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Tony Shephard
TONY SHEPHARD
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| 2006 - Tony's first visit to The Gambia coincided with Vic and Tina arriving there with the little girl that we were sponsoring. He had brought out quite a lot of money that he had raised with him and said that he was 'looking for the right place to donate it'. As we left the school that first day. he said that he had found the place. This was the ceremonial assembly where he made the donation. | 2006 - By the end of the holiday, Mrs Jallow had used the money presented by Tony to order a lorry load of sand, to buy many bags of cement and to employ builders to make the blocks that would be used for the foundations and the lower part of the walls of the new classroom block. Here Tony is inspecting the blocks just before we left to come home. |
TRIBUTE TO TONY SHEPHARD (SBSt.J)
Agi Awa Bah Nursery School pay tribute to Tony Shephard for providing us with quality Education which we deliver in
a building that is provided by him and his colleagues in Lewes.The School started with a three classroom block and now we can boast of it becoming one of the few storey buildings in the town.
Tony did not only strived to provide us with an infrastructure but also provided sponsorships for poor and needy children. From 2006 to date Tony and his colleagues in Lewes have provided a conducive and high quality teaching and learning environment for the citizen of Bakau and the environment. This making us an enviable edifice. We are really blessed to have had a humanitarian, a caring, loving, benevolent, a godly person in the life of the school. We are really happy and proud for all the efforts he has made in our almamater. Though he is gone but will never be forgotten. Tony will always be remembered by generations of children in Agi Awa Bah Nursery. As we mourn the demise of this celebrity of St. John Ambulance and Agi Awa Bah Nursery School we pray fervently for his soul to rest in perfect peace." We need you Tony Shephard but God needs you most"
So privileged to have been into your heart.
A space so large, so warm, so full of love for the poor and needy.
A genuine interest in helping solve problems, fund raising for St. John Ambulance and Agi Awa Bah Nursery School.
Caring for the sick and suffering sponsoring children who are in dire need of help.
Thank you for everything and thank God the Almighty for your life.
Sleep well until we meet again.
REST IN PEACE
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| 2007 - On our return we were very pleased to see the progress that had been made with the ground floor of the new block well under way. Mrs Jallow is showing Tony the classroom that will bear his name. Tony has organised a concert and other fund-raising events during the year and the money that he sent was one of the main sources of funding for the development. | 2007 - As well as his fund-raising efforts Tony did a great deal to support and sponsor particularly needy children and their families. These twins were amongst the first to be sponsored by him. They come from a family that had suffered particularly tragic circumstances, |
This statement about Tony has been prominent in the classroom that bears his name since the first day that the pupils entered it:-
"Mr Tony Shephard is a British citizen based in Lewes, Sussex who first visited The Gambia and Agi Awa Bah Nursery School in April 2006. Since then, by working relentlessly he has raised funds and sent money to the school on numerous occasions which have helped to improve the building and facilities of the school. His contribution in making the school what it is today cannot be overemphasised. This humanitarian gesture is worthy of emulation by all for the continued success of the school. Our sincere thanks go to him and all the people who have helped him in his fundraising activities that have contributed so much to making the school a place conducive to teaching and learning. This benevolent gentleman, who is in his seventies, has not only contributed towards the building but has also sponsored three children in the school and has also persuaded many other people to sponsor children. He will always be remembered by generations of pupils coming through this school."
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| 2008 - Another year on and we found more pleasing progress had been made. The classroom that bears Tony's name is now ready to be commissioned. Here he stands at the door of the classroom with the members of the teaching staff at the time | 2011 - Four years on and two of the pupils that were amongst the first that Tony sponsored have now move on to Lower Basic Schools, but when their mother heard that Tony was back in The Gambia, they were anxious to see him and thank him again. |
PRAYER FOR THE DEAD
Almighty Eternal God, in your fatherly goodness, be kind to the Soul of Your Servant (Mr. Edward Anthony Shephard).
Cleanse him whom you called from this world of all his faults, take him into the Realm of Light and Peace and into
the Community of Your Saints, and give him, share of Eternal delight in Your Kingdom.O God, The Creator and Saviour of all the faithful, forgive all the sins of all your Servants Souls. Let them receive forgiveness through our pious prayer, for which they have always been yearning. For this we pray through Jesus, Son of Mary. Amen.
May His Soul Rest in Perfect Peace.
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| 2018 - Many people were delighted to see that Mrs Yaharr Jallow was able to come to Tony's funeral just north of Lewes. On the morning after the burial, we visited Hamsey Churchyard to stand by his grave. Mrs Jallow sang a funeral song from her own culture as she looked down on the grave flanked by two of her daughters and a grandson. | 2018 - Mrs Jallow had spent a long time talking to friends of Tony at the reception after the funeral and was able to pay her own tribute in front of everyone who was there. As she was leaving the reception Sid & Margaret Larder gave her the official portrait of Tony being presented with the honour St. John Ambulance. She is holding it here. |
