The Longest Day - Part II
Just imagine...............walking over 20 miles on a hot summer's day, carrying nearly 10kgs on your back. Setting off as the first light of dawn breaks, and hoping to finish before nightfall descends.
Now imagine having to stop every 100 yards to hit a golf ball further along its journey. You take your bag off your back, select your club, lift it wearily above your head, and drag it down once more; hopefully sending your ball on a trajectory somewhere in the right direction towards one of the 72 flags you will be aiming at today. You will play somewhere in the region of 400 shots during the day and walk at least 25,000 strides whilst trying to avoid detours into bunkers and the rough!
That was last year. Now we're back, and this time it's ugly!
Not content with playing four golf courses in one day, we've decided this year to try five! Yep - that's now 25 miles, 90 holes, and probably nearer 500 shots! We're helping to raise funds for a project that our school, Charters, supports, International Inspiration. Below is a lot of info about the charity, which will give you an idea about how it works and what the school, through it's international link in South Africa, is trying to do.
One of our merry band from last, Robbie, is actually out in South Africa at the moment teaching PE at our partner school, so we've had to asked the Mr Chris Cook, to step in to Robbie's considerable shoes, and take up the challenge.
Please do support us in this venture by donating through this Justgiving site. It's quick, easy, and totally secure
Thank you for all your support.
Paul, Howard, Steve and Chris
Charters School in Ascot have been partnered with Holy Family School in Northwest South Africa as part of the International Inspiration Programme.
What is International Inspiration?International Inspiration uses the power of sport to transform the lives of millions of children and young people of all abilities, in schools and communities across the world, particularly in developing countries, through the power of high quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play. Delivering the ambitions promised by the London bid team in Singapore, the programme aims to ‘reach young people all around the world and connect them to the inspirational power of the Games so they are inspired to choose sport.’
Led by UK Sport on behalf of the Government, International Inspiration is a collaboration of expertise in sport, development and education, including British Council and UNICEF UK as key delivery partners, as well as a host of other partners with support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department for International Development (DFID), the British Olympic Association (BOA), British Olympic Foundation (BOF), the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and the Youth Sport Trust. Funding has also been received by the Premier League. Delivery in country is supported by UK expertise from the Youth Sport Trust and by local implementing partners and the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee in each country.
Where is it taking place?
Projects are underway in eight countries; Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Jordan, Mozambique, Palau (in Micronesia) and Zambia. Projects are also due to start in Ghana, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. The programme is working in partnership with the government in each of the countries to ensure the sustainability and legacy of the activity. The ambition is to reach 12 million children in 20 countries by 2012.
What about Charters And Holy Family?
Holy Family School is quite literally in the middle of nowhere next to the Pilansberg National Park and has a student population of 1000 pupils, ranging from 5 year olds to 17 year olds. As part of a new South African Government initiative they have been given the remit of providing at least 1 hour of quality Physical Education to the students per week. Until now, schools in SA were not allowed to teach PE, part of the legacy of the apartheid era when sport was perceived to be elitist. They now realise that this was a big error on their part and having seen the impact of Sport and PE in the top Sports Colleges in the UK they wish to redress the balance. Over the next three years a number of Young Sports Leaders will be visiting South Africa to work with Holy Family and some of the townships to support the development of sport and physical education and more importantly the impact it can have on a wider range of areas, from literacy and numeracy, to health and Aids awareness.
