BBQ/live music/raffle/auction/Kazza’s cocktails!
Friday 31 March 2017
The Annual Beyond Ourselves BBQ & Party!
Our annual Beyond Ourselves BBQ/Party will take place on the evening of Friday 16th June (after the golf). Put the date in your diary – excellent evening either to bring friends to or come with your department from work. Tickets will be on sale next month. Good evening to support Beyond Ourselves – our Group charity.
BBQ/live music/raffle/auction/Kazza’s cocktails!
BBQ/live music/raffle/auction/Kazza’s cocktails!
Monday 20 March 2017
Transforming And Getting Stronger
This year I have set myself the goal of finishing the year physically stronger than I started it. (I failed last year so am even more determined this year!). Why am I doing this you may ask? Well, if I’m honest I faced the fact that I’m not getting any younger and if I want to continue to do all that I do, and more, in to the future then I need to make sure I am healthy enough and fit enough to do so. Who knows what the future brings, but whatever it does bring I want to be ready and strong enough to take it on…
And this is the very same reason we are making some administrative changes to the organisation of Beyond Ourselves this year as well. We started out life as a small family trust, but if we want to be ready for whatever the future holds, then we want to make sure we’re strong enough to handle it.
I am delighted that we are moving the governance of Beyond Ourselves to ‘Above + Beyond’, a new charitable trust housing several community transformation projects locally in the UK and overseas. This will enable us as a project to share and centralise some of the key ‘back office’ administrative and governance tasks required for running a growing charity. It also provides longevity to the project, no longer reliant on a few people but a wider board and group of people carrying the vision of Beyond Ourselves into the future.
We will continue to operate as ‘Beyond Ourselves’ and there won’t be any changes to the Beyond Ourselves team, who are just as passionate as they have ever been to see individuals empowered and communities transformed in Zambia. In fact, the changes enable the team to focus more on delivering the project and developing strategies for the future, rather than getting weighed down by admin. (Hooray!)
It is also my pleasure to be the Director of Above + Beyond as we develop the charity and transition Beyond Ourselves in to it.
Here is a letter from Ian Theodoreson - the Chair of Trustees at Above + Beyond:
Letter To Beyond Ourselves Supporters
I am delighted that we are moving the governance of Beyond Ourselves to ‘Above + Beyond’, a new charitable trust housing several community transformation projects locally in the UK and overseas. This will enable us as a project to share and centralise some of the key ‘back office’ administrative and governance tasks required for running a growing charity. It also provides longevity to the project, no longer reliant on a few people but a wider board and group of people carrying the vision of Beyond Ourselves into the future.
We will continue to operate as ‘Beyond Ourselves’ and there won’t be any changes to the Beyond Ourselves team, who are just as passionate as they have ever been to see individuals empowered and communities transformed in Zambia. In fact, the changes enable the team to focus more on delivering the project and developing strategies for the future, rather than getting weighed down by admin. (Hooray!)
It is also my pleasure to be the Director of Above + Beyond as we develop the charity and transition Beyond Ourselves in to it.
Here is a letter from Ian Theodoreson - the Chair of Trustees at Above + Beyond:
Letter To Beyond Ourselves Supporters
Thursday 16 March 2017
A Day of Football At The National Stadium
Football is so much more than a game here. These last few weeks Zambia has been hosting the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) for Under 20’s – and on Sunday Zambia won the final against Senegal! Although it wasn’t the most exciting of games, two sloppy goals in the first half for Zambia sealed the game early on, it did contain a yellow card for a Senegalese practicing witchcraft and throwing a ‘charm’ into the Zambian goal to try to turn around the game around. Not something you see in most matches around the world! https://zambiareports.com/2017/03/12/juju-lovers-senegal-exorcised-heroes-stadium-zambia-win-20-afcon-title/
The same Ndola stadium that hosted international games for the AFCON was also the stage for our Grade 7’s last month when Beyond Ourselves organised a 7-a-side football tournament for 12 local Community Schools. Schools from across the Copperbelt with the same heart for orphans and vulnerable children as ours.
We partnered with Mechanics for Africa, a Mechanics college that trains up underpriviledged young people in Zambia, giving them a quality education and skills for life, who closed their classes for the day so that their 70 students could help facilitate the event. We were also assisted by visitors from the UK who fundraised for the stadium hire and equipment needed to run the event.
Aside from getting a chance to play football in an international stadium, the Grade 7’s were also excited to tour the stadium (especially the chance to ride in an elevator) and receive medals and an encouraging word from a former Zambian International player who was our guest of honour for the day.
All in all, it was a great success.
Here are a few photos from our day!
The same Ndola stadium that hosted international games for the AFCON was also the stage for our Grade 7’s last month when Beyond Ourselves organised a 7-a-side football tournament for 12 local Community Schools. Schools from across the Copperbelt with the same heart for orphans and vulnerable children as ours.
We partnered with Mechanics for Africa, a Mechanics college that trains up underpriviledged young people in Zambia, giving them a quality education and skills for life, who closed their classes for the day so that their 70 students could help facilitate the event. We were also assisted by visitors from the UK who fundraised for the stadium hire and equipment needed to run the event.
Aside from getting a chance to play football in an international stadium, the Grade 7’s were also excited to tour the stadium (especially the chance to ride in an elevator) and receive medals and an encouraging word from a former Zambian International player who was our guest of honour for the day.
All in all, it was a great success.
Here are a few photos from our day!
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| Team Janna in front of the Mwanawasa Stadium |
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| Goal mouth action during a group game |
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| There were many elaborate celebrations throughout the day |
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| A bird's eye view of the finals |
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| The final whistle indicating that Hope Community School were group winners! |
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| All the children played a 'final' inside the National stadium |
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| An MFA student celebrates a winning goal with the goal scorer |
Wednesday 8 March 2017
International Women's Day 8th March
Today is the International Women’s Day. Today we globally celebrate the achievements of women and advocate for gender parity.
Gloria Steinem says ‘The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."
Over the last year we’ve been working together with women from other organisations to help us to be trained and to train others in some of the issues girls and women face in Southern Africa. It’s been so encouraging to see women coming together from all different backgrounds to examine and challenge the issues at hand but also inspire the next generation.
The strength and tenacity of women in Zambia never ceases to amaze us. We see women taking care of all facets of family life all whilst often providing for the family and caring for extended family. Their days start early and end late. Women’s work is crucial in every area of society and yet the respect they are given is often so little.
All of the head teachers at our partner schools are women and most of the teachers at the schools are as well. We love to see these strong women being leaders in their communities but also inspiring the girls at the schools we work with. This year’s theme is ‘Be Bold for Change’ and daily we see the leaders and teachers at the schools being bold as their stand in their roles as female community leaders. They inspire girls to pursue their goals and dare to dream big and change the next generation.
Gloria Steinem says ‘The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."
Over the last year we’ve been working together with women from other organisations to help us to be trained and to train others in some of the issues girls and women face in Southern Africa. It’s been so encouraging to see women coming together from all different backgrounds to examine and challenge the issues at hand but also inspire the next generation.
The strength and tenacity of women in Zambia never ceases to amaze us. We see women taking care of all facets of family life all whilst often providing for the family and caring for extended family. Their days start early and end late. Women’s work is crucial in every area of society and yet the respect they are given is often so little.
All of the head teachers at our partner schools are women and most of the teachers at the schools are as well. We love to see these strong women being leaders in their communities but also inspiring the girls at the schools we work with. This year’s theme is ‘Be Bold for Change’ and daily we see the leaders and teachers at the schools being bold as their stand in their roles as female community leaders. They inspire girls to pursue their goals and dare to dream big and change the next generation.
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