Ambition and Funding Appeal
Last updated: 02/11/2026
Our ambition for 2027
In 2027, 40 young people from St Mary's School, the University of Leeds, Newcastle College and Newcastle Sixth Form College will volunteer in South Africa over a three-month period. They will support established programmes, develop new initiatives and work alongside local teachers, young people and community partners.
Together, these institutions and students have raised an impressive £160,000 to fund their volunteering programme.
We are not seeking donations to cover the volunteers' costs. We believe that taking responsibility for raising their own funds is an important part of their learning, leadership development and commitment to global citizenship.
Our appeal is therefore focused on a different priority: raising £31,000 to fund the community projects that will create lasting benefits on the ground in South Africa.
These projects are identified in partnership with local communities and respond to practical needs in education, health, mobility, inclusion and opportunity.
Eight projects. One shared ambition.
| Project | 2027 funding target |
|---|---|
| 1. Cycling to Success | £10,000 |
| 2. Thembinfundo Special School: Water, sanitation and dormitories | £8,000 |
| 3. International Athletics Challenge | £1,000 |
| 4. Leadership through Sport | £2,000 |
| 5. Literacy and access to books | £1,000 |
| 6. University bursaries | £2,000 |
| 7. Educational visits to the UK | £2,000 |
| 8. Shoes for children | £1,000 |
| Total project funding sought | £27,000 |
| Essential administration | £4,000 |
| Total funding appeal | £31,000 |
1. Cycling to Success — £10,000
Giving children mobility, confidence and opportunity.
Cycling to Success has become one of our flagship programmes, transforming lives in the remote rural hills of KwaZulu-Natal. Bikes provide a means of transport, recreation and sporting participation, while learning to ride and maintain them develops practical skills and confidence.
Working with KZN Cycling, the provincial governing body for cycling, our ambition is to teach 5,000 children each year to ride and maintain bicycles. The programme has now reached a milestone of 14,000 young people engaged since its inception, and its empowering approach has been recognised in the South African Parliament.
In 2027, we plan to launch a three-year research and development initiative to improve girls' participation in cycling, addressing barriers that can prevent them from benefiting equally.
Our funding need: £10,000 annually for three years, matched by KZN Cycling. Our 2027 contribution will help establish this important next phase of the programme.
2. Thembinfundo Special School: Water, sanitation and dormitories — £8,000
Restoring dignity and creating a healthier environment for learning.
Thembinfundo Special School serves approximately 200 children, but inadequate water, sanitation and sleeping facilities continue to affect the daily lives of its learners and teachers.
Working with South African partners, we have already helped reinstate a borehole, install water-storage tanks and introduce basic plumbing to provide some toilets and showers. This has been important progress, but significant needs remain.
Many beds in the dormitories are no longer fit for purpose, while access to clean water and adequate hygiene facilities remains insufficient.
Further improvements would provide children with safer, healthier and more dignified living conditions, helping to create an environment in which they can learn and thrive.
Our funding need: £8,000, to be matched by South African contributions, towards improving water provision, sanitation and dormitory facilities.
3. Bambisanani International Athletics Challenge — £1,000
Building confidence, inclusion and achievement through athletics.
Originally developed during the Covid pandemic, this initiative connects primary schools in the UK and South Africa through shared athletics challenges.
Schools have reported encouraging benefits, including improvements in attendance, behaviour, self-esteem and academic engagement. For many participating South African schools, the programme has also provided their first experience of organised athletics.
The project promotes physical activity while creating opportunities for children in different countries to learn, communicate and celebrate achievement together.
Our funding need: £1,000 to deliver the programme to more than 1,000 learners in South Africa.
4. Leadership through Sport — £2,000
Developing the next generation of community leaders.
One of our longest-running initiatives, Leadership through Sport uses sport to develop teamwork, communication, responsibility, decision-making and leadership skills.
Delivered in primary and secondary schools, the programme encourages young people to recognise their potential and apply their skills beyond the sporting environment. Many former participants have gone on to make valuable contributions to their schools and wider communities.
Our funding need: £2,000 for sports equipment to support delivery in primary and secondary schools throughout 2027.
5. Literacy and access to books — £1,000
Opening doors to learning through reading.
Literacy is fundamental to educational achievement, yet access to suitable reading materials remains a challenge in many rural schools.
Working in support of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education's literacy priorities, we aim to provide a further 2,000 books to help children develop reading skills, confidence and a lifelong interest in learning.
Our funding need: £1,000 to purchase and distribute 2,000 books.
6. University bursaries — £2,000
Helping talented students turn ambition into achievement.
Each year, we seek to support at least two young people who have secured university places but face financial barriers that could prevent them from completing their studies.
We are currently supporting two students training to become teachers through the University of South Africa. Both have demonstrated considerable determination, raising between 70% and 80% of their course fees themselves.
A relatively small contribution can make the difference between continuing their education and having to abandon their ambitions.
Our funding need: £2,000 to help bridge the funding gap for these two students and support their journey towards becoming qualified teachers.
7. Educational visits from South Africa to the UK — £2,000
Creating international understanding through shared experience.
Visits to the UK by South African students and teachers provide powerful opportunities for cultural exchange, professional development and lasting friendship.
Our 2024 visit demonstrated the value of bringing young people and educators together to experience different educational environments, share ideas and develop a deeper understanding of one another's lives.
We hope to encourage further visits, ideally on an annual basis, while ensuring that South African participants continue to take responsibility for their own contribution towards the costs.
Our funding need: £2,000 towards expenses incurred by visiting students and teachers during their time in the UK. Other costs, including transport, will be funded by the South African visitors.
8. Shoes for children — £1,000
Helping children get to school with comfort and dignity.
Many of the children in the communities we support walk considerable distances to school, often without suitable footwear.
Working with the My Walk charity, we can provide shoes manufactured from recycled hospital waste at a special price of just £1.53 per pair.
In 2027, we aim to provide a further 650 pairs of shoes, helping children travel to school more comfortably and with greater dignity.
For the future we also have a longer-term plan to build a Football/Sports pitch near Mnyakanya School to serve both the school and the wider community. The land has already been gifted to us and the plans have been drawn up. The total cost of the project will be £85,000 with over half of the funding to come from South African sources. There is no such facility in the area; it has the potential to have a transformational impact on the lives of young people through all the benefits that sport can bring. We also can build an additional classroom for computer use at Mnyakanya School at a cost of £20,000.
Why your support matters
At Bambisanani, we believe that sustainable development is achieved through partnership, local ownership and shared responsibility.
Our projects are shaped by local needs, with community members involved throughout planning and delivery. We do not routinely fund 100% of a project's costs. Instead, we seek financial contributions or support in kind from our South African partners wherever possible.
Many of our projects operate on a 50:50 basis, meaning that a £100 donation from the UK can unlock a further £100 in local contributions. This approach strengthens local ownership, builds capacity and helps ensure that projects are valued and sustained by the communities themselves.
Our commitment to working hand in hand is more than a name: it is the principle that guides our decisions and relationships.
We also operate with exceptional efficiency. Our team of approximately 80 volunteers in the UK and South Africa contributes more than 9,000 hours each year. With no paid employees and no dedicated premises, we keep our operating costs low and direct the overwhelming majority of our resources towards frontline work.
For 2027, we anticipate administration costs of approximately £4,000, supporting the coordination, communication, fundraising and oversight needed to deliver our programme responsibly.
Our track record over two decades demonstrates what a committed team, strong partnerships and carefully targeted funding can achieve.
Will you help us make 2027 another remarkable year?
We are proud of what the Bambisanani Partnership has achieved over the past 20 years. But the needs of the communities with whom we work remain considerable, and there is so much more we can accomplish together.
Your support could help a child learn to read, enable a student to complete a university degree, provide clean water and better sleeping facilities for children with additional needs, or give a young person the confidence and skills to become a community leader.
You might choose to fund one of our eight projects, contribute towards several initiatives or make an unrestricted donation to help us direct resources where they are most needed.
Every contribution matters. Every partnership counts. And every young person deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
If you would like to discuss our plans, explore a particular project or find out how your organisation could become involved, I would be delighted to speak with you and provide any further information you need.
Thank you for considering supporting the Bambisanani Partnership and for helping us continue to change lives through sport, education and the power of working together.
With best wishes and sincere thanks,
David Geldart
Founder and CEO
The Bambisanani Partnership
UK Registered Charity No. 1163461
Email: d.geldart@bambisananipartnership.org
To make a donation
You can make a one-off donation or set up a regular monthly contribution through our CAF Donate page:
https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/19318
Bambisanani — working hand in hand.