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Fundraising Fun - Spring 2021

As Spring arrives and we launch ourselves into a brave new season, we continue to work towards a compassionate new world where the connections between people around the world are fostered and respected. Education is the cornerstone of creating a world where we all thrive, and to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 we need to expand the reach of our projects, so we can help more children access education. To make this happen, we need you to invest in education.


The story of what we do is told through our projects. These projects are designed by educators around the world to solve the direct problems they face in a sustainable way. The Foundation facilitates these projects to get them started and become sustainable.



Access to Education

In rural areas some children walk a long way to school every day, sometimes up to 5 miles each way. If a child walks 50 miles per week and the school terms add up to 18 weeks, that’s 900 miles a year. That’s the equivalent of walking the entire length of the U.K. every year. 

I (Lucy Lee) wanted to know what that would be like, so I decided to walk or cycle 50 miles per week on a (Covid safe and virtual) Conqueror Challenge from Lands End to John O’Groats which is 1083 miles. It takes me 3hrs 30mins to walk 10 miles (although I need a break in the middle so it’s more like 4 hours!) that’s a lot of time in the day on top of school and other work that children might help with. It takes me 1hour and 30mins to cycle the same distance, and uses a lot less energy. 

The teachers in these remote schools in The Gambia are very keen for every child who walks a long way to school to have a bicycle so that they can get there on time and not be too tired to study. That’s why I’m doing this challenge as a fundraising activity. I’m aiming to raise money for 100 bicycles. Find out how many miles I have gone, and how many bikes I’ve raised money for so far on my fundraising page here.

Education Dialogue

The most powerful way to understand the challenges to accessing education is to talk to someone who has had these challenges themselves. When this is made as a documentary film, then more people can understand and be moved by the situations that prevent access to education. Until we have heard these stories, it’s just numbers on a page. Stories give us the human connection, and the urgency to do something about it.


That’s why we are showing a series of inspiring films over the coming months that help us to connect and understand others, and are moving testaments of hope that we all need right now. These films rekindle the spark of the importance of education for everyone everywhere. You can register to watch the films here:


I Am Belmaya, and a Live Q&A with director Sue Carpenter

This documentary follows an uneducated young Dalit woman’s transformational journey from subjugated wife to award-winning documentary filmmaker.


Madan Sara, by Etant Dupain

A documentary telling the stories of the women known as Madan Sara in Haiti who work tirelessly to buy, distribute, and sell food in markets through the country. Despite facing intense hardship and social stigma, they work to put their children through school and house their families.


Emu Runner, by Imogen Thomas

The story of an 8-year-old indigenous Australian girl dealing with her mother’s death by forging a bond with a wild emu. This heart-warming family film will educate and motivate the audience to learn more about children reaching their potential while overcoming adversity.


Resources for Educators

We have hosted 25 Life Long Learning webinars now, and they have evolved into 3 themes; Supporting Teaching and Learning, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. We have been so grateful to the many educators who have given their time freely to promote learning and personal development with us.


The feedback so far is that the webinars have been a useful resource for educators and they have also helped to raise awareness of the digital divide experienced by learners around the world. The funds raised from these webinars support the learning resource centres, literacy resources and projects to combat the digital divide such as supplying solar radios to students in The Gambia during lockdown.


We have more great webinars coming up so please book onto them here.


We believe education gives people choices and that is why it is our mission to share learning at every opportunity.


Something Good to Share

You might have noticed on social media that the Foundation has set up a charity gift shop, which you can find here.


These are the perfect gifts for anyone who is looking for sustainable giving. A gift that has no plastic packaging, no transport costs, doesn’t take up space, and will never be an unwanted gift. These gifts keep on giving and each one has environmental sustainability build into it, as well as the ‘fishing rod’ of being able to access education.


This morning Ann, our CEO, was amazed to receive a gift certificate in her inbox. Someone had given her the gift of a bicycle, “the best gift possible” she said.



Buying someone the gift of education doesn’t have to be for a special celebration, it can be just because it is a good thing to do, and to say “thank you” to someone.


Thank you for reading this post, and please do get involved in any of the fundraising activities we are doing above. Please also leave a comment to tell us what fundraising activities you have enjoyed with us so far.


Steve Sinnott • April 20, 2021

Spring is Here! Looking Ahead!

By Ann Beatty • March 28, 2025
Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.

Igniting a movement for education for all

By Hannah Frisch • March 7, 2025
The outlook for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on global education is far from rosy. But a gloomy future isn’t inevitable. Disappointing statistics are the result of political choices that can be shifted and there are thousands of youth, grassroots activists and civil society organisations across the UK advocating for global education to make these changes. We need more people involved to build the momentum, we need to make a difference in challenging circumstances. You can help! Here’s how; Making global education a UK priority The UK is an important donor and champion for global education. However, education has been gradually deprioritised on the development agenda. Global education spending has plummeted from 13.5% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013 to just 3.5% in 2023, and education was one of the sectors hit hardest by the abandonment of the 0.7% gross national income (GNI) target for ODA. With Labour’s annual budget confirming another reduction in the aid budget, funding for global education is under threat of being cut even further unless we stand together to say this can’t happen. While education is a domestic priority for the new Government, it has yet to emerge as a strong theme in their development agenda. As the Labour Party continues to develop their approach there is a unique opportunity for advocates to connect these dots and make the case for why education must be a key part of the Government’s international plans. For the Government to take action it needs to hear demand for change. There are many issues MPs recognise are important, but if they do not hear about these issues from constituents it can be hard for MPs to be vocal about them in Parliament. Following an election where many parliamentary seats were won with tight margins, MPs need to hear from the people they represent that global education must be on their agenda. With over half of MPs elected for the first time this year, many are actively looking for a steer on what issues to work on. We can give them one! How to Get Involved Write to your MP about why global education needs to be a bigger priority for the UK Government and encourage members of groups you are a part of, such as your union branch or a local community group, to do the same. This can have a real impact on your MP’s interest and ability to act for global education. You can also connect with other grassroots activists and get resources for taking action from international development advocacy organisations like Results UK. You can learn more about Results UK’s grassroots network on our website. If you are a teacher, get your school involved in the Send My Friend to School Campaign (SMF). Send My Friend is a UK civil society coalition advocating for SDG4 which supports a mass UK schools campaign to amplify student voices calling for universal quality education in solidarity with their peers around the world. Free campaign packs are available on the SMF website for primary and secondary levels with everything teachers need to run the campaign in their school. Parliamentarians can learn more about education issues and how to act by joining the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education, a cross-party group that brings together Parliamentarians interested in the right to education and provides them with knowledge and resources to be champions of the issue. By joining our voices through collective action, we can make a real difference in moving the needle on this issue. Together we have a chance to rechart the course for the realisation of quality education for all. BIOGRAPHY Hannah Frisch is the Senior Policy and Parliamentary Advocacy Officer for Education at Results UK and a Co-Chair of the Send My Friend to School Policy and Parliamentary Working Group. She is a policy advisor for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education in the UK Parliament.

Supporting work for The Federation of Drama Schools

By Melanie Lavery • March 3, 2025
Last year the Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the work of The Federation of Drama Schools by providing financial aid to new graduates, enabling them to take part in an industry showcase at The Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The showcase is an annual event for Irish graduates who have completed a professional training at one of the Federation’s partner conservatoires in the UK, introducing young actors to the industry they hope to work in. The Federation of Drama Schools partners are institutions that provide conservatoire vocational training for those who want to be professional performers, theatre makers and technical theatre practitioners. The courses they offer are for students of eighteen years and over, who have completed their school level education. In November (2024) fourteen young Irish graduates took part in the showcase and the SSF provided financial support to two graduates who may not otherwise have been able to take part in this showcase, which is a bridge between training and their professional career. Melanie Lavery from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is one of those who benefitted from this support. Melanie writes of her experience. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Steve Sinnott Foundation for the support I received, making it possible for me to take part in the Dublin Showcase 2024. The opportunity allowed me to work with graduates from across FDS schools and widen my contacts in the industry. Coming from a socio-economically deprived area, I’ve often missed out on opportunities available to my peers. I have had to spend a lot of energy during my three years in drama school working to support myself and this has meant I often don’t have time to follow up network opportunities. In receiving this sponsorship and taking part in the showcase I have been able to connect with other Irish creatives - the people I am acting opposite, directors, casting directors and agents in the industry. These industry showcases are so important for graduates. It gives us the possibility of networking with industry professionals and hopefully the opportunity of taking that first crucial step into the profession we have trained for. As I studied in Wales, it gave me the chance to return to Ireland and to reach out to creatives there. The Foundation gave me this amazing opportunity to kick start my career in my home country. On the day of the showcase, I had such pride watching my fellow Irish peers performing on stage at Ireland’s National Theatre. Working together throughout the rehearsal period, I got to know them individually and we all helped each other to grow as performers. This showcase has helped me to create my own community of actors around me. When it came to talking with other creatives after the show case, I became so much more aware of how large and welcoming the industry is in Ireland and how much work is being produced here. I think this show case is so important as it highlights how vibrant and growing the industry is in Ireland. I feel so lucky that I was able to take part thanks to the help of the Steve Sinnott Foundation. For more information on the Federation of Drama Schools, professional industry showcases, and it’s partner schools please visit www.federationofdramaschools.co.uk
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