15182/1FORMER Kingsbury Hill House School pupil James Moran is spending this week delivering uniforms from the defunct Marlborough school to two in The Gambia in West Africa.

The 12-year-old and his father Steve flew out on Friday to The Gambia to spend a week visiting Marlborough's link community of Gunjur.

They travelled out with Dr Nick Maurice, who was the founder director of the Marlborough Brandt Group and is now director of the United Kingdom One World Twinning Association.

Over the past 25 years Marlborough has developed close links with Gunjur through the Brandt Group, with regular exchange visits between the two communities.

St John's School and Community College in Marlborough and Pewsey Vale School have regular exchange visits.

Although Kingsbury Hill House School, which closed at the end of July last year, had no official links with schools in The Gambia, pupils like James were interested in Gunjur because of the Marlborough Brandt Group involvement.

James' parents Steve and Della were conscious that many Kingsbury Hill House parents, like themselves, had redundant uniforms with no future use for them.

Mrs Moran, who with her husband runs Moran's Caters of Distinction, said: "There were all these uniforms but no use for them so we decided why not send them to the schools in The Gambia."

All of the former Kingsbury Hill House parents that Mr and Mrs Moran contacted were eager to support the idea.

Dr Maurice, who has maintained his links with Gunjur through UKOWLA, lent his full support to the idea.

Before long the sitting room at the Moran's London Road home was bursting at the seams with donated short trousers, skirts, shirts, caps and berets.

Mr Moran said: "We were told that the only part of the uniform they did not want was the jackets because it is too hot out there."

His wife said: "We took the uniforms over to the Brandt Group offices and we were sorting it out into ages and I was chatting to Dr Maurice when he asked if we wanted to go over with it."

The family decided that while Mrs Moran stayed behind to look after the business, Mr Moran and James, who is a student at St John's School, would fly out to The Gambia as part of a UKOWLA group.

Half the clothing was sent out in advance as freight, but the other half has been taken out personally by the father and son.

Mrs Moran said: "We have to say a really big thank-you to all the parents who have supported this appeal."

Mr Moran said he was looking forward to his first visit to Gunjur and to helping distribute the uniforms to the African village's primary and upper schools as well as meeting the pupils themselves.

James said he was excited at the prospect of sharing the home of an African family for the week.

He was given special leave from school on condition that upon his return he gives a presentation to his year group about his African experiences.

James, who was at Kingsbury Hill House School from the age of three to 11 before joining St John's last September, said: "I am looking forward to seeing what life is like out there, how they live and how different it is to our own lives in Marlborough."