Bristol Cathedral Choir School is linked with St. James’s School, an independent co-educational secondary school in the centre of Jinja, one of Uganda’s major towns. This was one of the UK’s earliest such Developing World links to be established, stretching back to 1987.

Visits

Each year a teacher from St. James’s visits BCCS for two or three weeks, getting involved in School activities including expeditions, observing our lessons and also giving lessons on topics such as AIDS, agriculture or African economics.

We send two Gap Year students to Jinja for six months each year. They act as classroom assistants at St. James’s, as well as helping in a local primary school and in an orphanage or a street children’s centre. We receive regular feedback on their activities which we publish on a Link noticeboard – and in our Showcase section (click here) on this website.

School trips

We run a school trip to Uganda in alternate years. This provides an unforgettable experience for those involved and helps to raise awareness of Uganda in the School. The 2010 trip spent two days painting classrooms at Lake Site Primary School in Jinja. We have ‘adopted’ a disabled granny, Joyce Nabirye, and we visit her in her rural community.

Other assistance

In 2007-2008 we celebrated 20 years of the Link. In connection with this anniversary we raised funds for a girls’ boarding hostel at St. James’s: building work on this has just started. We have also enabled St. James’s to re-stock their computer room; and we have sent 11 keyboards to St. James’s in the hope of encouraging music there.

Funds

The Uganda Link is a major part of the School’s fund-raising activities every year.  The money we raise pays for bursaries for two needy students in each academic year at St. James’s; it also pays the educational expenses of thirty orphans at Lake Site Primary School; and a further sum goes to Christian Relief Uganda to support Joyce Nabirye, the disabled granny and her family.

Inquiries

All inquiries about any of the activities listed here should be addressed to Mr Niall Hoskin, the Link Co-Ordinator.

For further information of other related activities see our showcase section (click here).