sparrow schools foundation

In December 2008, for the third year running, the Sparrow Schools Foundation held a service of carols and readings in the chapel at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London. The service was introduced by Sue MacGregor and raised over £10,000 for the Sparrow Schools Foundation. In 2009 the service will be on Thursday 3rd December and will be followed by a champagne reception held in the Great Hall at the Royal Hospital.

The Sparrow Schools Foundation was delighted to welcome another group of pupils from Sparrow Schools to the UK. For the first time, the young people brought a play which has been specially written and produced for them for this tour.

'Lavela Ilanga - The Sun Rose over Sophiatown' tells the story of the birthplace of South African jazz, in words, music and dance. The vibrant, multi-racial commmunity was forcibly relocated and their homes bulldozed in 1955 and the town was renamed Triomph by the apartheid regime. Today the town is once again a lively mixed community and it is where Sparrow Combined School is based. The performance was both a highly enjoyable and a humbling experience; this was the first time the young people had been to Europe or been in a play and their dedication and talent is extraordinary.

The cast, aged between 14 to 20, stayed with host families and spent time making new friends and sight-seeing as well as performing their play to varied audiences at schools, hospitals, churches and community theatres. As in previous tours both hosts and guests hugely enjoyed the experience of getting to know each other.


A full report of the tour, with photos, will go on the website shortly.