Beyond ‘Beyond Ourselves’!

Most people know Beyond Ourselves for the way we partner with community schools in Zambia, working alongside the local teachers and leaders to offer education to children who might not otherwise be in school; for how we support and develop the schools to a point when we will no longer be needed; or for the heart we have to see the communities and people we work with in Zambia flourishing.

But another large part of Beyond Ourselves’ work is here in the UK, where we also partner with schools. It might look very different, but the heart is the same - to see the students flourish.

The majority of primary and secondary schools across the UK raise money for at least one charity, more than likely they fundraise for several different charities at various points in the year. As a charitable organisation, we didn’t want to be just another charity that the students raise money for on the odd day in the year. We wanted there to be a meaningful engagement, an opportunity for the students to learn, to be inspired, to be challenged, to make a difference, now and in their years to come…

Because of that, we made the decision early on that we when we partnered with schools in the UK, it wouldn’t be about us, our name or the promotion of our charity. Yes, we need people to raise funds for us, but that wouldn’t be the focus of our school partnerships, it would be a by-product, an overflow out of a committed heart and culture of them going beyond themselves.

Rather than raising money for ‘Beyond Ourselves’, the schools develop an ethos of going ‘Beyond their School’, beyond their classrooms, in to their communities and far wider (including Zambia).

Many of you will be aware of the significant partnership we have with Cranleigh School, where since 2011 ‘Beyond Cranleigh’ has become embedded in the school family and culture. But they are not the only school who are going beyond themselves...

A few weeks ago we launched ‘Beyond Davenant’ at Davenant Foundation School. And just last week Roding Valley High School visited Zambia with a small team of students (You can read their blog here – well worth a read!).

From this coming September, we will also be embarking on a new partnership with St Paul’s School.

Like on the recent Roding Valley High School trip, some of the students at our UK partner schools are selected to go on a trip to Zambia. This isn’t like any other school trip. (We’re not a tour operator - if people want to visit a developing nation and volunteer to ‘do good’ there are options for that – we’re not it!)

 Trip after trip we see students challenged and changed by their visit. We continue to see how their experiences go on to impact decisions they make on their return to the UK and how they choose to go on living their lives. No longer purely centred on themselves but on living a life that goes beyond them.

 
That’s why we partner with UK schools. That’s why we do the trips. That’s the hope every time we welcome a team of students. The dream. The legacy. That we might influence beyond ‘Beyond Ourselves’.