Last year we were pleased to award a grant of £1,500 to Calder High School in support of its 2026 Year 11 volunteering visit to Kenya.

In July this year, 44 students travelled to Nakuru, where they worked in two groups at local primary schools. The visit gave the students an opportunity to contribute directly to practical projects identified by the schools, while also experiencing life in a different culture and seeing at first hand the importance that education holds for children and families in the local community.

The students took part in a wide range of activities during their time in Kenya. They prepared and tiled classroom floors, painted and sanded buildings, helped with work around the school grounds and spent time supporting teachers and pupils in the classroom. The flooring work was completed before the group left, improving the learning environment and providing a safer, more comfortable classroom space for the children who use it each day.

The trip also resulted in a considerable amount of educational equipment being purchased for the schools. Exercise books, stationery and textbooks will continue to support teaching and learning long after the visitors have returned home. This was an important part of the project: alongside the immediate practical work, the group was able to leave behind resources that will be useful to staff and pupils in the months ahead.

For the Calder High students, the visit was much more than a school trip. It required commitment, fundraising, preparation and a willingness to work hard as part of a team. The experience gave them a closer understanding of another country and its education system, while allowing them to make a worthwhile contribution to two school communities in Nakuru.

The Club would particularly like to recognise Meadow Chattell, who took part in the visit and is featured in the accompanying photograph, holding the rapt attention of children in a classroom. Meadow contributed towards the cost of her own place by running a stall at the Rotary Club of Hebden Bridge’s 2025 Vintage Weekend and creating her own innovative sponsored T-shirt. Her efforts were a fine example of the initiative and determination shown by the students involved.  Meadow told us "my classmates and I have been able to go on the trip of a lifetime and one that we'll never forget, to volunteer in Kenya!  This wouldn't be possible without the help of Rotary and of course the help of our amazing staff at Calder High who gave up their time to make ours super special ""

We are proud to have supported the project. Our grant, combined with the students’ fundraising and their practical work in Kenya, has helped deliver improvements that will provide lasting benefits to the children. We congratulate Meadow, her fellow students and the Calder High staff who organised and led what was clearly a demanding, rewarding and memorable visit.

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