Top award for Bambisanani Partnership

A united Kingdom-based charity, Bambisanani Partnership, with ties to rural Zululand schools, was honoured in a prestigious event at Leeds Civic Hall recently.

The annual Leeds Compassionate City Awards celebrates the positive work that individuals, community groups and organisations do to make their local communities and the city a great place to live, work and visit.

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Bambisanani Partnership was highly commended in the Sport Project of the Year category, which is sponsored by the Leeds United Foundation.

The partnership was praised for the inspirational ways in which it uses the power of sport to connect young people in Leeds and South Africa, despite the impact of Covid-19.

International Athletics Challenge
The distinguished guests heard how the partnership created an International Athletics Challenge which linked schools in both countries digitally for coaching and competitions.

This included four schools from two countries, with 138 nine and 10-year-old children from rural South Africa and Leeds who joined in this unique challenge.

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.

All four schools had their own competitions, resulting in 12 champions per school with the top three performers in each event receiving a certificate.

Each school submitted its best three performances in each of the 15 events, with international competition medals presented to the top three performers/teams in each event.

The success of this innovative programme has resulted in more than 20 schools from Leeds and South Africa registering to participate in this year’s Bambisanani International Athletics Challenge.

Speaking on behalf of the charity, Catherine Chattoe, Bambisanani co-ordinator at St Mary’s Menston, extended her thanks to all involved in the success.

‘It was absolutely fantastic to hear about so many wonderful projects and meet some of the remarkable people involved.

Even to be 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 involved in Bambisanani projects both here in Leeds and in South Africa.’

Bambisanani Partnership founder and chair David Geldart added, ‘There is something very special, if not unique, about the power of sport to bring people together. There is also, of course, a powerful bond between the city of

Leeds and South Africa, so we are proud to contribute to this special relationship through the work of the partnership.’

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