STUDENTS have won £3,000 for a charity for the blind after experiencing what it feels like to have impaired sight.
Pupils from The Priory School in Tintagel Road, Orpington, were challenged to find a charity to support as part of the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative, an education programme run by the Institute of Philanthropy.
Winners Dan Hose, Alex Coombs, Yusuf Ullah and Andrew Barnard, chose the Kent Association for the Blind and visited its sight centre in Blyth Road, Bromley to be put under sight loss simulation conditions.
Based on their experience the 15-year-olds presented a case before a panel of judges at the school to justify why the charity should get the £3,000 award.
For more information about the charity visit kab.org.uk
Previously we reported on a group of students raising money for a trip to Kenya, well they are there, and here is an email from them.....
Dear All,
Habari (hello and how are you) from Kenya!
We wanted to touch base with you all but to be honest, it's hard to know where to start. We arrived in Kenya last Friday evening and because time seems to expand here, we all feel like we've been in Africa twice as long as we have. We travelled through the Rift Valley to Nandi Hills and Kipriria Academy over the weekend, stopping in Naivasha for a visit to Crescent Island and all the animals (minus the carnivores) and the chance to see a lot of the country along the way.
Since we arrived in Nandi Hills Sunday evening, it's been welcome party after welcome party as everyone here is so happy and excited to see us. Right now, the sixth formers are teaching at Kipriria (they have mostly been taking lessons on their own, albeit in pairs, with minimal teacher input) and we really wanted to convey something, Rob and Sally and I, of how amazing they have been. Every single person we have met, and we have met a lot of people, has been so impressed by them both collectively and as individuals. Conor calculated that so far, they have given 12 speeches each to hundreds of children, parents, teachers and community members at a time and they have achieved so much in such a short space of time. We've never been so proud of a group of people and they're your students, too. We have two who don't want to leave.
Yesterday, Billy Liggins taught all about the solar system and he was so good that the headteacher, Mr Nyakundi, came to take notes for his staff. And Amy Khan in particular touches everyone every time she has to give a speech. We've visited another school, Kipriria's sister school, and been to town and for dinner at the home of the ex-headteacher Sally Sang who loves the fact that we have a Sally, too! She spent a day and a half preparing and slaughtered a goat for us, which is a real honour.
Kipriria has a director called Mr Yego and I've no doubt you'll be hearing all about Mr Yego. Larger than life (except actually, he's a very small person) would be one of way of describing him. He has trouble with Rob's name so he calls him Mr Rop instead which amuses us greatly and we've started to do the same (poor Rob!), thus perpetuating the whole thing. We have also discovered that in Nandi (the local language), Probo means problem! But we prefer Mr Rop.
The school has been so appreciative of all the resources we managed to bring and we've taken lots of photos and Rob's been videoing. The sixth formers have been learning some Kiswahili and are surrounded by children every break and lunch time. They spent all of their free time playing with them and teaching them football and speed stacking skills.
They don't know this yet but tomorrow morning, Kenya's national press is coming to cover our visit and the story of the project. The British Council phoned yesterday as they've been arranging it all for us. So The Priory is about to be known in Kenya and you couldn't have better representatives than these students who really say a lot for the sixth form especially.
The Chairman of the Kenya Tea Board, who owns the place we're staying in, is about to arrive.
Will try to send some photos later, but if not, see you next week.
Love,
The Priory girls coaching in the community
Thursday 29th May saw in excess of 100 primary school girls playing football to compete for “The Priory Community Cup”. Female students that attend The Crystal Palace Development Centre at The Priory School, Orpington have been running a coaching program at nine local primary schools. Since the beginning of the spring term the coaches have been going to the schools to show the girls that football is not just for the boys and providing free coaching. Warren Road School lifted the cup in its first year of existence. Teri Gibbs, PE Coordinator at
The next step for the development of girls’ football in the area is the provision of football training at The Priory School. For further information please contact Clare Lendore on 01689 819219.
The Rifles Cadets ( known as 111) meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 19.00 to 21.30 at the Priory School for parade, drill and training in exciting and stimulating activities involving a wide variety of programmes for 12 -18 year old boys and girls.
See Mr Miller for more information
