GramART – our latest innovative fundraising event!

So far our Tanzania project has seen many different fundraising events.  The latest, to be held on 18th May 2013, is a GramART exhibition, organised by Head of Creative Arts, Ms Sellors.

Artists have been invited to submit a postcard-sized piece of work, using any media, signed only on the back.  The pieces will then be exhibited in School on Saturday 18th May, with friends, family and members of the public invited to come in to School to view and buy the pieces, all at the bargain price of £10.  The idea is that buyers choose artwork based only on their attraction to it.  After they have made their purchase, the artist’s identity will be revealed, so they  may have the added surprise of having just bought the work of a professional artist.  Equally, they may have an investment piece from an up-and-coming artist of the future.

All funds raised will be going towards the School’s Tanzania project.  It’s a fantastic cause, so anyone who is interested in either submitting artwork or coming along to view and buy, is very welcome.  For more details or to download an entry form visit: http://www.derbygrammar.co.uk/events/newsdetail.php?id=63

All works should be submitted by 1st May 2013.  The event will be held on Saturday 18th May 2013 from 9.30am – 3.00pm at Derby Grammar School, Rykneld Road, Littleover, Derby DE23 4BX.

Fundraising boosted by generous Enterprise Rent-a-Car donation

Warren Hallam and Mark Alletson handing over the £1000 cheque to Rev. Taylor and Mrs Sly

On Friday 14^th March, Warren Hallam, Regional Sales Manager, and Mark Alletson, Account Manager, from Enterprise rent-a-car visited Derby Grammar School with a generous £1000 cheque, which will significantly boost the School’s fundraising for their forthcoming project in Tanzania.

Derby Grammar School, with the help of Chaplain Reverend Paul Taylor and local charity Kids Aid Tanzania, have established links with Gedeli School in Mwanza, Tanzania, and are taking a group of Year 12 students to Mwanza this summer to carry out essential repair and maintenance work on Gedeli School, which has just five classrooms and 1300 students.  This is to be the first of many annual trips, as Derby Grammar establish an on-going relationship with the community.

Mark and Warren enjoyed lunch in the School with Rev. Taylor and Senior Teacher April Sly, who have organised the project, before meeting the sixteen Year 12 students who will be going to Tanzania in July this year.  Warren said “We’re really pleased to be involved.  Enterprise is a company that likes to give back to the community, and we really mean it too, it’s not something we say and do just to tick a box.”

The link between Enterprise and Derby Grammar School was made possible through CVBC, one of the company’s key accounts in the local area.  “CVBC are a valued customer” explains Warren, “and it means a lot to Enterprise to offer support to fundraising activities that are important not only to the local community, but to our customers too.”

April Sly said “We can’t wait to present the School with the sports equipment.  At the moment they have nothing at all, so they’re going to be thrilled.  We’d like to say a huge thank you to Enterprise for their very generous donation – it’s a huge boost to our fundraising, and will have a very real and direct impact on the community in Mwanza.”

The Tanzania 2013 group with Mrs Sly, Rev. Taylor, and Mark Alletson and Warren Hallam from Enterprise

Derby Grammar School’s Tanzania Project… The Background

In the past, Derby Grammar School has always been involved in overseas projects, and have undertaken numerous trips with organisations like ‘World Challenge’.  We have taken groups of students all over the world, and been involved in some fantastic projects, but our input was always just a one-off.  Last year, we decided that we’d do things a little bit differently…

Our vision was to set up a regular link with a community – somewhere that needed our help, which we could visit on an annual basis.  Not only would this enable us to build a relationship and have more impact, but our students would be able to see the fruits of our labour over the years, and how the community were benefitting from our work.   They would be involved in what was happening throughout their school years, and could look forward to their chance to participate in year 12.

So that’s what we’ve done!  Over the past year we have been working with a ‘Kids Aid Tanzania’ – a charity run by a couple from Etwall – to develop links with a community in Mwanza, Tanzania.  Last summer our Year 6 teacher April Sly and Chaplain Rev. Paul Taylor went out to Mwanza to visit the school there, Gedeli School, and begin to build what we hope will be a lasting relationship with this community.

Gedeli School could not be more different from Derby Grammar.  There are over 1300 students in only 5 classrooms.  There is no electricity or running water, and only 5 drop toilets.  They have no textbooks, no computers, and no sports equipment and yet the students are all enthusiastic and desperate for an education.

Our first group of students will be travelling to Mwanza this summer, and our intention this year is to refurbish one of the classrooms and supply some textbooks and sports equipment.  There is a great deal that we can do to help make school life better for the students at Gedeli School, so there will be plenty of work to keep us going for many years to come!

This blog will tell the story of our Tanzania journey – this year and for years to come.  There is so much to organise, and we want to share with you the whole experience – the planning, the fundraising (both for the project itself and for the individual students), the highs, the lows, and of course… the project itself and how it benefits the community.

We welcome your thoughts and comments – we’re going to need all the help we can get!