Outstanding work on behalf of the partnership
Dear <<First Name>>,
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I hope that you are well. It is a great pleasure to bring you up to date with some absolutely outstanding work on behalf of the partnership by both Newcastle College and the University of Leeds.
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Newcastle College lead on new Bambisanani shoe initiative changing lives in South Africa
 It’s difficult to imagine life without a pair of shoes – sadly, that is the harsh reality for many children in remote, rural South Africa despite having to walk considerable distances to and from school each day. Brogan O’Connor, Bambisanani Partnership coordinator at Newcastle College and trustee of the charity found that most of the children at Ngqamzana Primary School in KwaZulu Natal either did not have any shoes or had shoes that didn’t fit them properly. Discussions with the local community and Bambisanani supporters led to Brogan being introduced to the MyWalk charity in South Africa. MyWalk is an amazing South African organisation that turns single-use PVC drip bags, oxygen masks and associated tubing into brand new shoes. Remarkably the shoes are produced at the cost of £1.53 (R35) a pair. The school and local community identified a need for 716 pairs of school shoes and Brogan, together with great team support from Newcastle College raised the necessary funds to get all the children at the school a pair of shoes. There was great excitement at the school this week when the shoes arrived!
Mr Elijah Mhlanga, Chief Director of National and Provincial Communication in the Department of Basic Education in South Africa recently highlighted the importance of this issue:
” School shoes are a basic necessity, and if learners do not have adequate footwear, this can introduce ongoing obstacles to their education including bullying and harassment at school. Having school shoes can enhance the schooling experience for learners. Many learners unfortunately still walk long distances to and from school without shoes, facing a daily threat of sustaining cuts and infections.”
Mr L.F Msimango, Principal of Ngqamzana Primary School said, “I speak on behalf of the learners, educators, parents and community members and wish to thank Miss Brogan, Mr Barry and all the team from Newcastle College and the Bambisanani Partnership for the shoes that have arrived at my school. Your visits and programmes connect us with the wider world. We are proud to be members of the partnership. The shoes are so vital and we appreciate your humanity. I can assure you that the shoes will be very looked after. We are looking forward already to your next visit and interacting with your students.”
The Bambisanani Partnership Shoe initiative in partnership with MyWalk is not a ‘one off’ or isolated event for the charity at Ngqamzana Primary School. It forms part of much bigger holistic picture of the school being part of the partnership in ongoing programmes that promote education, sport, health, global citizenship and leadership. A special relationship has developed between the school and Newcastle College that is committed to working together and learning together.
 Brogan O’Connor, added, “Having ‘worked hand in hand’ with Ngqamzana Primary School staff and learners for two years, it was clear to see how desperate it was that these learners received shoes to enable them to walk to school safely and comfortably to receive their education. Many learners had no school shoes at all and many were in Ill-fitting or unsuitable shoes. We are so thankful to have been introduced to the amazing team at MyWalk and to see all 716 pairs of shoes arrive safely at Ngqamzana Primary School. It’s hard to put into words what a significant impact this will have on the learners, staff and wider community. This partnership wouldn’t have been possible without our friends and partners in South Africa as well as the strength of the Newcastle College team who competed the gruelling UK 3 Peaks Challenge to raise the necessary funding for this project. I’m looking forward to returning to Ngqamzana in May to expand our programme there and of course to seeing the school shoes in action.”
 Newcastle College is a key and dynamic member of the partnership, their pioneering work in very challenging circumstances is having a real and positive impact on the young people that it brings together from South Africa and Newcastle. Brogan’s leadership is exceptional and her students are developing as outstanding young leaders themselves who want to continue to make a difference in the world, The Shoe initiative has brought us together with new friends from the MyWalk charity. Our work is very much about creating mutually beneficial partnerships and this one is really special; there is considerable synergy. Our focus on the UN Global Sustainably Goals is greatly reinforced and enhanced by working with them. The MyWalk partnership is sensitive and sympathetic to the environment by contributing to reducing healthcare waste to landfill and associated greenhouse gas emissions that are harmful to the environment. They are a fantastic example of embracing a circular economy and making it a reality. They show how a green solution can fulfil a material need for business while simultaneously benefiting society – in this case by supporting education, job creation and enterprise development. We look forward to ongoing collaborations with them and others in order to make the world a kinder, more equitable and sustainable place. It is our experience that collaborative international encounters significantly amplify this motivation and promote genuine global citizenship.
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Newcastle College shortlisted for ‘Excellence in International Work’ Award
An international project involving Newcastle College and the The Bambisanani Partnership has been named a finalist in the prestigious Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Awards 2024.
 The collaboration, led by Enrichment and Development Manager, Brogan O'Connor, sees staff and students from Newcastle College volunteer in South Africa each year, to work with more than 1,000 children in schools and orphanages. In addition to this the college is also involved in ongoing projects in South Africa.
Shortlisted for ‘Excellence in International Work’, the project gives Newcastle College students the unique opportunity to work in rural South Africa, delivering sports and exercise sessions while volunteering to support other community projects.
The fundamental aim of the partnership is to create genuine ‘two-way’ learning between both countries, with sports used as a central learning tool to help the children develop skills and opportunities that will help promote education, health, global citizenship and leadership.
 The visits are filled with heartfelt exchanges, cultural performances, and community engagement, giving students from Newcastle College the chance to develop skills in teamwork, leadership and communication, whilst boosting their confidence.
Project Leader and Bambisanani Partnership trustee, Brogan O'Connor said: “This is a real honour and a testament to the hard work of the staff and students who have travelled, supported, and worked so hard to make the educational visits possible.
 “A fundamental aim of the partnership is to create genuine ‘two-way’ learning between young people from both countries, with a key focus on working and learning together. The Bambisanani story is testimony of the power of sport to change lives.
"I'm incredibly proud and grateful to be a part of the work Newcastle College and the partnership is doing in the UK and in South Africa and look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the years to come."
An AoC judging panel will visit the College in December to hear from staff, students and charity about the fantastic work the partnership does, and the impact it has on the young people taking part, both in the UK and in South Africa.
Good Luck to Brogan and the Newcastle College team!
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University of Leeds volunteers use the power of sport to excel in South Africa
 A team of seven students and three staff from the University of Leeds and Leeds University Union have returned from a life changing visit to South Africa to deliver Gryphons Abroad 2024, our ongoing cycling and sport development project. Our programme sees volunteers deployed for a period of four weeks in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal to teach cycling, leadership and sport in hard-to-reach communities. Members of staff Lauren Havercroft, Fenella Walsh and Matty Walsh were joined by students Euan Taylor, Tracy Campbell, Madhiya Hussain, Maria Roxo-Marques, Harvey Renshaw, Freddie Ankers and Will Rawlings.
 Through partnership work with KZN Cycling, the KZN Department of Education and Menston based charity, the Bambisanani Partnership, our student team supported the ongoing activation of a regional cycling hub in the Nkandla area. The cycling hub is basically a shipping container which houses a collection of bikes and a trailer which subsequently tours local schools teaching and coaching cycling. Alongside KZN Development Coach, Sonqoba Ndlovu our students delivered 15 cycling clinics and a cycling festival for talented riders in August 2024. The spectrum of learners involved in the programme included complete novices, improvers and competent riders. The team were particularly keen to teach cycling to young women and girls, who would not traditionally learn this skill in Zulu culture. Riders also received cycling jerseys and water bottles, plus helmets in the hub were restocked thanks to the kind support of Chevin Cycles and Otley Cycling Club.
One week of the project also sees students deliver a sport and leadership week for grade seven pupils from three primary schools in the township of Eshowe. Pupils participate in sport, leadership activities and classroom sessions culminating in them being challenged to lead their own game or activity for their peer group at the end of the week.
 Tracy Campbell, University of Leeds Professional Studies student commented;
“A particularly moving aspect of the project was the cycle clinics. In Zulu culture, it is uncommon for girls to ride bicycles, so this initiative was culturally sensitive. The girls’ excitement and newfound empowerment through cycling were deeply fulfilling. The ability to bridge cultural gaps and foster dialogue about women’s rights was a significant learning experience for me emphasising the power of sport as a tool for social change.”
Across the region our students and staff also participated in a range of cultural experiences, being welcomed by singing and dancing in every school, as well as observing a charity music event and workshops on Women’s Day which is a public holiday in South Africa.
Vision ‘To use sport & education to inspire, engage and develop young people and communities in both Leeds and South Africa’
 Across the four weeks the team engaged with 12 partner organisations in the UK and South Africa, mobilising 1,387 participations in sport and cycling. Parallel to the impact on pupils in Kwa-Zulu Natal, our student team created memories and friendships to last a lifetime as well as developing transferable graduate level skills. The student volunteers participated in a full programme of training, fundraising and mentoring in the eight months leading up to the visit which included a Level 2 coaching qualification, first aid training, bike maintenance training, teaching skills and more. The staff team provided 486 hours of training and support for our students to prepare them for the role.
Teachers and students in South Africa were positive about all aspects of the programme:
“I think there will be a great impact – you can see the pupils are excited to be on a bike and trying some new sports which are less familiar to them. This is the first of its kind at our school. We wish our pupils to be able to enter competitions. We would be excited to welcome KZN Cycling and University of Leeds volunteers back again.”
— Teacher, Kwa Manqondo Primary School (Cycle to Success programme)
“The sports leadership festival is informative, inspiring and interactive. The involvement learners have in the activities enhanced their confidence levels. It had a positive impact on our pupils and helped them develop their skills. Next year it would be great to invite more schools”
— Teacher (Sports Leadership Festival)
“I enjoy the cycling – I was scared but now I can do it. We have new friends, and we are enjoying it very much”
— Female pupil, Myankanya High School (Cycle to Success programme)
“This has been the best week of my life. I’ve learnt so much about being a leader in these sessions”
— Pupil (Sports Leadership Festival)
University of Leeds Sport Science student Freddie Ankers added;
“I learnt a lot about myself. I can do things and I definitely do want to teach. It has really helped shape me as a person – I am leaving Leeds now and what a way to finish.”
Key Objectives and Principles
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Huge congratulations to the team from the University of Leeds who yet again have raised the bar in terms of volunteering in South Africa. The students have been exemplary ambassadors for the university using the power of sport and education to change lives in one of the most challenging parts of the country. The learning that ensues for students from both country’s is most powerful indeed. Such global encounters broaden horizons and create more expansive world views. The University of Leeds has made an outstanding contribution to the Bambisanani Partnership for more than ten years, leading on a variety of programmes. The university team deserve great credit for their commitment, dedication and vision which, year on year, provides the most wonderful opportunities for its students in South Africa.
My special thanks must go to Andy Lockwood and Suzzi Garnett at the university for making all this possible.
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As ever, if you require any further information about any aspect of the wonderful work outlined above then please do not hesitate to contact me.
With kind regards,
David
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