wigan had established a similar charity two years ago with the same aims.

Dennis said: “We have been collecting goods since about October last year. We have a drop off point at Clydebank Methodist Church, but if people phone me I can collect them also.

“The concept is that anything we collect that we can’t send to Ghana, we will sell that at our car boot sale. So people know that if their goods aren’t suitable to send to Ghana it will still contribute to the project, in this instance to the cost of shipping.”

A car boot sale will take place at Clydebank Methodist Church on Saturday, August 8 when the charity hopes to raise the £600 needed to ship 30 boxes of goods to Ghana. The event will feature a raffle, a bouncy castle, face-painting and entertainment for youngsters.

Urging Bankies to support their efforts, Dennis said: “The smallest thing can make these kids happy, so being able to put a smile on their faces is wonderful and they are so grateful.”