Trip Advisor for Jinack LodgeCreated: Tue, Feb 7th, 2012

We would like to bring to your attention our 'Trip Advisor' page and the comments and feedback that the lodge as recieved from visitors.

We are very pleased with the comments and would like to share them with you. Here is the Link, anyone else who has been to the lodge, please feel free to add your comments too.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g1535316-d1948295-Reviews-Jinack_Lodge-Jinack_Island.html

Thankyou for your fantastic support to all who have contributed and stayed with us over the last few seasons, we hope to see you back soon.

The Jinack Lodge Team

Rooster at Jinack Lodge waking up the residents

New Season 2011 / 2012Created: Tue, Jan 17th, 2012

Happy New Year to you all.
The season has started off better than we expected, with a steady stream of customers. We had a few technical problems, ( water pump, lighting, computer connection...etc ) which we have (fingers crossed) rectified.

Harvested the first basket of Tomatoes from our vegetable garden recently, and have planted 3 new nursery beds with cabbage, 2 different types of tomato, carrots, potatoes,egg plant, peas, onions and a few more...
All have taken, and are coming along nicely.

Our live stock is increasing, the chicken eggs have hatched and we have 4 new ( well probably 5 weeks old now),chickens
Also new to the Jinack family are 2 kittens.

We are going to build a new chicken coup, and have been trying to obtain building instructions from the internet, with out any success so far.
So if anybody knows of a site where we can obtain working drawing for a chicken coup that would be very helpful.

So were moving closer and closer to self sustainability, and are probably more than halfway there.

Would like to say a Big Thank you to all the guest who have left their honest review on trip advisor, this helps us to identify the bits that are working, and the equally the bits that are not.
Would also like to thank all the people( Chris, Sian, Yvonne, and many others) who have, and still continue to donate there free time and effort to assist me and the people of Jinack Island with this venture.

More news soon take care for now.

Successful Fund Raising Night for Jinack Lodge projectCreated: Sun, Oct 2nd, 2011

On Saturday night (1st October 2011) our fundraising event at The Lloyds Hotel in Chorlton Manchester, was a massive success for the Lodge.

We managed to raise, with the help of everyone who attended on the night a total of £700 which will be used to help build our new power station at the lodge, to house solar panels, control equipment and water tank, including our servicing equipment.

Part of the building will also be a living quarters for the site caretaker and an adequate area for our staff, which will include accomodation showers and kitchen. We will also continue with our vegatable garden to make the village and lodge more eco friendly and self sufficent with home grown produce.

The whole night was fantastic, with many unsung heros behind the scenes helping to make everything run smooth, with everybody enjoying themselves and donating generously, buying raffle tickets and bidding on our auction items, which included a signed canvas oil painting of an Gambian child, plus signed framed limited edition photographs.

There were many hampers that were snapped up, with local companies donating other great gifts including Royal Exchange theatre tickets and meal for two at a Croma restaurant in Chorlton - plus a one-on-one personal training session for two people, kindly offered by Dave of Urban Fitness and a Hairdressing voucher from Special FX in Chorlton.

The big prize of the night was won by Mr Mitahir from Bury in Lancashire, who's ticket was drawn out of the bucket to win a fully inclusive week for two at the Lodge on Jinack Island The Gambia - 'we look forward to seeing you there!'

We will now use the proceeds to purchase materials when we arrive in Jinack in November and also much of the funds will go towards creating many jobs for the villagers and local tradesmen, who will be employed to help build the power station project.

All in all we had a wonderfull night and we would like to thank each and every person who attended and made the evening a great pleasure and success to do.

We would like to give a special mention to Jess and Matthew and all the staff at the Lloyds Hotel, who made our night possible and went out of there way to make sure we had everything we needed, including some wonderfull food.

Plus many heartfelt wishes and special thanks go to Ronnie, Mass, Heritage Survival, Paula, Debbie and Leonard, Lorraine, Carol, Yvonne, Brenda, Lilly and Tilly from Knutty Knitters, Nadia, Nick, Martha and Maya and all who helped to make the night a Hugh success.

The Jinack Lodge Team

This is the original photo of the Baby in the Bucket canvas oil painting that was auctioned on the night

Special Gambian Guests Joining us at our Fund Raising Night 1st October 2011Created: Mon, Sep 26th, 2011

This Saturday Night at The Lloyds Chorlton, Manchester, please join us for a fund Raising Night with Fantastic Reggae African Jazz Band, 'Heritage Survival' - plus special guest Mass, Chom, one of the best Gambian Djembe (drum) players.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Thankyou
The Jinack Lodge Team

Heritage Survival - African Reggae Jazz Band

Join us on FacebookCreated: Fri, Aug 26th, 2011

Hi just to let everybody know we are now on Facebook! Please join us there to add your pics from your stay at the Lodge and to keep up to date with the latest promotions etc or to contact us.

http://www.facebook.com/jinacklodge?sk=wall

Fundraising NightCreated: Thu, Aug 18th, 2011

Good morning, preparations are being made for a fund raising night at the Lloyds Hotel, Chorlton, Manchester. Were hoping to raise much needed funds to complete the security lodge.

On the night we have many raffle prizes, including a holiday for two on the Island. Also featured on the night will be Heritage Survival an African Afro Jazz band.

So why not come along and support the project, and enter into some great prize draws (please see attched flyer for more details). This is looking to be an amazing night. We hope to see you there.

Thanks The Jinack Team.

Jinack night

Updates so far.Created: Wed, Jun 22nd, 2011

Good Morning everyone, sorry it's taken me this long to post these updates. We have been really busy and working hard behind the scenes. We have two new members who are helping us with fundraising and who have developed a brilliant working strategy to take the project forward. Visited 'Africa Oye Festival' in Liverpool over the weekend (18th & 19th June 2011) and met some wonderful like-minded people with similar goals and exchanged ideas and contacts. Hopefully, we will be working together to achieve a common goal. Promise not to leave it this long again to bring you Jinack News!

Solomon and guest outside the Lodge on Red Nose Day!

NEW SEASON 2010/11Created: Mon, Aug 16th, 2010

The new season approaches,(November 2010) and there,s been some new developments to the site.

The reception roof is now completed, and is covered with this seasons grasses ( looks great)

We have also had a new beach front entrance built, which can be seen for several 100 meters of shore.

Were still waiting to the build the power house, but there still time to get it stated and finished by November ( cross fingers).

Everything else is going according to plan,( well.. i suppose i'd like things to move a little quicker, but as they say Rome was'nt built in a day.)

Ill be back in late November hopefully i will see you then.
T'il next time bye.

The Rainy SeasonCreated: Mon, May 17th, 2010

As the rainy season approaches (mid June til end of Aug) and the volume of customers slow down , the jinack team are preparing for this years maintenance/new buliding work.

We are currently making bricks on site , for a new power house.

The new building will be constructed around the existing steel frame work of the water tank which is situated in the centre of the site.

The structure will house the solar panels and batteries, the standby generator , and eventually a small wind turbine.

In addition to the energy equipment will be a self contained one room en'suite lodge for the night watch man.

Things are moving slowly but surely and in the words of the mandinka tribe da, manding da, manding "slowly slowly"

Bye for now til next time

NEW DEVELOPMENTS AT THE LODGE Created: Fri, Feb 12th, 2010

Had Robin the bird watcher stay this month, and he spotted over 72 different species of bird in and around the lodge , we will be updating the website with these pics on his return. Having a traditional clay oven with chimney installed in the kitchen, great for authentic africa cuisine . The lodge shop is just about to have permanent units fitted. Hope to be back on the island in March, why not join me . Bye for now .

A month laterCreated: Fri, Jan 1st, 2010

The season started off as expected,with a slow but steady trickle of customers. Hopefully we will see an increase in visitors after the Christmas period,when people start to dream, once more of blue sky and golden sand.

Things are moving in the right direction and we just hired two local girls to add to the jinack team (Fatou & Issa). After several false starts the water pump is now up and running and seems to be on the home straight ( fingers crossed ). Spotted a school of dolphins ( 10 to 15 ) feeding off the shore, just in front of the lodge and Tom swam out to greet them. What a beautiful sight . We've added new pictures to our gallery and have entered a few recent testimonials, check them out. Hope to see you soon. HAPPY NEW YEAR...