NEWS
Award for KZN Cycling
It is a great pleasure to announce that one of the Bambisanani Partnership’s major partners in South Africa - KZN Cycling - has recently won the prestigious Sports Federation of the Year Award at the annual KwaZulu-Natal Sports Awards.
It is a great pleasure to announce that one of the Bambisanani Partnership’s major partners in South Africa - KZN Cycling - has recently won the prestigious Sports Federation of the Year Award at the annual KwaZulu-Natal Sports Awards.
Alec Lenferna, CEO of KZN Cycling second from the right
We have worked very closely with Alec Lenferna, CEO of KZN Cycling, over the past few years to establish a pioneering cycling project that will see us teach 5000 young people a year from the most deprived rural areas how to ride and maintain bikes.
There was further success on the evening for KZN Cycling with elite cyclist Miles Liebenberg winning the Junior Sportsman of the Tear Award. A rising star of international cycling, Miles was a Gold Medallist at this year’s Youth Commonwealth Games.
David Geldart from the partnership said “Alec and his amazing team deserve great credit for their exceptional work and this award is fitting recognition. From grassroots level, working with some of the most marginalised young people in the country, through to elite level they have developed a comprehensive pathway of opportunities and provision that is exceptional. “
University of Leeds Gryphons Abroad programme engages over 2,000 children in South Africa
A team of staff and students from the University of Leeds & Leeds Trinity University have just returned from South Africa, following the successful completion of a four-week sport development project. The Gryphons Abroad programme sees staff and students deployed to deliver cycling, sport and leadership in schools in the Nkandla region.
A team of staff and students from the University of Leeds & Leeds Trinity University have just returned from South Africa, following the successful completion of a four-week sport development project. The Gryphons Abroad programme sees staff and students deployed to deliver cycling, sport and leadership in schools in the Nkandla region.
Empowering youth through cycling initiatives
Through partnership work with KZN Cycling and the Bambisanani Partnership the team successfully engaged over 2000 young people. The project consisted of two key elements: cycling and sports leadership. KZN Cycling run clinics in schools in the region year-round via a permanent ‘cycling hub’ positioned in the heart of the rural communities. Mzamo Khoza, now a a cycling development officer for KZN Cycling, is a former pupil of Mnyakanya High School who undertook a cycling course led by University of Leeds staff and students back in 2016.
Mzamo Khoza, Cycling Development Coordinator for KZN Cycling commented:
“Working alongside the team was more than amazing because everyone was so focused on the task in hand whilst also having fun together in the process.”
Four weeks were spent teaching cycling in seven primary and secondary schools. Children were taught the basics of balancing and steering before progressing to pedaling. Whilst more experienced riders worked on their handling and control to prepare them for road cycling and races. Students also taught basic bike maintenance to all pupils.
The fourth week was spent delivering a sport & leadership festival for four primary schools in the township of Eshowe. The festival, hosted at Gratton College saw 150 grade 7’s from multiple primary schools come together to participate in a range of sessions. Leeds students delivered leadership sessions culminating in pupils designing and delivering their own games and activities for their peers. A first experience of leadership for many. Alongside this they participated in sports including football, netball and rounders. As well as classroom sessions designed by students and based on their own studies at home.
Gryphons Abroad impact on students
Parallel to the impact on children, the project also impacts positively on Leeds students. They have the opportunity to develop their practical skills, broaden their horizons and learn more about different cultures. Students were invited to learn basic Zulu as well as participate in traditional singing and dancing in almost every school visited on the trip!
The project was led by Sport & Physical Activity staff members Andy Lockwood, Suzzi Garnett & Lauren Havercroft along with Ammarah Pandor from Leeds Trinity. The six students were Connor Bull, Christian Lewis, Lucy Hughes, Rachel Barton, Rhiannah McCourt & Ellen Slack.
Connor Bull, University of Leeds Sport Science student and Gryphons Abroad 2023 team member said:
“The Gryphons Abroad project has been a real highlight of my time at university. The project taught me so much about myself both personally & professionally and allowed me to explore life in a completely different culture. I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment and would strongly recommend the project to anyone ready for a challenge!”
Andrew Lockwood, Assistant Head of Sport & Bambisanani trustee said:
“Our work with KZN Cycling has enabled us to bring the cycling project to more schools and more pupils in the region. It has been a very special year for staff and students visiting new places and meeting new people with the support of Mzamo. The journey of Mzamo himself clearly demonstrates the long-term impact cycling can have on individuals. Alongside this our skills auditing also evidences the clear impact on our graduates who measured improvements of up to 39% in all ten of the identified skill areas.”
Recruitment for students to join the 2024 Gryphons Abroad team will open in autumn. You can read more about the Gryphons Abroad programme here.
Published: 22/09/2023
Ground-breaking International partnership will bring cycling to thousands of children in rural South Africa
An innovative partnership has been developed between organisations from the UK and South Africa to establish a specialist cycle hub to enable thousands of children in rural South Africa to learn how to ride and maintain bicycles.
An innovative partnership has been developed between organisations from the UK and South Africa to establish a specialist cycle hub to enable thousands of children in rural South Africa to learn how to ride and maintain bicycles.
Lizzie Deignan MBE. Photo courtesy of JoJo Harper. All Rights reserved.
Since 2016, the University of Leeds and the Bambisanani Partnership have devised and delivered a Cycling to Success programme based at Mnyakanya High School in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). This programme has led to almost 200 young people learning how to ride bikes safely and to also maintain and fix bikes out in the community. This programme has also operated a bike rental scheme to allow leaners who live great distances from school to ride to and from school. The project has gained widespread acclaim, including praise from World Champion professional cyclist, Lizzie Deignan MBE who has given her own kit to support it.
The ambition has always been to expand and grow the programme to further schools in the area to broaden the reach and numbers of children gaining these valuable life skills. Over the last two years, the University of Leeds and the Bambisanani Partnership have been working with the highly respected cycling NGO, KZN Cycling, to identify opportunities for collaboration and to expand the project across a great number of schools and across the calendar year.
The Bambisanani Cycling to Success programme introduced in the remote Nkandla region has had an enormous impact. This is an area where children can routinely walk two hours to and from school each day. The bikes have been subsequently been used for transportation, recreation, informal sport and even by the local football team for fitness training. Other remote rural communities also approached the Partnership to see if they could be involved but until now this has not been possible. The collaboration with KZN Cycling dramatically increases capacity to bring cycling, with all its transformative benefits, to other communities.
In this last week, the Bambisanani Partnership and KZN Cycling have signed a three-year agreement worth over £50,000 to establish a cycling hub in the Nkandla region of South Africa. This new hub will have a local community member as a member of staff to deliver schools cycling programmes, as well as community clinics and organise races and events across the area. The new hub will enable 5,000 young people per year to become cyclists and mechanics, as well as acting as a talent identification programme for KZN-Cycling performance pathway. This new partnership provides an exciting opportunity to empower the young people of Nkandla, as well as providing a blueprint for future programmes and projects.
The commitment and enthusiasm for this project is clearly evident from those involved
““We are all excited to develop this new partnership. A cycling hub like this, run by the community, for the community is development at its best. We have already seen the significant impact our cycling projects have had in Nkandla; this expansion is great news and I am sure will make a long-term impact on those who benefit from it.”
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““We’ve always believed that we have a good programme in place across all eleven districts in the province, and every year we have tens of thousands of youngsters that get included in the various elements, but the new agreement that has been put in place with the Bambisanani Partnership not only endorses the hard work being done by all, but more significantly, allows for longer term strategic planning linked to elements that are going to positively impact on the lives of the people of the Nkandla region. For people in the deep rural areas of KZN, bikes and the linked opportunities that bikes have are life changing. If there were more organisations like the Bambisanani Partnership that got behind development programmes like this, whether here or elsewhere in the world, there would be more smiles on more faces every day…” ”
““I am absolutely delighted to have signed this agreement to work in partnership with KZN Cycling. Our own cycling programmes in the deep rural areas have been a resounding success and it is a wonderful opportunity to be now collaborating with KZN Cycling to bring cycling to thousands more young people. Significantly, this work will also involve the KZN Department of Education and the KZN Department of Sport and Recreation who we have worked closely with for many years. Massive thanks must go to Andy and Alec for working tirelessly to create this pioneering programme.”
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With final preparations now underway the first children will be participating in the programme by early June of this year.
Also see related:
Universities push to restart International Volunteering Projects
The University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University are key members of the Bambisanani Partnership. Recently, staff from both universities have visited South Africa to establish links with a range of different partners, and to restart their successful international sports development programme.
The University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University are key members of the Bambisanani Partnership. Recently, staff from both universities have visited South Africa to establish links with a range of different partners, and to restart their successful international sports development programme.
The COVID period has meant that the two universities have been unable to conduct in-person development projects since 2019. However, during this time both universities have been working remotely with colleagues and organizations in South Africa to understand the landscape and form new exciting partnerships.
The team at Leeds Trinity University have been working with colleagues at the Imbali Education and Innovation Precinct and Durban University of Technology to explore potential areas for curriculum exchange and development in relation to their respective degree provision within sport and sports coaching. This includes a digital exchange project in 2021 where students from both the UK and South Africa collaborated to develop coaching resources and session plans to support delivery of multi-sports sessions across the KwaZulu-Natal region.
The University of Leeds has been looking to expand and develop its programme of cycling to more schools and young people across Kwazulu-Natal. To do this they have been working with a local NGO called KZN Cycling to look at the potential of developing a partnership to establish a cycling network that delivers programmes across the year, by local people, for local people.
Andy Lockwood (University of Leeds) and Chris Rowley (Leeds Trinity University) spent a week in South Africa to meet with various partners and stakeholders to formalise the progress that has been made and to explore emerging opportunities for the universities and the Bambisanani Partnership.
During the visit the team met with various government officials, Durban University of Technology (DUT) and KZN Cycling. The team also had the opportunity to visit our existing partners and friends to meet face to face for the first time in three years.
The team attended a specially arranged conference at DUT to focus on the development of sport across the region and role that the universities and the Bambisanani Partnership. This conference was attended by a range of government departments, National Governing Bodies and local coaches and players, with Andy and Chris also delivering a presentation around the Application of Sport Psychology within Training, Competition and Sports Coaching.
The visit to KZN Cycling saw the team meet with their staff teams, visit a local cycling hub and attend a community cycling clinic in a rural village. The Bambisanani Partnership is committed to developing our partnership to deliver a local hub to get cycling into communities that need it the most
The visit was an incredible success, with demand, need and impact at the heart of every discussion. The universities and the Bambisanani Partnership are now well set to develop their work and to restart their exciting visits in 2023.
David Geldart from the partnership said, “Massive thanks to Andy and Chris for this outstanding development work. We had worked hard during the COVID period to both maintain and develop new relationships virtually but there is nothing quite like being on the ground and meeting in person. We are now in a great position to expand the university strands of our work in South Africa in 2023.”
Universities push to restart international volunteering projects [WHARFEDALE OBSERVER]
International Cycling Champion is inspired by Bambisanani Cycling to Success programme
Our widely acclaimed cycling programme in South Africa, Cycling to Success, has recently featured as a special report in the Association of Physical Education’s Journal Physical Education Matters as well as in a special feature on BBC Radio.
Our widely acclaimed cycling programme in South Africa, Cycling to Success, has recently featured as a special report in the Association of Physical Education’s Journal Physical Education Matters as well as in a special feature on BBC Radio.
Lizzie Deignan (née Armistead), professional world champion track and road racing cyclist, has recently praised our cycling programme in South Africa and has offered her support in the future:
“I am inspired and excited to see the work being done by ‘Cycling to Success’. In my case success is measured in medals and titles but in reality the most simple and brilliant success that the bicycle can give its rider is the victory of freedom. I am delighted that the opportunity to achieve freedom is being donated by the work of ‘Cycling to Success’. It is such a valuable and effective way to broaden horizons.”
This programme, which has been described as ‘transformational’ by local community members is preparing to expand its provision of bikes, spare parts and tools in the development of a ‘ Cycling Hub’ at Mnyakanya School as well extend the teaching of cycling and bike maintenance in the area and potentially also in other communities. Having the support of a role model like Lizzie is a massive boost for our work which will motivate and inspire young people, especially girls and women, to enjoy ‘the freedom’ of cycling and all that that brings.
Cycling for Success: Mnyakanya High School Student working with University of Leeds student, 2019
New links established with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport and Recreation and KwaZulu-Natal Cycling is set to offer further possibilities for exciting collaborative work and partnerships. The outstanding work of Andy Lockwood and Suzzi Garnett from the University of Leeds and Mrs PK Zondi, our Bambisanani Coordinator at Mnyakanya School, continues to change lives through the power of cycling and long may that continue.
Cycling to Success in South Africa Article AfPE March 2021 (PDF)
Lizzie Deignan photos courtesy of JoJo Harper. © All Rights reserved.
Cycling to Success in South Africa
Abandoned bikes from the University of Leeds are enjoying a new lease of life in rural South Africa thanks to an ongoing project led by the universities sport development team and local charity, The Bambisanani Partnership.
Abandoned bikes from the University of Leeds are enjoying a new lease of life in rural South Africa thanks to an ongoing project led by the universities sport development team and local charity, The Bambisanani Partnership.
Bambisanani Partnership Cycling to Success Programme 15 June 2016 CC BY-SA 3.0
Over the last four years the bikes have found their way to Mnyakanya High School in Kwa-Zulu Natal to support the charities inspirational ‘Cycle to Success’ programme.
Each summer staff and students from the University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University travel to South Africa to deliver a week of cycling based activities to pupils at the school. Travel to and from school in these remote areas can be challenging with some pupils walking two hours every day to access education. The University students and staff spend a week teaching pupils how to ride and maintain bikes – a commonplace skill in the UK but a life changing and mobilising one over in this part of South Africa! The programme ultimately helps pupils develop confidence and skills which support them to remain in the education system as well as the mechanical skills needed to keep the bikes moving long term.
Through partnership work in the UK with university campus Sustainability and Security Services more than 20 bikes a year are refurbished and shipped to Mnyakanya along with new bikes acquired through University and Bambisanani Partnership fundraising and spare parts and tools funded by the Rob Stephenson Trust. The generous support of Manchester based shipping giants, Cardinal Maritime means the bikes are transported free of charge. Many of the old bikes are damaged when they are acquired so university staff and students give up their time to repair them to make sure they are safe and functional when they arrive in the port in Durban. The university student volunteers receive sports leadership and cycling proficiency training in the UK before travelling to South Africa to teach children aged 12-15 how to ride the bikes in just one week.
30-35 South African pupils are supported to learn regardless of their starting point – some have never sat on a bike before, whilst others progress quickly learning how to signal and ride safely on open roads. Pupils are also supplied with bikes parts such as inner tubes and brake cables and taught how to repair the bikes which inevitably break down more quickly on the dirt roads around the school. The bikes stay in a hub at the school, being loaned out to pupils to break down the barrier of transport to school where one exists. Additionally, students from Leeds and Mnyakanya also join together in a wide range of cultural activities with traditional singing, dancing and sports activities taking place after school each day.
For the past fourteen years the Yorkshire based charity, The Bambisanani Partnership has worked in one of South Africa’s most deprived rural areas using sport as a catalyst to promote education, health, global citizenship and leadership. The charity has gained international acclaim for its work and the university involvement has taken this to new heights, with the Mnyakanya bike hub and ‘Cycle to Success’ project being the brainchild of University of Leeds Professional Development Manager, Andrew Lockwood. Andrew was approached in 2015 by The Bambisanani Partnership to support the expansion of their work in South Africa to involve staff and students from the University of Leeds. Andrew accompanied a group from the projects founding school, St. Mary’s in Menston on a fact-finding mission that year. Using his expertise and experience in the field of sport development, Andrew engaged with teachers and pupils to understand some of the challenges faced in accessing education and future employment and the idea of the bike hub was born.
Mrs Pk Zondi, Bambisanani Coordinator at Mnyakanya High School said: "Cycling was not that familiar in our community until this initiative was introduced four years ago. Since then it has become part of the lives of many learners. During lockdown, when schools were closed, they were so excited to be using the bikes. I could not believe to see even the elder people in the community showing interest in cycling. Mnyakanya young cyclists inspired the elder, who in turn decided to fix and renew their old bikes that had never been used for years and years. Some of those old bikes were brought to these young cyclists to fix them. We do not have enough words to pass on our gratitude and thanks to the University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University for changing the lives of our young people.”
Community member Senzo Mdlalose added: “It is so amazing to see the interest of cycling growing like this our community. I volunteered in assisting these young people if they have some challenges in repairing their bikes. Cycling is help the young people not to involve themselves in doing bad things. I make sure that they follow the rules of Covid 19 while they are using and fixing the bikes. I so wish that this cycling project may grow stronger.”
“I love cycling. Sometimes I compete with my friends in a distance of about 10 kilometers or more. Cycling has become my daily activity, especially if there is no school. Many people on the road show an exciting interest in our cycling activity. We hear people hooting their taxis and others clapping their hands to encourage our cycling competition. Many people stop and watch what we do. I would like to thank Leeds University and Leeds Trinity University for introducing cycling to us." - Asanda Gabela
“I am so grateful that I can ride and fix my bicycle for myself. It is now easier for me when my parents send me to a place that is far from home because I use a bike to take that journey. I can ride as many times as I can, even if the weather conditions are bad. The bikes also help me to get to school earlier and faster. When there are heavy rains my books and my school uniform are not getting too wet if I am riding a bike. It is so exciting that the bikes have changed our lives for better. May God bless The Bambisanani Partnership and the Leeds university teams for changing our lives.” - Sakhile Magwaza
"Thank you very much to The Bambisanani Partnership for donating the bikes to us, and also for offering riding and fixing training. Our lives are becoming easier with bikes. This is all very exciting! Almost all young people in my community like to learn cycling. We also use the bikes for sports and as a transport. Many people in this community have developed the love of cycling. People ride the bikes to work, to their relatives, to shops and others to school. Bikes are so helpful and save money." - Bonginkosi Magwaza
“Cycling is greatly appreciated by our local soccer team. The Bambisanani bikes are used by our team for physical training. Using the bikes has encouraged active participation in our fitness work. Players really enjoy using bikes for exercising and are motivated. Thank you very much to the Bambisanani team.” - Mholi Hlabisa
Parallel to the impact on the recipients of the bikes, the impression on the skills and values of the UK students is huge. Skills auditing before, during and after the intervention saw students develop 10 top graduate level skills by an average of 31% from start to completion. “I’m proud to say I helped teach 30 kids how to ride a bicycle in just a few days. I am however even prouder to say that a group of 30 kids have taught me more than I could have ever imagined. I discovered the perseverance the children had as well as the importance of Zulu culture in those same couple of days!” said Franki Darko, a University of Leeds student who visited Mnyakanya in 2018.
Despite an unscheduled pause in the project this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic both here in the UK and in South Africa, the legacy of the last four years continues. Since 2016:
70 used bikes have been refurbished and shipped to Mnyakanya High School with the support of University of Leeds Security and Sustainability and Cardinal Maritime
80 new bikes have also been purchased and shipped through student and staff fundraising and The Bambisanani Partnership
Tools and consumables to the value of £10k have also been provided thanks to the support of the Rob Stephenson Trust and The Bambisanani Partnership
Over 120 South African children have been supported to learn to ride and maintain bikes
59 University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity students and staff have been involved in the project
Andrew Lockwood, who is now a Trustee of The Bambisanani Partnership said: “Setting up the bike hub at Mnyakanya has been hugely beneficial to all involved, not only the recipients of the bikes, but also the University staff and students who are able to develop outstanding professional skills and personal values through this unique challenge. The hub is now clearly embedded at Mnyakanya and in the surrounding community and we now hope to expand the project to further rural schools in the area over the next few years”.
David Geldart Founder and Chair of The Bambisanani Partnership added: “This initiative has clearly had a remarkable impact both on those receiving the training and those providing the training. Andrew and the university teams deserve enormous credit for pioneering this inspirational work. It has been absolutely wonderful to see cycling introduced to this remote rural area. For the Mnyakanya students, and indeed in the wider community, we have seen a growing interest in cycling as a mode of transport, for sport, recreation, fitness training and for some, a source of employment! There is a real desire in the community for this initiative to grow further and indeed in other communities for it to be introduced. It really has been a tremendous success; I would like to congratulate and thank everyone involved for making this amazing project happen.”
For more information about The Bambisanani Partnership please contact David Geldart: d.geldart@bambisananipartnership.org