Photograph: Everyone’s a winner. Hamble Community Sports College visit Ferndale Combined School to see the new sports facilities.
Hamble Community Sports College Interact Club have just returned from an inspirational visit to a South African school, which the Interactors helped to refurbish.
The Interactors saw the new changing facilities for girls and library, which had been damaged by a fire.
The link between Hamble Community Sports College, Southampton, and Ferndale Combined School, Natal Province, began in 2004 with a Dreams and Teams initiative which led to a great relationship between the two schools.
In 2010, during a visit by Ferndale to Southampton, Ferndale Head-teacher, Lenny Naidoo, told the Interactors that the school needed a girl’s sports changing room and the refurbishment of a fire damaged Library.
Backed by their sponsor, the Rotary Club of Southampton East, the Interactors committed to a major fundraiser as their selected international project.
Through a range of activities, including barbeques, uniform dress down days and South African Football World Cup viewings, the Interactors raised approximately £2500 including a Rotary District Simplified Grant of £1000, for the projects.
Ferndale now has a much-needed changing room, a wonderful newly refurbished library. The school also now has an Interact club proudly sponsored by the Rotary Club of Isipingo Prospecton in Natal Province.
The next challenge is to secure a piece of local minicipal ground adjacent to the school and convert it into school cricket pitch to be used by Ferndale and other local schools.
This winning partnership shows the power of young people, teachers and Rotary in building valuable international educational links and lasting sporting relationships.
Interact clubs are for anyone aged between 12 and 18 who want to make new friends and make a difference. Clubs take on two projects each year, one of which is overseas. Discover how you could join or even create an Interact club in your school or college by contacting your local Rotary club or visit the Interact webpage.
