The Gilly Mundy Memorial Institute is our major project, which includes the construction of a primary school and resource centre on a four-acre site in Buwan Kothi, followed by the establishment of a secondary school, nursery unit and hostel accommodation when funds allow us to add them.

Phase 1 of the project began in October 2007, brought forward because of the success of our fundraising. On 11 August, there was a ceremony to mark the start of construction of foundations for two buildings. The first will eventually become the secondary school but will initially house primary school children. The other is the resource centre, a community meeting space that the Trust sees as essential to the success of involving local people in our work.

Phase 1's construction work was completed in March 2008, with a formal ceremony to inaugurate the primary-level Community School on 17 March, the first anniversary of Gilly Mundy’s death. At the start of April, the first 100 children had enrolled and by the beginning of the school year, there were 130 pupils.

The Gilly Mundy Memorial Community School is a non-profit educational establishment. In order to remain sustainable, this means that those families with the ability to pay a modest level of school fees help to subsidise free places for those who would otherwise be unable to attend. Maintaining free school places is also supported by standing order donations from the Trust’s supporters in the UK.

In line with our commitment to ensure that decisions are made at a local level, the construction of the Community School and its continued management is the responsibility of a local partner in Haryana, the Buwan Kothi International Trust (India). We have a formal Partnership Agreement with them and the grants we have made to Buwan Kothi International Trust (India) for the building work have been covered by this agreement, which includes a Schedule of Works and our General Conditions of Grant Aid.

Working with local partners allows us to maximise the amount of funds we raise that directly benefits local people – currently 99% of our income.

Community School Partnership Agreement (45kB)