
Glamour, delicious food, fabulous entertainment, music and dancing all wrapped up into one sparkling evening. 153 guests from 37 nationalities attended our first annual charity ball. Among the attendees, we had guests from Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, London, Bognor Regis, Brighton, Chichester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Spain, Paris and the Republic of Guinea.

The event started at 7pm with welcome drinks and Opera performance by Lilliana. At 7.50pm guests were seated for their 3-course meal. At 9.50pm Mariato & Peter Diaz performed followed by performance from Decades live UK. There was ongoing entertainment til 1am. 

Your contribution helped us to raise a total of **£5,300** (and still counting!) which will go a long way to helping URBOND help advance education in one of the poorest countries in the world (Republic of Guinea). We are building a school for children in need, we will provide them with teachers, health care and the basic things in life for a better future.

We had some wonderful auction prizes donated by Richmond Motor Group, Paul Pogba, the Village hotel, Rowan Watts Photography and DJ Mark.

It all wouldn’t have been possible without the support of people in the community and beyond and companies that have donated their time and services free of charge. Special thanks to our sponsors Tennyson Ltd and Richmond Motor Group for their continuous support. Thanks to all those colleagues and guests of companies that have attended the events.


First Charity Ball


On 26th January, **URBOND** hosted its first conference. Our guests enjoyed an afternoon of presentations of all three of the programmes which are the Community Integration, Youth Development and Child Education along with an insight into the charity goals for 2023.

Under the charity’s Community Integration Programme, [URBOND](https://www.linkedin.com/company/urbond/) have succeeded to bring together a staggering 40,583 people in Portsmouth spanning 78 different nationalities since inception in 2013. In 2022 alone, the charity had over 2,500 participants and beneficiaries under the programme.

URBOND Youth Development Programme, which is working to drive opportunities, wellness and success for young people, has benefitted almost 4,000 participants in the city with 147 of those engaging with the charity activities and support every single week. The charity works with children and young people particularly where issues such as crime and low-income are prevalent.

URBOND’s Child Education Programme has seen almost 3,000 primary school children supported in The Republic of Guinea, West Africa which is working to improve children's access to education in areas where they would otherwise go without. In 2022, the URBOND built a brand-new toilet facility for girls which over 600 girls now have access to every day, delivered menstruation and hygiene workshops, donated 2,200 basic items such as menstruation kits and dental hygiene equipment, taught English speaking classes to over 600 children, built a secure sports facility sponsored by the charity long term partner [Richmond Motor Group](https://www.richmondmotorgroup.com/search/) which over 1000 people now have daily access to, delivered irregular migration workshops, and facilitated disabled children with 1:1 support.

This year URBOND has plans to reach out to larger audience in Portsmouth to help advance racial harmony, equality and diversity. The Youth Development Programme is looking to grow relationships with local businesses and schools to expand and engage with more young people, providing them access to education and employment. URBOND’s Child Education Programme is planning to provide clean water to their partner school, open a technical training centre to provide job opportunities for young people, give disabled children the facilities and resources to go to school, build a school in a remote area of the country where children currently have no access to education and many more exciting projects to support the underprivileged communities.

Thank you to **University of Portsmouth**, Business and Law for hosting us and thank you to long term partner Richmond Motor Group for their ongoing support and **POOW Media** for helping change lives.


URBOND Conference 2023


We have successfully completed the building of the library and the computer room. These facilities will benefit over 700 children each year, will benefit the community in Dubreka and the surrounding areas. The laptops for the computer room had various programs installed - Word, Paint, and games, all for students to learn and play.

For the entire duration of the trip, volunteers were based in Dubreka, they formed stronger relationships with the children, parents and the locals. It’s has been a memorable journey, we can’t wait to tell their stories.

Thank you to all our supporters, without your kind support these great achievements wouldn’t have been possible!


First Volunteer's trip


The annual black-tie fundraising event was held on the 6th November 2021 at the Marriott Hotel, Portsmouth. The event helped raise funds for children in need, celebrated the outstanding work of its volunteers and helped promote racial harmony, equality and diversity for the best interest of our city Portsmouth.

150 guests from 42 nationalities attended the annual black-tie event. Among the attendees, we had guests from Spain, Republic of Guinea, Paris, Leicester, Manchester, London, Bognor Regis, Chichester, Southampton, Bournemouth, and Birmingham.

Your contribution helped us to raise a total of **£13,710 **(and still counting!) which will go toward URBOND Child Education Programme (in the Rep. of Guinea, West Africa) which is working to improve access to primary education for children in areas where there are shortfalls.
 
It all wouldn’t have been possible without the support of people in the community and beyond and companies that have donated their time and services free of charge. Special thanks to our special sponsor Richmond Motor Group for their ongoing support. Thanks to [Gagliani & Co](https://www.instagram.com/gaglaniand/), Perfect Pear, [M3 Shop](https://www.instagram.com/m3shopuk/) , Success Connections and Daviun Vodka.  

Thanks to all those colleagues and guests of companies that have attended the events.


Second Charity Ball


URBOND, held its second conference event to shine a light on the work the charity has done around community integration and cohesion, youth support and providing education and opportunities to children in need across the world and the impact this created during 2023. Guests enjoyed an afternoon of inspiring speeches of all three of the programmes which are the Community Integration, Youth Development and Child Education along with an insight into the goals for the year of 2024. 

The Community Integration Programme was formed off the back of local integration issues to help advance racial harmony, equality and diversity for the city of Portsmouth and so far over 50,000 people spanning 80 different nationalities have benefitted from the programme.

The charity’s Youth Development Programme is working to drive opportunities, wellness and success for underserved young people and their future and is addressing prevalent issues in the city such as youth crime, obesity, low literacy rates and unemployment. In 2023, URBOND saw almost 8,000 young participants with 156 of those engaged every single week, organised over 400 activities and spent a staggering 1,131 hours with young people.

URBOND’S Child Education Programme is helping improve child education and provide opportunities to children in need in the Republic of Guinea (Africa), where there are major shortfalls and a severe lack of opportunities for young people. You will be able to hear from some of the charity volunteers who took the trip to the Republic of Guinea in October 2023 at the event where they will share their experiences. Since inception, the charity has supported over 20,000 primary school children under the programme, donated over 15,000 basic items and study materials and empowered teachers and parents on the need for education.

URBOND Conference 2024


On Sunday 2nd of October 2022, 12 of our dedicated volunteers from 8 different nationalities embarked on their humanitarian mission for 12 days. The trip has been challenging but very impactful. With the help of our supporters in the UK, we have been able to provide life changing opportunities to children and the locals the Republic of Guinea.

The volunteers had 4 key areas to address and where they would work and impact the young people and their communities. These areas were, education, infrastructure, health, and sensitation campaigns. 


Second Volunteer's trip


The annual black-tie fundraising event was held on the 12th November 2022 at the Marriott Hotel, Portsmouth. 130 people attended the event and celebrated the outstanding work of the charity both in the Portsmouth (UK) and in Koutaya, Dubreka (Republic of Guinea).

Your contribution helped us to raise a total of **£8,571.37** (and still counting!) which will go toward URBOND Child Education Programme which is working to improve access to primary education for children in areas where there are shortfalls.

URBOND’s Child Education Programme was established in Guinea in 2019. It is currently based in Koutaya, Dubréka (Republic of Guinea), just north of Conakry. It seeks to dramatically improve the opportunities for access to education at all levels, and to provide basic educational and learning resources to children in need. It also seeks to work with young people to encourage them to stay in school where possible, and not to risk their lives leaving the country illegally for Europe. It has supported a total of 2,940 primary age children since 2019 – among these pupils, girls attendance with partner school has risen hugely by 62.2%.

To help with the fundraising, we had some wonderful auction prizes donated by Paul Pogba, Richmond Motor Group, University of Portsmouth, Proestetica Beauty, EuroStar, Jaimes Harrington, the Marriott hotel and Alseny Camara.

It all wouldn’t have been possible without the support of people in the community and beyond and companies that have donated their time and services free of charge. Special thanks to the special sponsor Richmond Motor Group for their ongoing support. Thanks to Gagliani & Co., POOW Media, Perfect Pear, Portsmouth News and Poppy Haskell for their amazing contribution. Thanks to all those colleagues and guests of companies that have attended the events.


Third Charity Ball

On Thursday 5th October, eight of our dedicated volunteers took the annual charity trip to the Republic of Guinea for thirteen days. 

Sixteen suitcases, eight hand luggages and eight backpacks full of books and over two thousand sanitary kits to be distributed to young girls to try and keep them in school.

> “It’s my third time, it’s great to be back in Guinea, serving those in need.” – Kingsley Digby

### Impact of 2023 volunteers

The volunteers had three key areas to address in two different cities (Dubreka and Coyah) and in the village of Koutaya. For thirteen days in the Republic of Guinea, the volunteers would come together, work hard on these projects thus positively impacting children, young people and the locals in these underprivileged communities.

The impact areas were: education, infrastructure, and sensitization campaigns.

### Education

**Training in menstruation**

This project was delivered in partnership with the British Embassy to Conary (Republic of Guinea) targeting the city of Coyah, which is 18.4 miles from Dubreka and 29.1 miles from the capital (Conakry), to support young girls to stay in school and not risk dropping out of school because of menstruation.

The Republic of Guinea is one of the top 10 countries with the lowest literacy rates, and statistically it is girls who suffer the most with this educational problem. The adjusted net attendance for girls drops from 66% in primary school to 29% in lower secondary school, dropping even further to 11% in upper secondary school. Between social and cultural problems which contribute to this, it is estimated that 1 in 10 school age girls in Africa will skip school during menstruation or drop out because of lavatory sanitation. The majority of schools are not equipped with sanitary facilities which means it is difficult to keep girls in school.

During the volunteers’ trip, 20 workshops were delivered between Monday 9th October and Monday 16th October. 500 young girls, 720 boys, 173 parents and 81 teachers received training on menstruation, sexual violence and self-defence. In addition, 2,000 sanitary pads were distributed to girls from underprivileged communities in Coyah with our effort to keep them in education.

Ongoing training and equipment is to be provided to young girls with our effort to keep them in school. We have already formed a working group in Coyah which includes students, teachers and parents. Their goal is to work together and prevent young girls from skipping or dropping out of school due to menstruation.

**English Language classes**

Over 500 children and over 150 members of the local community benefitted from intensive English classes. Children that couldn’t speak, are getting fluent in English.

### Infrastructure

**New school in Koutaya**

In February this year (2023) Portsmouth family run business Richmond Motor Group, our long-term partner, agreed to sponsor the educational building in Koutaya. The building will comprise of a library, computer room, teachers meeting room, head teacher’s office and internal toilet facilities.

Koutaya is a village in Dubreka (with a population of around 3,000 people) which currently has no available schools situated locally. To attend the nearest schools children must walk distances of 8km-10km each day, with many of those also having to make a dangerous water crossing.

With our plans to start teaching in September 2024, we are looking to complete building six classrooms by February 2024. The Richmond Building is nearly complete, with £44,000 spent so far, with only the ceiling, the flooring, the windows and painting left to finish.

Completing this project will vastly improve the educational opportunities for communities in Koutaya and surrounding areas and make learning accessible to children who are currently very much in need.

Upon completion more than five hundred children will be educated yearly, upwards from fifteen locals will be employed and the project will empower around three thousand members of the community in Koutaya and nearby villages.

**Renovation of the multi-sport facility in Dubreka**

The designated sports facility was built and inaugurated on the 12th October 2022. For the past eleven months, over eight hundred young people and members of the community have been using the facility daily.

Due to the facility being overused, the surface was damaged and the basketball hoops were broken. Renovating the facility was not part of the budget plan this year but we had to anticipate and renovate it so that young people and members of the community can keep using the facility. The renovation of the facility cost £3,700.

The full-size basketball and volleyball court is the pride of the children, promoting safe playing conditions for the children and the community.

**Renovation of the library and the computer room in Dubreka**

In 2021 the primary purpose of the trip was to build a library and a computer room which has had a massive impact on local lives. Over 15,000 children, young people, teachers and members of the community have been accessing the building yearly. Community members have been obtaining jobs through the IT classes and children who have never used computers before are now doing coding and programming thanks to the building and the classes.

This year the building was renovated by the help of our dedicated volunteers. In addition new air conditioning units have been fitted and over 2000 books have been added. The renovation, which was not planned but required due to the condition we found the building in, cost £2,600.

### Workshops and sensitization campaigns

**Irregular migration workshop**

This is a major rising issue in the Republic of Guinea, and other parts of North West Africa: irregular migration to mainland Europe. Between January to October 2019, 28% of irregular migration from West Africa was made up of Guinean nationals (IOM, 2019). Since May 2022 we have been working with parents and children helping tackle these issues as many children have lost their lives trying to cross the sea to come to Europe.

To help support parents and young people, URBOND has partnered with Microsoft to provide a Gig Academy which provides technology training to the locals, ultimately giving them skills for jobs when they are certified after six months. In Dubreka, from December 2023, the centre will take on twenty young people as a pilot, to ensure the system works smoothly. Its capacity will subsequently increase to an intake of eighty young people every six months. Disabled people face particular barriers to employment, and so URBOND aims for disabled people to comprise of 30% of beneficiaries.

We are planning to bring more opportunities to young people so they can contribute to the development of their country.

**URBOND Ambassadors in Coyah**

We have formed a team of 42 ambassadors in Coyah to help tackle issues preventing young girls from attending school. The group of ambassadors are made of parents, teachers, and students. Some of the issues we are planning to tackle are FGM1, domestic violence, sexual violence, rape, child marriage and child labour. We have seven school partners in Coyah, our plan is to increase girls’ attendance with our partner schools by 15% by the end of 2024.

**International Girls Day celebration**

We celebrated International Girls’ Day on Saturday 14th October: over six hundred people attended the event. We were joined by some incredible and inspirational women to help empower the young girls, and sensitise them on the need for education. It was also great to see the girls taking part in the computer programming competition which is traditionally a male dominated area.

**Semi-marathon to raise awareness on Need for Child Education**

URBOND successfully organised its second edition of the semi-marathon on the 15th October. The event was organised to raise awareness on the need for child education. The event was a great success: over one thousand people from Conakry, Dubreka, Coyah and surrounding areas were in attendance.

**Other sporting events for child education awareness**

We organised football, basketball and volleyball events across three different days, in total 1,500 people attended these events. At every given opportunity, we stopped the event to express how important it was for children to attend school.

### URBOND Conference

On the 11th October we held an URBOND conference at the British Embassy in the Republic of Guinea.

We were joined by the British Ambassador (John Marshal), UK Embassy staff, Rio Tinto, members of Guinean government, UNICEF, many more institutions and businesses. This was a great opportunity to introduce URBOND and the work we do in Guinea which is providing education to children who may go without it.

37 people were in attendance. We were able to network with businesses, institutions, and organisations. We are hopeful the outcome of the conference will be positive and more partnerships will be created off the back of this impactful meeting.

Third Volunteer's trip



### Portsmouth charity hosted black-tie fundraiser to raise money for its charitable work in the UK and in the Republic of Guinea ###



A multi-award winning CHARITY that helps young people across the world hosted its 4th Annual glitzy black-tie event to raise funds for underprivileged young people in Portsmouth and overseas in the Republic of Guinea (West Africa).

URBOND a Portsmouth-based charity hosted a glamourous charity fundraising ball to help support their work with underserved young people in the city of Portsmouth through its Youth Development Programme and continue its ongoing work with children in the Republic of Guinea through its Child Education Programme.

Over 150 people pulled out their best dresses and suits for the do, which took place this past weekend at the Portsmouth Marriott Hotel. Guests enjoyed an evening full of entertainment, including the great comedian Adrian Doughty, music from DJ Mike Sullivan, alongside drinks and a three course meal.

To help the charity’s fundraising endeavours, they hosted a live auction where guests bid on one-of-a-kind collectables such as signed shirts from Manchester United, Liverpool Football legends and memorabilia from iconic stars including Adele and Madonna.

The headline sponsors for the night were Richmond Motor Group and SLR Marine Recruit. The following comment was made by Sam Nobes from Richmond Motor Group “The work that URBOND is doing here in our community and in the Republic of Guinea is invaluable, we are proud to support wherever we can.”

Sarah Roads at SLR also said on the evening, “SLR Marine Recruitment were so delighted to be a part of the charity event and having more of an insight into the amazing work they are doing within our city and overseas. URBOND is a very important organisation that SLR is excited to support.”

URBOND’s Community Integration Programme is helping advance racial harmony, equality and diversity for the public benefit. Since inception in 2013, the charity has brought together over 50,000 people and is continuing to provide support to the Portsmouth community through its sporting activities, community works, workshops and seminars, social events, women’s group and hard talk forum.

Under URBOND’s Youth Development Programme, which operates in Portsmouth, the charity works with local partners to provide opportunities, wellness and success to young people in the city. This year alone, the programme has seen a staggering 7,596 participants at activities and events, engaged with 156 young people every single week, organised over 437 activities and events, and spent 1,131 hours with young people providing support and prospects for their future. The programme is growing year and year, which is why URBOND is seeking support from its community so they can continue with their great work.

On Thursday 5th October, 8 volunteers took the trip to Dubreka, the Republic of Guinea to develop the building of their new school and help tackle barriers preventing young girls from attending school, as well as teaching IT, English and Media classes to young children as part of URBOND’s Child Education Programme. The programme’s aim is to improve access education, empower communities, provide support to teachers and help change the lives of children in need. So far, the charity has supported over 20,000 primary school children in Guinea, donated over 15,000 basic items and study materials, educated over 12,000 young boys about girls’ protection and sexual violence and educated over 10,000 young girls on menstruation.

URBOND’s charity ball event is held every year to raise funds and raise awareness on it’s dedication to help children and young people that would otherwise go without. This year, the ball raised an amazing **£11,354** and still counting!

 If you would like to donate to URBOND, please visit their website at [www.urbond.org](https://urbond.org) and click the ‘Donate Now’ button.

You can now also Sponsor a Child in the Republic of Guinea where your donation will go directly to supporting a children’s basic needs such as food and clothes along with covering the costs of them going to school. For more information on how to Sponsor a Child, please visit [childeducation.urbond.org/what-we-do/sponsor-a-child](https://childeducation.urbond.org/what-we-do/sponsor-a-child)

Fourth Charity Ball

**URBOND** is charity working in the Republic of Guinea to provide primary education to children who would otherwise go without. One of URBOND’s main campaigns in supporting child education is Building Schools where there is no current access to education – the charity is constructing a school in a village called Koutayah where previously children have had to make a dangerous see crossing just to get to school in next town.

During the planning of the school, URBOND representatives identified that Koutayah also suffered from not having access to clean running water. Through speaking with locals in the village, it was discovered that mothers and children would walk journeys of 7-8km to fetch water for their families. It has been recorded that 1/3 of Guineans drink unsafe water, with rural villages such as Koutayah suffering the most.

On 22nd May, URBOND began the construction of the water borehole on site of the new school building. After two days of digging, the charity brought clean water to the children and the locals who previously had no access.

Giving children in Koutayah education is giving them tools to work their way out of poverty but water is the most basic need in the world.

### Benefits of the Project

With a safe water point close to school, children's attendance rates will increase significantly. Girls will no longer have to stay home during their menstrual cycles. Toilet facilities will keep children on the school campus during the day. Handwashing facilities reduce the spread of disease and therefore reduce absence in children’s school attendance.

Having access to safe water and sanitation will greatly reduce the spread of disease. Providing a safe water facility can improve the overall health of an entire community for now and for years to come.

The responsibility of fetching water usually falls to mothers and young girls. By having an accessible facility in their community, women and girls will no longer have to journey far from home, where they're at risk of violence and kidnapping.

### Impact of the Project

Koutayah and nearby villages have a population of approximately 3,500 people. These villages will now have access to clean water on a daily basis.

**Case Study: Moriba Camara**

“My name is Moriba Camara. I was born and raised in Koutayah, and my parents and grandparents are all from here. Throughout my childhood and up until now at age 73, we have always walked about 6km to fetch water and walked 6km back to the village. For the past 20 years, we have had many organisations and the government promising us clean water, but they never kept their promises.

To be honest, when URBOND purchased land in Koutayah to build a school so the children wouldn’t risk their lives crossing the sea to go to school, we never believed it would be done.

However, witnessing everything they have been doing here has given us, our children, and our grandchildren hope. You can sense that they deeply care and want to help us.

Saying this borehole is life-changing is an understatement. I know our ancestors will be praying for everyone involved in this project. We don’t have much to give, but we are praying for URBOND and their supporters every day for God to keep giving them the strength to help those in need.

I will be happy to go to my grave knowing Koutayah has clean water and that we have people who care about us.”

URBOND would like to thank GRP Solutions Ltd for sponsoring this life-changing project for the village of Koutayah, the support is truly appreciated. Water is the most basic need in the world, which unfortunately millions of people across the world go without. With the support from our sponsor, it has been made possible to change the lives of an entire village and surrounding areas for now and years to come.

<img title="a title" alt="Alt text" src="/images/assets/bore.jpg"> <img title="a title" alt="Alt text" src="/images/assets/locals.jpg">

Providing Clean Water to a Community in Need


1,500 + Reusable Sanitary Pads, 750 Young Girls, 5 Communes and 9 Different Schools.

Most girls in Guinea will miss school during their menstruation cycle or drop out once they start menstruating. URBOND identified the lack of sanitary products, appropriate toilet facilities, and lack of knowledge to be the key factors to be addressed for increasing school attendance and reducing childhood pregnancy.

From the 13th til the 23rd of February 2023, URBOND will work in partnership with the British Embassy to Conakry to deliver workshops to 750 young girls from 9 different schools and over 1,500 reusable sanitary pads will be distributed to support girls from underprivileged communities.

The aim is to increase girls’ school attendance by providing them with the knowledge and menstrual equipment so that they have better understanding of their bodies. For the past few years URBOND have worked hard to prevent girls from skipping or dropping out of school due to menstruation. In fact within 18 months, URBOND helped increase girls attendance with their partner school in Dubreka (Republic of Guinea) by 62.2%.

Education is a powerful weapon for young girls as it protects them from child labour, increases participation in workforce, increases earning capacity and reducing early marriage. URBOND and it’s partners are committed to supporting young girls to stay in school and obtain the education they deserve.


Menstruation project 


Thank you to our long-term partner Richmond Motor Group for agreeing to sponsor this life changing sports facility for the children and the locals. Over 500 children will use the facility daily.

“This project will provide children with a safer play area and, keep them mentally and physically healthy. Sam Nobes and everyone at Richmond Motor Group have heavily been involved with URBOND since the beginning, without their incredible support URBOND great achievements would have never been possible.”- Ousmane Drame, URBOND CEO


RMG Sponsors Childrens Play Area


We are pleased to announce that our long term partner, Portsmouth family run business Richmond Motor Group will be sponsoring a library & a computer room within our school in the village of Koutaya.

This particular building will comprise of a library, computer room, teachers meeting room, head teachers office, etc.

Building a fully equipped school in Koutaya would provide vastly improved access to education for children in need, with significant improvements in their educational attainment that will empower them throughout their whole lives.

The school will assist the overall development of Koutaya in the short term through providing quality education to the children and prosperity for the community, and in the long term through helping to produce Koutaya’s next generation of citizens and community leaders.

A big thank you to Sam Nobes, Andrew Clarke, Abigail Talmondt, Jess Nobes and the whole Richmond Motor Group family and staff for their ongoing support and helping change lives.


Urbond

Providing Clean Water to a Community in Need

URBOND Conference 2024

Fourth Charity Ball

Third Volunteer's trip

RMG Sponsors Building of a library & computer room in Koutaya

URBOND Conference 2023

UK

GUINEA

USEFUL LINKS

FOLLOW US