About BACE
Building and Assisting Communities with Education - A small charity with a long reach, transforming lives in rural Gambia since 2011.
Our Story
BACE was established in 2011 by 8 dedicated trustees, each of whom had supported other Gambia-based charities for several years beforehand. When we discovered Bonsa village in the Western Division of The Gambia, we found challenges vastly different from the rural communities we had previously supported.
Our first initiative was constructing the Favour Preparatory Nursery School in Bonsa, enabling over 100 children aged 3 to 7 to attend school locally without walking six miles each way. This single project sparked a transformation that continues today.
Since then, we've built a primary healthcare clinic serving 20,000 villagers, provided clean water access, and created sustainable infrastructure that empowers the entire community. Every project is developed in partnership with local Gambians, ensuring long-term success and community ownership.
Our Leadership Team
BACE has eight dedicated trustees who work entirely on a voluntary basis, paying for their own travel costs and expenses to ensure every penny of donations goes directly to our projects.
Tracy Mendy MBE
Chair
Tracy has been working on a number of school projects in the Gambia since 2005. Tracy and her family have personally funded several Gambian students through training and college courses. In the UK, Tracy is an Account Director for a major UK company and spent 5 years prior to BACE as a volunteer leading a small UK charity through a tough economic climate to raise their charity profile and fund raising.
Laura Collier-Keywood
Treasurer
Laura has been involved in development projects in The Gambia since 2008, working in both Farato and Sukuta. Laura is a chartered Accountant and currently works as the Interim Finance Director at Citizens Advice. Laura has over 9 years of experience working in the not for profit sector and has had experience in working across a number of countries in Africa.
Tania Price
Secretary
Tania has travelled out with the charity on many occasions with her family and works full time as a Customer Experience Manager in Digital Delivery within the Civil Service. She ensures 4,500 users have the correct equipment and tools within rail, maritime, air and roads policy. Tania is experienced in planning, communication and coordinating large groups of people.
Howard Taylor
Trustee
Howard has been travelling to The Gambia since 2005, and works for a charity in the UK supporting those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
Charlotte Barnett
Trustee
Charlotte has been volunteering in the Gambia since 2005, supporting schools and medical facilities. She is an experienced Registered Nurse with a background in Intensive Care and Community Nursing, also gaining a diploma in Tropical Disease in 2014. Charlotte has worked in Tanzania and Ghana as a volunteer.
Chris Lilleystone
Trustee
Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the Building trade and runs a building company in Reading.
Francis Warren
Trustee
Francis has been involved with BACE since 2012 when she first came out to The Gambia as a volunteer. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Portsmouth, working on large-scale educational research projects with hundreds of UK schools. She has a PhD and lectures in Developmental Psychology.
Fara Mendy (Francis Mendy)
Trustee
Fara has been proactively involved with BACE and the team since the Trustees started volunteering in West Africa in 2005. He played a major role in setting up the charity in the Gambia, was a qualified Nursery School teacher there and also worked as an Electrician in his country. He is fluent in all 7 languages in The Gambia. Fara is a Registered Security Officer working at the NHS
Get in Touch with Our Trustees
Please help the trustees by donating what you can in terms of money, your time or resources.
info@bacecharity.org.ukOur Transparency Promise
We believe in complete transparency and accountability. Here's how we ensure your donations make the maximum impact.
100% Direct Impact
Every penny from donations goes directly to projects - trustees pay their own expenses
Registered Charity
UK registered charity number 1142445, fully compliant with charity regulations
Voluntary Leadership
All trustees work entirely on a voluntary basis with full-time careers in the UK
Community Partnership
We work with local Gambians, not imposing solutions but building together
Our Commitment to You
The trustees of BACE are very conscientious about costs and will always explore all options to ensure they limit charity overheads as much as possible. Since our work started, we have developed a strong bond and trust with the villagers, and we are keen to continue building on this foundation. Our communities now work together for the benefit of the majority, creating lasting change that extends far beyond our initial projects.
Our Patron
"I am honoured to be asked to be a Patron of this wonderful charity and will help in any way I can"
Michael Finnigan
Founder, i2i - Inspiring Success
Michael and his inspirational 'Winning Hearts And Minds' coaching consultancy, i2i, have been strong supporters of BACE since 2004. His team works with businesses all over the world and are best known for their successful forays into elite sport, helping the likes of England Football Manager Sam Allardyce and the Indian Cricket Team in winning the 2011 Cricket World Cup.