College raises £35,000  to help world's poorest children

College raises £35,000 to help world's poorest children

24th July 2015

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A North East college has brought its silver anniversary year to a close with a celebration of the last 25 years - and by announcing it has raised £35,000 for a significant future project to help some of the world's poorest children.

Emmanuel College opened in Gateshead in 1990 and staff, students, parents and supporters have spent 2015 organising and contributing to more than 75 separate fundraising events and activities.

Originally setting a target of £25,000, the fund is set to reach a revised total of £35,000.

The money will be used to spread the success of Emmanuel College internationally with the opening of a low cost private school in Tembisa, South Africa.

Updating the audience at the college's annual presentation evening held at The Sage Gateshead, Principal Jonathan Winch said: "During the last 25 years the Emmanuel Schools Foundation has had the privilege to found three other schools in needy areas of Northern England and to educate 10,000 students.

"The most fitting way to celebrate is to help one of the poorest townships in South Africa. I want to say thank you to all of our students, staff, parents, grandparents and friends for throwing yourselves so generously into fundraising this year."

Among the donors was Lewis McNall, a former Emmanuel College student who is now an apprentice at Newcastle United, who donated £500 from his first wage packet to the fund saying he wanted to give something back.

ESF is partnering with Love Trust in South Africa and is being advised by Professor James Tooley, of Newcastle University, who is a leading authority on low cost private schools.

Tembisa is a poverty-stricken town the size of Tyneside that is afflicted by a range of social problems, where there is 40 per cent unemployment and where the average life expectancy is just 56.

Mr Winch explained: "In government schools, more than 100 children might be packed into a tiny room and only two teachers might turn up for the whole school. For just a few pence a day, children can attend private schools.

"Parents there know education is a lifeline and they are looking for people to help them. What better way is there for us to help them than to provide a school?."

Once the Emmanuel school is established, Love Trust has pledged to found more schools based on the same model.

As well as looking to the future, the presentation evening included a retrospective of college productions, with many alumni returning from university to reprise their roles in Annie, The Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof.

It celebrated the success of world championship Irish dancer Emily Thornber, Duke of Edinburgh gold award winners and the F1 in Schools team, which won the chance to compete in the world finals in Singapore in September in a competition entered by 22 million students worldwide.

Individual students were recognised for academic achievement, in music and drama, sport and spelling with premier awards going to Jack Holmes, Kyle Munro, Samuel Pendleton and William McLeod, winner of the prestigious Vardy Award for Excellence.

The speaker was former Zimbabwean cricketer, author, artist and musician Henry Olonga, who not only spoke but also sang, accompanied by the college orchestra and senior choir.

Recalling his own school days, he said: "I loved everything school made available to me and I joined in, not because I was any good at anything, but because I could. You need a full quiver of arrows that you can shoot in life.

"You should all fulfil your potential. Don't be the lazy guy at the back of the class or the guy who plays PlayStation all weekend. Be the kid who wants to be the best. Losing sucks. Fall in love with excellence, fall in love with being rewarded.”

Mr Olonga, who had to flee Zimbabwe after taking a courageous public stance against the country’s dictator, Robert Mugabe, ended his address by commending faith in God. "I am glad that Emmanuel feeds into the idea that we should live for purpose, meaning, hope and significance," he said.

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