OW Travel Award

Each year the Old Wymondhamians provide a Travel Bursary in the sum of £750 to a current Year 13 student.

Pupils undertaking some form of travel and activity after leaving the College, either in their gap year or before going on to further education, are encouraged to apply for the award.

The activity should, ideally, have some purpose or benefit for persons other than the student and is awarded at the end of the Easter term.

2018

The award for 2018 was given to Imogen Dixon who was spending a year in Chile volunteering with Project Trust. We have received a letter from Imogen with her report:

"Attached is my report for my year volunteering and working in Chile. I hope it provides an insight to my year in Santiago and the highlights working in the school. Once again, I would like to say a massive thank you to the Old Wymondhamians for awarding me the travel grant. This has been one of the most important and transformative years of my life and I am incredibly grateful that you helped me experience this."

Click on the following link to read Imogen's report:

2017

The award for 2017 has been given to Dorrie Hartley who is going to Zomba in Malawi this summer working with Sparkle Malawi.

Click here to see a letter from Dorrie explaining what she intends to do in Malawi and how she has been inspired by Sarah Brooke to be involved in Sparkle Malawi.

You will see, within Dorrie’s letter, that there is a Just Giving website should you wish to make a personal contribution to Dorrie’s trip or to the charity in general.

Thanks to all the Old Wymondhamians who make the award of this bursary possible through their monthly subscription to 100 Club.

2016

The award for 2016 has been given to Lottie who will be going to Uganda with Project Trust. See here for news of her trip.

2015

The 2015 award was won by Fergus Cowley who went to Tanzania with Operation Raleigh to work on a project which provides safe water and sanitation to the area. His blogs can be read here:

2014

The award for 2014 has been given to Rachel Campbell Still. Rachel will be spending a year in Guyana with Project Trust from August where, amongst other things, she will be teaching Maths and Science.

Rachel has a website where she will be posting more information on her trip - www.geekinguyana.co.uk

2013

The award for 2013 was given to Bella Watson who will be heading off to Uganda in August for a year.

2012

In March 2012 the panel decided to give the award to Jordan Cadman-Rivers who had planned a trip with Project Trust to Jamaica. Jordan would be teaching mathematics and PE in an orphanage, which provides a home for ‘street kids’; a safe environment where they can receive an education and prepare for the real world again when they reach the age of 18. He would also be running various extra-curricular activities eg rugby and football and acting as a mentor to the children when they need someone to turn to for advice or support.

"Unfortunately, the project I was going to be part of in Jamaica has been shut down as it has been classified as too dangerous for volunteers. The event which sparked this was that the people who run the orphanage were held up at gunpoint and, once released, understandably decided to leave the country for good. As much as I would still like to go out there, and was still keen to help in anyway I could, Project Trust organisers will not allow me to do so.

As an alternative I have organised with Project Trust to go to South Africa, specifically Boystown near to Durban. I will be teaching in a correctional facility for young boys who, in essence, are in a youth detention centre. It is based on a compound with security, mostly to ensure the boys’ safety. The age range of the boys spans from 14 to 19 years old. As a volunteer I shall be working with another boy on the educational side of the project, hoping to teach some basic maths and English skills. Although I doubt that the boys themselves will be eager to do classroom work I am hopefully that I can impart some knowledge which will help them on their journey. I am looking forward to the challenge and I believe the rewards will be enormous. I shall be living on the compound and hope to be a figure whom the boys will look up to and relate to."

The panel felt that, even though this is a different project, it is along very similar lines and they are still happy for the Award to go to Jordan. He is very enthusiastic about the new project and feels that he will be able to make a difference out there and the panel believe that the work he will be doing is still very much in the spirit of the Award.

The Principal, Melvyn Roffe, presented the cheque to Jordan on behalf of the Old Wymondhamians. He has to raise a considerable sum to finance his trip and, although his Award will go some way towards that, he has a wide range of fundraising activities planned over the next few months. When asked about his trip, Jordan said “ I know how fortunate I am to have a stable and loving family and home life. I am really looking forward to the chance to sharing that experience of caring and support with these children who have not been as lucky as I have.” Jordan, who has been studying Mathematics, History and Law at A level, is hoping to take up a place at university in September 2013.