WHO WE ARE
GCF Bosnia: For the children of Gorazde
GCF Bosnia is a UK-based charitable foundation committed to rejuvenating and improving the primary school on the south bank of the River Drina that runs through the war-torn town of Gorazde. The charity has supported the refurbishment of much if the school and has created opportunities for international travel for pupils. It seeks to provide a brighter future for these children and has raised over £200,000 in this endeavour since 2012.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
GCF Bosnia was founded by Maurice Evlyn-Bufton in 2013, who was previously a captain in The 1st Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (1RGBW) in the Bosnian conflict (1992 - 1995) and is currently CEO of global financial services advisory firm, Armstrong Wolfe.
The foundation was set up in memory of four of Maurice's comrade's, Privates Ben Hinton, Philip Armstrong, Martin Dowdell, and Chris Turner who were killed on two separate incidents whilst on United Nations' duty on Operation Grapple 1994-1995 in the eastern enclave of Gorazde. In 2012 Maurice along with sixteen other former comrades of 1RGBW returned to Goražde to replace the memorials stones of their fallen comrades. On the last day of the visit the group were invited to the local primary school where they were greeted by the children singing them a song in Bosnian thanking the British Army for saving their parents and grandparents.
Moved and inspired by this gestured Maurice asked the school headmistress what can be done to help. From this discussion a commitment was born to establish an English language teaching centre and to re-establish a playing field both in memory of their fallen comrades and as an investment that would benefit the future generations of Goražde.
Through his company Armstrong Wolfe, Maurice set a target to raise £25,000 to meet the schools ambitions and set up the Goražde Children’s Foundation to manage these funds. The charity has now gone on the raise £106,500.00, and is committed to raising further funds for improvement to the gymnasium and resurfacing of the playground.
GORAZDE PRIMARY SCHOOL
In 2012, seventeen former comrades of 1RGBW returned to Goražde to replace the memorials stones to their fallen comrades. On the last day of this visit the group were invited to the local primary school and were surprised by the children singing them a song in Bosnian, thanking the British Army for saving their parents and grandparents.
Moved and inspired by this gesture, Maurice Evlyn-Bufton, one of the group and a Captain in 1RGBW in 1994, asked the school’s headmistress what could be done to help.
From this discussion was born a commitment to establish an English teaching centre and to refurbish their playing field, both in memory of their fallen comrades and as an investment that would benefit the future generations of Goražde, the Bosnian town the soldiers of 1RGBW had defended many years before.
