Children in one of the world’s poorest countries have received a bumper donation of furniture for their schools from the old Leatherhead Food Research facility.

Titan Property Developers, who now own the Randalls Way site, are planning to transform it into 239 new apartments and were clearing it of furniture.

After planning and preparation, the charity PAGEANT – Projects Aiding Gambian Education And Natural Talent – arrived at Titan’s Randalls Way site with a huge shipping container ready to be filled to the brim with unused furniture.

PAGEANT Trustee, Andrew Groves, said: “It is heartening to see the difference that this has made and will continue to make for these young people.

“Since the furniture shipment arrived in The Gambia, our committee members have visited a number of the schools which have benefitted from the donations, including a school in Banjul which now has a library fitted with shelves.

“We’re very grateful to Titan Properties for donating the furniture and especially Ben Hughes who gave his time to help load the shipping container.”

The jam-packed shipping container then had a long voyage through the Atlantic Ocean to Gambia.

After clearing customs, it arrived in the capital city of Banjul, where the furniture was unloaded and separated out before school staff from across the country arrived to collect their items and take them back to their excited pupils.

The new furniture has provided school children in The Gambia, who didn’t have the equipment they needed, a chance to improve their studies and enjoy the education they deserve.

Titan co-founder, John Reynolds, said: “When PAGEANT made contact with us and explained the amazing work its team is doing, we immediately identified this as a cause we would like to support.

“We are thrilled that these items of furniture, rather than going to waste, can now play a part in giving children from disadvantaged backgrounds a better start in life.”