Two-week Overseas Community Volunteering and Sports Development Tour to Zimbabwe

We are always excited to discover inspiring stories involving young individuals!

This blog post highlights our Individual Grants for Volunteering recipients from Hockerill Anglo‑European College and their volunteering trip to Zimbabwe in partnership with the Tag Rugby Trust (TRT).

A Life-Changing Two-Week Adventure

Grant recipient pupils from Hockerill Anglo-European College took part in a two-week overseas community volunteering and sports development tour to Zimbabwe in partnership with the Tag Rugby Trust (TRT).

A large group of student volunteers standing in a line outdoors, all wearing matching blue sports shirts.

The volunteer team lined up and ready for a day of tag rugby and community activities.

Living and Working in Local Communities

During the trip, students lived and worked alongside local communities in Victoria Falls, taking part in a wide range of meaningful activities, including:

Delivering tag rugby sessions to primary and secondary schools
Supporting community and environmental projects
Engaging in meaningful cultural exchange

The experience was immersive, challenging and hugely rewarding.

A large group of excited children posing playfully on a sandy field with their arms raised.

A joyful group of children celebrating together on the sports field.

Children running enthusiastically toward the camera during a tag rugby session, with volunteers following behind.

Children sprinting enthusiastically.

Growing Confidence, Resilience and Independence

Across the two weeks, pupils were placed in situations that encouraged them to step outside their comfort zones, including leading coaching sessions, working as part of small teams, and adapting to new environments that helped develop their self-confidence, resilience and independence. Many pupils returned with a stronger belief in their own abilities, having successfully taken responsibility in unfamiliar settings.

Volunteers working together to plaster or repair a brick wall as part of a community project.

Students working collaboratively on a community building project, repairing a brick structure.

Volunteers mixing cement and clearing rubble beside a damaged building during a community repair project.

Volunteers mixing cement and helping restore a building as part of the community support work.

Building Empathy and Global Awareness

The tour also played a powerful role in building global awareness and empathy. By working closely with local children, volunteers and community organisations, pupils gained a deeper understanding of life beyond their own experiences. They saw first-hand the impact that sport, education and teamwork can have in supporting communities, fostering a genuine sense of social responsibility and volunteering.

A volunteer surrounded by schoolchildren in green and blue uniforms, all gathered closely together.

A volunteer surrounded by excited schoolchildren.

Perhaps most importantly, the experience contributed to pupils’ emotional maturity. Living, working and reflecting together over an extended period encouraged empathy, patience and perspective.

Teacher Lewis Tillet, leader of multiple trips to Zimbabwe with TRT, reported that “pupils return more thoughtful, grounded and appreciative, qualities that continue to influence their attitudes and choices long after the tour has ended”.