Leamington charity funds new bus for rural Indian school

And if the Buwan Kothi International Trust (BKIT) - set up by the late Leamington man Gilly Mundy a year before his sudden death seven years ago - continues to fundraise so successfully, the Gilly Mundy Memorial Community School will be able to offer education up to the age of 18.

Since former Campion School pupil Gilly and his wife Debbie Quargnolo set up the charity in 2006 to raise funds to build a primary school in Buwan Kothi in the state of Haryana, near Delhi, the school has grown from having just 50 pupils to 635 up to the age of 16 and it employs more than 50 staff. The pupils come from 32 villages and the school already has eight school buses, but an extra one would ease pressure on the existing service.

Gilly’s father and Leamington town councillor Mota Singh is a BKIT trustee and he makes two trips a year to Buwan Kothi. He will be leaving for his next trip, along with fellow trustees Janet Alty and his son (Gilly’s elder brother) Jasjit Mundy, this weekend.

Cllr Singh said: “We are very pleased that the trust has raised nearly £250,000 in the last six years and recently Zurich Insurance has donated £10,000 from its Cares 4 Kids scheme.

“We are trying to raise enough funds to be able to provide education up to the age of 18 as there is a strong demand from the community. We need at least another £100,000 to enable us to do this.

“It’s such a great project because we never thought we would be so successful.

“But the plea from the trust is to please help us raise more funds. The people of Leamington have been so generous thus far.”

To find out more about BKIT and to support the charity, visit www.buwankothi.org.uk