Bursars Review | Spring 2019 | Sample

News 7 @the_isba Spring 2019 HEATHFIELD SCHOOL HELPS FUND LIFE-CHANGING TRIP FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED INDIAN GIRLS Staff and pupils at Heathfield School in Ascot hosted the ‘Kick Like A Girl’ tour at their school from 11th to 13th October last year. More than £4,000 has been raised by Heathfield School so far and the pupils are still busy raising more. This enabled 15 girls from India to travel to the UK for a life-changing, two-week sport and education tour. The initiative was part of the ‘Kick Like A Girl’ campaign set up by the Organisation for Social Change, Awareness and Responsibility (OSCAR) Foundation, a charity spanning the UK and India which drives social change by encouraging gender equality in underprivileged communities through football and education. Many of the Indian girls on the tour may have been destined for illegal early marriage, youth pregnancies or child trafficking – instead they now own passports and have made a trip to the other side of the world − changing their perspective on life and opening up new possibilities for them. Heathfield girls gave the 15 OSCAR girls a fantastically warm reception and planned activities took place during their stay, including an unforgettable assembly where the girls from Mumbai performed traditional dances and shared their very moving personal experiences, and a joint football training session that culminated in a friendly match. Marina Gardiner Legge, head at Heathfield School, said: “‘Kick Like A Girl’ resonates strongly with our school ethos of fostering confidence and belief to enable young women to go beyond their conceived abilities. “It is an absolute privilege for our girls to be able to play a small part in empowering girls on the other side of the world to stay in education and build a positive future". All the girls discovered that they share a common goal − to work hard and be the best they can be. They learned so much from each other. Girls from the ‘Kick Like A Girl’ football team