During the May half term, 20 Roedean netballers and 3 staff headed to South Africa for the trip of a lifetime. They spent the week not only playing a lot of netball but taking part in some amazing activities while learning about the South African history and culture.  

After arriving in Cape Town on Saturday evening, the team got some well-deserved rest before travelling to Langa on the Sunday morning for the first of  their training sessions. Following the training, they hit the courts for matches against The Leap Foundation team and the Langa Hurricanes Club. Over the next two days they played fixtures at Groote Schuur High School and the Paarl Gimnasium High School – the tenacity and talent of all the players was incredible which certainly made for some exciting netball!

The students managed to make the most of their time in South Africa, exploring Robben Island, Table Mountain, going surfing and even on a safari! Staff and students were also given the  opportunity to visit and volunteer at a rural primary school. The school is  overseen by the Anna Foundation which supports the educational and social needs of rural children, offering them lifelong learning in order to build positive self-worth and self-respect.

Before heading out to South Africa we requested donations from the Roedean Community to help support this foundation and the response was brilliant. We took netballs, basketballs, and 8 suitcases full of clothing, educational toys, books shoes, and much more – they were stunned with the generosity and enormously grateful.

Our students thoroughly enjoyed visiting the young children at the school with  many reporting that it was the most special part of the trip. Amelie in Year 9 said:

'This trip has been an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life, and the kindness that the locals in the township and at the Anna Foundation showed us had to have been what made it so special. At the foundation, we played games with the younger kids, and despite the language barrier, we got to know a bit about them. They were such welcoming people and the love that they showed us has made it unforgettable.'