Manning Gee Investments supports African school

The founder of Bristol-based Manning Gee Investments is sponsoring a charity which supports an African school that he helped to set up 20 years ago.

Samuel Gee helped to build what is now the High Priest Academy in Accra, Ghana which provides education for about 130 impoverished students aged between two and 15 years.

Manning Gee Investments has agreed to become a corporate partner of UK-based charity WorldShare which works with Christian ministries to support community projects around the world, including the High Priest Academy.

The school began life in 2003 as a nursery for a small number of under-fives and has since grown rapidly thanks to support from Samuel and Andrew Yelland, former pastor of Crofts End Church in St George, Bristol, who became CEO of WorldShare last year.

They have both been closely involved in the school’s development over the last two decades, helping to build classrooms and raise much-needed school funds. About 70 per cent of the children who attend the school are able to do so thanks to scholarships provided by a local church congregation in Accra, support from the church in Bristol and other supporters elsewhere.

But when Samuel heard that the school was struggling to pay its 13 teaching, catering and cleaning staff following the global pandemic, he agreed to step in again to help.

“The school does such fantastic work providing vital education to children in one of the poorest regions of the world,” he said. “I have seen first-hand the amazing impact it has on both the children and the local community, so I’m delighted to continue my support for the school – this time as a corporate partner of WorldShare.”

Andrew Yelland said: “WorldShare is delighted to be able to provide vital support through our 10:10 Partners programme, enabling impoverished children to continue receiving a free education. Manning Gee Investments are a key partner in this work.”