All smiles in Africa as Startforth kit is given to young footballers

A FORMER dale school has secured a lasting legacy overseas thanks to a former craft teacher.
Two sets of football kits from Startforth School were sent out to The Grace School, in Ghana, last month alongside former Teesdale School teacher Clive Beecham.
Mr Beecham and his wife, Pauline, have travelled to the Ho district several times in the past decade to support the Grace Project – a charity backed by their nearby Methodist church.
Their daughter worked as a teacher at Startforth before it was shut by Durham County Council last year due to falling pupil numbers. 
The couple said they’d had a “whale of a time” in Africa taking out four cases of IT equipment, musical instruments and PE kits.
Mr Beecham said: “It was fantastic and they are always very welcoming.
“We were as pleased to see the kits go to good use as they were to see us.”
Mrs Beecham added: “On the last day it was announced they weren’t having lessons and they were just playing sports all day.
“They had an inter-house football tournament with the kits which the girls won.”
The Grace Project has already helped to build three classrooms at the school by raising £10,000.
On their previous visit they bought and built a 4,000 litre water tank for use by the school and community.
As a result, the school has boosted its attendance from 70 to more than 400 in the past four years.
“We've been going for six or seven years now and we’ve seen them grow up through the school,” added Mr Beecham.
“We go over there to help them out – they’ve got nothing but they give you everything.”
Mr Beecham, 71, was a craft teacher at Teesdale School for a dozen years.
He retired about seven years ago after spending 38 years in the profession.
The couple, who live in Darlington, got involved in the Grace Project soon afterwards and got to see the classrooms they’d helped set up.
As well as installing two fans in a classroom roof, the pair took over two laptops, four notebooks and an iPad on behalf of the charity.
Money raised also went into rebuilding the roof of another school destroyed by a storm.
“Over there money buys an amazing amount of stuff,” added Mr Beecham.
“We asked one of the pupils whether they’d prefer two fans or another teacher and he said ‘two fans father’.”
A brass concert at Cockerton Methodist Church boosted the coffers of the project last month and the Beechams were keen to praise the kindness of all those who donated. 
“It’s not just from us – it’s from the community we have,” added Mr Beecham.
“We had a lady give us 30p last Sunday – it’s all these little bits that add up.”