Raffrey BB captain Mervyn’s work recognised with award

24 June 2015

A BOYS’ Brigade Captain has been recognised by Queen’s University for his outstanding voluntary service.

Mervyn Murdock, who has been Captain of Raffrey BB for almost three decades, has been presented with the prestigious Queen’s University Staff Volunteer Award in recognition of his local and global service.

In addition to his role with Raffrey BB, Mervyn has been a member of the Boys’ Brigade’s Down Battalion Executive for 28 years, holding the position of President for the past eight years. He has been the BB’s Northern Ireland vice president for the past nine years.

In 2000, the Down BB Battalion took a team of 29 to Uganda to build a primary school as part of their millennium celebrations, with Mervyn part of this enthusiastic team.

The school was built in the bush area of Nakasongola where 93 children were schooled under the shade of a large tree and it has greatly improved the education of the children of the area.

In 2007, the Down Battalion raised money so a bore hole could be drilled to provide children with clean water to drink for the first time in their lives which reduced the incidence of dysentery in the school from every child in 2007 to none two years later. Mervyn responsible for raising a substantial amount of money to finance this particular project.

Since 2009, Mervyn has been regularly returning to Uganda taking groups of volunteers, many of whom are students. Six years ago, the team bought sewing machines and taught some girls and women how to sew which has now become a source of income for many.

In 2009, the Down Battalion raised funds towards the building of a new high school in the village which was constructed a year later, while two years ago Mervyn led a team of 27 to work at the new school which has now educated around 700 students.

Each team member took a laptop with them to leave at the school and supplied funds to install solar power to ensure they could be used.

Last summer, Mervyn took a team of 58 people back to the high school, teaching practical skills which included sewing and knitting, first aid, music, sport, welding and joinery to students and local women.

The fundraising efforts of the BB also helped build two new homes for some of the poorest families and a new health centre of which Mervyn is a Trustee. It is located just beside the school and receives his continued support.

This summer, Mervyn is heading back to Uganda with a 42-strong team to teach skills to students and the poorest families in the community, many of whom are suffering from HIV.

Since he made his first visit 15 years ago, the transformation he and many others have helped make has been nothing short of amazing, particularly in the education and health sectors.

Children are not just educated in school buildings, but drink clean water and get at least one good meal a day, while the women are no longer solely relying on the land to provide them with an income as many are using the skills they have been taught to provide themselves with employment.

The new health centre provides care to the most vulnerable and poorest people in Uganda, with Mervyn self-financing his trips to ensure all the fundraising income goes directly to where it is needed most.

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