Ceesay Nursery School is a locally run school in Serrekunda, the Gambia, which is supported by a volunteer team of charity fundraisers in London, the United Kingdom.

Started 20 years ago in 1996 by Gambian Mr Bakary Ceesay, the aim of the school is to help some of the poorest children in his neighbourhood – orphans or children whose parents cannot afford school fees – by teaching them how to count, learn the alphabet and spell, and speak some English in preparation for Lower Basic School (where the curriculum is delivered exclusively in English).

In December 2006, Diane Fisher, a teacher, travelled to the Gambia as a volunteer assessor for a small educational charity named HASTE (Help African Schools to Educate). After an unsuccessful trip to a broken cash machine, Diane shared a taxi with an off-duty security guard, who told her about a little school run by his relative Mr Ceesay that needed some help. In April 2007, Diane returned to the Gambia to visit the school, so beginning a supportive relationship that continues through 2016.

This year Diane and the team of volunteers she has gathered in London are focusing their efforts on raising enough money – £20,000 – to build a permanent building for Ceesay Nursery School. Dominic Rech, Jack Parkes and Alex Biddle are running the Northumberland Coastal marathon to try and help reach the target.