We did it !

To raise money for Beyond Ourselves (a part of Restore Community) the charity we'll be working with in Zambia in July, Lucas and I signed up for the London to Brighton Bike Ride 2024 which took place on Sunday 16th June. We were lucky with the weather and managed to dodge most of the showers. The atmosphere, with almost 9,000 cyclists taking part all in aid of different charities was fantastic and kept our energy levels and spirits up, even on Ditchlng Beacon, the enormous hill towards the end that defeated some, but not us!

Beyond Ourselves aims to provide every child in Zambia with not only an education but a good quality one, to enable and empower them to realise their potential. All the money we are raising will go towards funding more teacher training, support and resources for the charity.

We will be visiting Ndola and Kitwe to help teach primary school children learn how to read and write using a contextualised Jolly Phonics Teaching Aid. This resource was first introduced by the charity over 15 years ago and is now being rolled out nationally and used to train all Grade 3 teachers because of its success so far, already helping over 150,000 children reach the literacy levels necessary to carry on their education but with a child population of over 8 million, there is still a long way to go!

I am very aware of how fortunate I am in terms of my own education and the opportunities it offers. This trip allows me to give back in some small way and to literally go 'beyond myself' by contributing to a literacy programme which has the power to transform lives across a nation. It is a great privilege to be able to take part and I hope to make a positive and lasting impression on the children I meet and teach, as I am sure they will on me.

Please donate if you can as every little helps and every child deserves a good quality education to experience the endless possibilities of learning and to help them grow emotionally, intellectually and socially.