City Honour for Bambisanani Partnership
The Bambisanani Partnership has been honoured in a prestigious event at Leeds Civic Hall. The annual Leeds Compassionate City Awards celebrate the positive work that individuals, community groups and organisations do every day to make their local communities and the city a great place to live, work and visit.
The 2021 Awards Ceremony had been delayed because of Covid-19 and in all there were nine different categories recognised on the rearranged evening. Honoured guests and Civic dignitaries heard opening speeches about the importance of the annual awards from Leader of Leeds City Council, James Lewis, The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Asghar Khan, Councillor Mary Harland, Executive Member for Communities and Paul Money, Chief Officer for Safer, Stronger Communities.
The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Asghar Khan
The Bambisanani Partnership was Highly Commended in the Sport Project of the Year category which is sponsored by the Leeds United Foundation. Both Michael Kinsey from the Leeds United Foundation and Councillor Andrew Scopes spoke about the Sport Project Awards. The Bambisanani Partnership was praised for the inspirational ways that it uses the power sport to connect young people in Leeds and South Africa and in particular for the way that it had been determined to develop its work despite the impact of Covid-19. The distinguished guests heard how the partnership had created an International Athletics Challenge which linked schools in both countries digitally for coaching and competitions.
Over the last year, despite all the Covid chaos and disruption, 138 nine and ten year olds from rural South Africa and the Leeds joined together in this unique Bambisanani Partnership International Athletics Challenge. Albeit virtually, the challenge brought together four schools from the two countries to learn together in a range of fun athletic activities.
South African students from Vumanhlamvu Primary School in Nkandla and John Wesley Primary School in Eshowe connected with St. Mary’s Primary School, Horsforth and St. Joseph’s Primary, Pudsey in a range of running, jumping and throwing challenges that allowed students to learn about athletics with opportunities to compete ‘against themselves’, improving personal performance over time, as well as also competing against children in their school and significantly with children in all the other schools involved in both countries by comparing performances.
The programme gave great importance to all participants working hard to improve their own personal performance over time in six different events for both boys and girls: 50m run, 200m run, Standing Long Jump, Three Hop Jump, Tennis Ball Throw and Football Throw. Initially students were taught the basic activity and then established their own ‘personal best’ in each of the activities. Over the following weeks and months, the children were given the opportunity to practise, rehearse and experiment in order to improve their performances. A remarkable 76 students made significant progress over time in at least three different events and were awarded special certificates to recognise this. All four schools had their own competitions in the events which created 12 Champions in each school. The top three performers in each event received a certificate. Three very exciting 10-person x 40m relay events (Boys, Girls, Mixed) were also added for the International Competition. Each school submitted their best three performance in each of the 15 events for the international competition between schools. 126 International Competition medals (‘Bronze’, ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’) were presented to the top three performers/teams in each event.
Such has been the enormous success of this innovative programme that more than twenty schools from Leeds and South Africa have already registered to participate in this year’s Bambisanani International Athletics Challenge.
Representing the Bambisanani Partnership on the evening were Catherine Chattoe, Bambisanani Co-ordinator at St. Mary’s, Menston, Barbara Pounder, teacher at St. Mary’s, Horsforth and Bambisanani Trustee and David Farmer, teacher at St. Joseph’s Pudsey and Bambisanani Primary lead.
Speaking on behalf of the charity Catherine Chattoe said, “It was absolutely fantastic to hear about so many wonderful projects and meet some of the remarkable people involved. To be even short listed for this occasion is a great achievement but to actually receive an award is an amazing honour which reflects so well on all the team involved in Bambisanani projects both here in Leeds and in South Africa. Massive thanks must go to all those involved in involved our International Athletics Challenge particularly the pupils and staff at St. Josephs Pudsey, St. Mary’s Horsforth and in South Africa, John Wesley Primary School in Eshowe and Vumanhlamvu Primary School in Nkandla. Thank you also to all those involved at Leeds City Council and the Leeds United Foundation for your tremendous support; these awards are very special and say so much about the great city of Leeds and our values.”
David Geldart, Founder and Chair of The Bambisanani Partnership added,” There is something very special, if not unique, about the power of sport to bring people together. Leeds has a fantastic sporting tradition and is highly committed to all levels of sport throughout the city so there was never going to be any shortage of great projects nominated for these prestigious awards. There is also of course a very powerful bond between the city of Leeds and South Africa so we are very proud to contribute to this special relationship through the work of the partnership.”
Over the past 15 years, under the banner of ‘working together and learning together’, the Bambisanani Partnership has engaged over 10,000 young people from both countries in a wide range of sports-based projects and programmes which aim to promote education, health, global citizenship and leadership.
Charity connecting pupils from Leeds and South Africa [WHARFEDALE OBSERVER]
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