NEWS
The University of Leeds in South Africa: Exceptional work from a remarkable team
The 2025 team of staff and students spent a period of 4 weeks in rural Nkandla delivering a series of cycling clinics for beginners & improvers as well as a week-long sport & leadership festival for 3 schools in the township of Eshowe. Our team comprised two staff members Matty Walsh and Fenella Walsh (one from Leeds Sport and one from LUU, supporting our commitment to working in partnership) and eight students Muskaan Kapoor, Molly Blakemore, Pippa Hooper, Rosie Gibbins, Kate Gibson, Ryan Mellor, Mitchell Hale and Tom Cunningham from a range of disciplines, including one international student from India and 2 students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Cycling clinics are the main focus of the project and these are conducted alongside our long-term partner, KZN Cycling and their local development officer, Sonqoba. The clinics aim to introduce cycling to new audiences as well as further develop the skills of more competent riders. Students also teach bike maintenance skills to help keep the fleet on the road. Year-round talent ID, coaching & competitive opportunities are offered via KZN Cycling – an important pathway opportunity for young people in the area. In an average month, Sonqoba delivers 12 clinics engaging with 220 young people. In August 2025, our volunteer team were able to deliver 25 clinics in 8 schools, including 3 new ones, engaging 1,100 learners – a significant increase in scale and an introduction to cycling for some completely new learners. One week of the project was also spent delivering a sport & leadership festival for Grade 7 pupils at 3 schools. This involved daily rotations of leadership session, classroom sessions and sports activities with the week culminating in pupils leading activities for their peers. Students design their own classroom sessions, usually related to their degree, bringing a range of topics this year including a challenge in engineering the tallest tower, and a lesson in cell biology. Threaded throughout the project is a range of cultural experiences to support students to learn more about Zulu culture, including a visit to a traditional Zulu home, lessons in Zulu dance and a safari. The 2025 team have been our top performing team to date in terms of clinics delivered, and participants engaged. In 2025 we also won the award for ‘Global Impact’ at the University of Leeds partnership awards.
Summary of feedback from students, schools and pupils
A key focus for 2025 was improving our data collection and evidencing of impact on both the UK & SA side of the project.
On the UK side all students are skills audited at the start point, mid-point and end point of the project to assess their progress against 10 key graduate level skills. The highest scoring skills at the end point. They also write a reflective essay on the final week of their visit outlining their key successes, challenges and learnings from the project.
On the SA side we conducted interviews with staff and pupils in 7 schools and sent an end survey to schools we had contact details for. Schools were asked to score the engagement out of ten to produce a Net Promotor Score (NPS).
Vision: ‘To use sport & education to inspire, engage and develop young people and communities in both Leeds and South Africa’
“I learned that not everything is in my control, and the best way to deal with challenges is to stay flexible and open. Over these weeks, I’ve developed leadership, adaptability, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and organisation skills – things I’ll carry with me long after the programme ends. I’ve become more aware of my strengths and weaknesses, especially when leading, but also of how powerful it is when everyone supports one another. This has been life-changing for me – it’s made me more confident, adaptable, and aware of the world. I wish I could come back and spend more time with these incredible children, because they’ve left a mark on me that I’ll carry forever.”
“I think what I have experienced in this project has affected how I will act and see the world in the future. I hope to have a role in coaching football for girls to ensure they have access to the same opportunity I had when I was younger.”
“I loved every minute of the programme – everything forms part of the experience and I am so glad to have done it. It has helped me understand what I want to do when I graduate and I am sure I will go back to SA.”
“This programme is making a real difference in our school. I see the difference in the learners in school. They are interested and challenged and they’re learning. Kids really care about this programme. On day 1 some of the children knew nothing about how to ride a bike and now they are having a competition.”
“Our students come back from the sports festival so motivated and so positive. I love the connection they have with the Leeds students and they speak about them for months after they have left. So they really make a connection and I just love the positivity that they leave with our children.”
“This week was fun, competitive and funny. The teachers were fun and everyone loved it. I like rugby, soccer and athletics. I learnt about Middlesborough, Scotland and Wales.”
“The thing I liked the most was the leadership sessions because they taught you a lot – how to work with other people and how to communicate things. I also learnt about Spain and learnt some Spanish.”
“Cycling is fun & exciting. We learn and also get educated. I learnt a lot and I love it a lot.”
“We get to show off our talent.”
Key Objectives and Principles
Plans for 2026 and Next Steps
2026 will mark the 10-year anniversary of the Gryphons Abroad project and we hope to bring the 100+ staff members and students who have participated in the project, and stakeholders and funders together to celebrate this milestone
Project costs continue to rise and in response to this the 2026 visit will be a period of 3 weeks rather than 4. This balances the cost to students & staff commitment required from the service, with continued impact. We have successfully secured further support from the Footsteps Fund & Turing Fund to deliver the 2026 project. This will financially support students to access the opportunity; something that this year’s cohort expressed was vital to their participation alongside their other commitments. We are aiming to recruit 10 students, with 50% of these from underrepresented backgrounds. Financial sustainability will be a priority for 2025-26 and we will be seeking support from Student Opportunity & the FD project management office to progress this.
The initial 3 year cycling hub agreement between our charity partner, the Bambisanani Partnership & KZN Cycling comes to an end this year but the charity & NGO have indicated they are keen to continue working together. We will work alongside the charity & KZN Cycling to secure an agreement. Initial consultation with partners following this year’s visit has highlighted a need for more targeted interventions aimed at female pupils in the Nkandla region. Of the participants in the cycling project this year 73% were male and 27% were female. Although the number of male participants significantly outweighs the number of female participants, this ratio is a significant improvement on clinics delivered from April-July 2025 which engaged only 7% female participants. However, it does indicate a need for more targeted work in this area and we would like to support KZN Cycling in piloting this with the support of our female staff and students.
Key Facts
We thank our partners for their ongoing support in delivering this project:
The Bambisanani Partnership
“The University of Leeds has been a key member of the Bambisanani Partnership for almost ten years now, contributing significantly to the development of our governance and strategy as well pioneering outstanding operational work in South Africa. Andy Lockwood and Suzzi Garnett deserve considerable praise for their wonderful work and its resulting impact. Their support for other Bambisanani institutions and colleagues in both countries is fantastic: they lead the way in so many areas and are always willing to share ideas with others. They have lead on our groundbreaking Cycling initiative in partnership with KZN Cycling - an initiative that is truly transforming the lives of thousands of young people in the remote and rural Nkandla region. Next year will be the Tenth Anniversary of University of Leeds students volunteering in South Africa; these students can all articulate how this experience has benefited them in so many ways not least on their view of the world and their place in it. This all amounts to exceptional work from a remarkable team. Well done and Thank you.”
Thank You to The Cardinal Partnership
On 20 August 2025, 81 boxes of sports clothing were collected by The Cardinal Partnership, who are now in the process of shipping the boxes to South Africa on behalf of The Bambisanani Partnership.
Catherine Chattoe and Barbara Pounder of the Bambisanani Partnership
The journey began in March with a minibus trip to Hemel Hempstead to collect numerous boxes of sports clothing from a charity called KitAid. This charity works with UK Football, Rugby, Basketball and Cricket clubs, who donate their unused branded sports clothing for use abroad. The Bambisanani Partnership saw this as a great opportunity to help and support our friends in South Africa.
The Cardinal Partnership have long been a keen supporter of our work over the years and recently this relationship has been reignited. Abby Austin who chairs the charitable arm of the company was at the forefront of the discussions which led to the collection and delivery of the sports clothing. Cardinal have also donated 2,000 polo shirts. An extremely generous contribution which will be greatly received.
The boxes are due to be shipped on 4 September 2025, and the sailing time is about 35 days.
Nick Philips from the Rotary Club in Eshowe has kindly offered to distribute the clothing between our Partnership schools and under the umbrella of Zulu Fadder to adults who are most in need.
This has been a great opportunity to link partners old and new and our thanks go to Abby, Cardinal and to Nick in Eshowe. A wonderful team effort!
Bambisanani team members David Farmer, Catherine Chattoe, Barbara Pounder and Brogan O’Connor pictured with Kit Aid founder, Derrick Williams
“The Cardinal Partnership is proud to support the Bambisanani Partnership by helping ship sports clothing to South Africa, along with 2,000 polo shirts we have donated. It’s a privilege to work together on a project that will make a real difference in schools and communities. Thanks to all the different departments in our team who have helped make this possible.”
“The Cardinal Partnership have been wonderful supporters of our charity for many years. From transporting much needed equipment to having members of their team volunteer on our various programmes in South Africa they have helped us make a real difference in the world.”
The Cardinal Partnership is made up of Cardinal Global Logistics and Far Logistics, who combined stand tall as the world’s largest employee-owned logistics business.
The Spirit of Ubuntu: My Experience with the Bambisanani Partnership
Bayanda Gcaba
By Bayanda Gcaba, student at Mnyakanya High School, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
My journey with the Bambisanani Partnership has been one of the most powerful and inspiring experiences of my life. In 2024, I was given the opportunity as a student to represent Mnyakanya High School in South Africa during the exchange visit to the United Kingdom. This chance was not only an honour, but also a moment where I truly experienced the spirit of Ubuntu – “I am because we are.”
During my time at St Mary’s School, Menston, I was welcomed with kindness, warmth, and respect. The way students and teachers treated me showed me that even though we come from different countries, languages, and cultures, we are deeply connected as human beings. This spirit of Ubuntu guided my actions as I shared my own culture by teaching Zulu, participating in athletics, and building friendships that crossed borders.
Bayanda at the University of Leeds
One of the most important lessons I have learned from the Bambisanani Partnership is that it is not only South African students who benefit. The visits by UK students to Mnyakanya High School have had a great impact on our school and community. Their willingness to learn about our culture, to teach, and to share their experiences shows that the partnership is built on two-way learning. We teach each other, we learn from each other, and together we grow. This has reinforced for me the power of education when it is shared between equals, and the commitment to working together and learning together.
Another highlight of my journey with the Bambisanani Partnership has been the cycling programme led by the University of Leeds team at my school. Every year, they travel all the way to Mnyakanya to teach us cycling. For me, this has been an unforgettable opportunity — not only did I learn a new skill, but I also discovered the power of sport in connecting people. Sport breaks down barriers, creates joy, and unites people across cultures and backgrounds. The encouragement and laughter we shared during those sessions reminded me again of Ubuntu: we grow stronger when we support each other.
The Bambisanani Partnership has given me more than memories; it has given me purpose. I have learned that education is not just about learning in classrooms, but about building bridges between people, communities, and nations. Ubuntu teaches us that when we support each other, we all rise together.
This experience has inspired me to keep growing, to keep learning, and to keep living by the values of Ubuntu. My dream now is to continue my studies and pursue a career in the aviation industry, where I can combine my love for travel, communication and serving others with the spirit of Ubuntu that I have learned through this partnership. Whether through education or aviation, my hope is to always build bridges, connect people, and inspire unity across the world.
Golf Tournament in memory of Bambisanani hero raises funds for Cancer Research
The Martin Green Memorial Golf Tournament remembers a remarkable man who whilst a teacher at St. Mary’s School, Menston played an important role in developing the Bambisanani Partnership – a unique charity that uses the power of sport to change lives of some of the poorest children in South Africa. The Eleventh Annual Tournament was held at East Morton Golf Club, as it always is, and raised £xxxx for Cancer Research UK. Over the past eleven years this event has now raised over £12,300 for the charity.
Team photo
As has happened before with this event, the weather completely defied a terrible forecast and the day was a tremendous success, marked with wonderful camaraderie, great fun, superb hospitality and some outstanding golf. 28 people played in the 18-hole Stableford tournament with many others making generous donations and providing prizes.
Joseph Geldart
The winner of the 2025 Martin Green Memorial Trophy was former St. Mary’s student and Bambisanani supporter Joseph Geldart with a very impressive 43 Stableford points. It was a great day for Joe as he also won the Longest Drive competition. Runner up in the tournament was Sam Bennett with 38 points and in third place was Damian McGrath with 36 points. The Straightest Drive competition was won by Simon Eagles and the Nearest the Pin competition was won by Simon Bennett. The Putting prize went to Andy Doherty for a remarkable third year in a row. The awards this year were presented by Alex Smickersgill.
Tournament Champion, Joe Geldart said, “It’s a real honour to be part of this day, let alone win something. Martin was my teacher and a great friend of my dad’s – it’s fantastic to remember him in this way and raise money for Cancer Research.”
Sam Bennett
The event was organised by former friends and colleagues of Martin; Alex Smickersgill, Catherine Chattoe, Michelle Hefferon and David Geldart. David said, “Massive thanks to everyone that played and supported the event in any way. We are indebted to Fred Heaton, Danny Halligan, Paul Rhodes for making it such a great occasion. Special thanks to all the organisations and individuals that provided an absolutely outstanding array prizes and refreshments. Thank you of course to St. Mary’s School and all the team East Morton Golf Club who always go the extra mile to ensure that this tournament is a tremendous success and celebration. We are already looking forward to next year’s competition which will be our 12h Anniversary event and edging towards a target of raising £15,000 for Cancer Research UK.”
