THE founder of a Menston charity that works to change lives in one of South Africa’s most deprived areas through sport has made an appearance at the home of the Olympic Games.
David Geldart, CEO of the Bambisanani Partnership, was invited to speak at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece.
The Bambisanani Partnership is a multi-award-winning charity that has gained international acclaim for its work using sport to positively change lives in one of South Africa’s most deprived and challenging rural areas.
It originated as a partnership between St Mary’s Catholic School in Menston and Mnyakanya High School in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in 2006.
The International Olympic Academy (IOA) is the main educational and cultural institution of the International Olympic Committee.
David Geldart spoke at the prestigious IOA 30th International Seminar on Olympic Studies for Postgraduate Students regarding the work of the Bambisanani Partnership in South Africa contributing to the main theme of ‘Innovating Physical Education and Olympic values education to build a better world’.
The three-week programme attracted a multicultural body of international Masters and PhD students who wish to enrich their knowledge on Olympic and sports subjects as well to expand their research on related topics.
David said: “I have long wanted to visit the site of the Ancient Olympics and visit the world leading International Olympic Academy.
“It was therefore a great honour to receive an invitation to speak at such a prestigious event.
“It is always a privilege to meet students from around the world who are interested in our work. A key aim of this programme is that students not only study Olympism in an academic context but also that they go on to put to ideas into action thus developing Olympic values and virtues globally.
“These are the international sports and physical education leaders of the future: they will carry the Olympism torch forward. Long may the vitally important work of the International Olympic Academy continue.”
Over the past 17 years more than 15,000 young people from South Africa and the UK have engaged in the pioneering programmes and projects of the Bambisanani Partnership that use sport to promote education, health, global citizenship and leadership. Earlier this year the partnership was named as International Sport and Physical Education Charity of the Year.
For more information about the Bambisanani Partnership see www.bambisananipartnership.org
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