One World Centre Isle of Man

A four-strong team from Ballakermeen High School highlighting the work of the small charity Disability Africa were the victors in the Grand Final of this year’s One World Charity Challenge programme.

They were among the eight finalists drawn from the 33 teams of Year 12 students across all six of the Island’s secondary schools who participated in the competition in a bid to win money for a small international development charity.

Performing before a capacity audience that included the Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer and Chief Minister Alf Cannan, all eight finalists gave hugely entertaining performances that included everything from interpretative dance and song to paparazzi-style videos and game show questions.

The winning team focused on Disability Africa’s playschemes which aim to remove the stigma of disability that still exists in some of the world’s poorest communities and help to provide access to education and healthcare for disabled children. They won the top prize of £1,500 for Disability Africa.

In second place were the team from Castle Rushen High School who were supporting the locally-based charity Leprosy Mission (Isle of Man). They won £1,250 for Leprosy Mission (Isle of Man) but also picked up one of the special AFD Advocacy prizes for their work on raising awareness which added another £500 to their total.

Third in the main competition were the team from Queen Elizabeth II High School who chose to represent International Health Partners. This is a charity that works to deliver vital medicines to disadvantaged communities around the world providing access to healthcare for those who need it most. They won £1,000 for the charity.

Meanwhile, a second team from Ballakermeen High School were awarded the top AFD Award for Advocacy worth £1,000 as well as a £500 prize in the main competition for their work representing another locally-based charity Coral & Pearl Hostels Trust.

Other teams were from St Ninian’s High School (representing Edukid and Education Saves Lives) and Ramsey Grammar School (representing Tree Aid and Hands of Hope). They each won £500 for their charities with the team supporting Education Saves Lives also picking up an additional £500 AFD Advocacy award.

Judges for the event were Dr Christa McCartney from the One World Centre, Lady Lorimer, Bradley Chambers (the current Manx Bard) and Kristina Reeves, a former teacher who helped pilot the One World Charity Challenge programme in 2006-2007.

Thanks go to the Isle of Man Government for funding the educational side of the competition through the International Development Education and Awareness Raising grant. Also to the H&S Davidson Trust, Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust and AFD Software for providing the prize money that is donated to the charities. A massive thanks also to AFD for the loan of the venue and the technical help they provided the students.

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of One World Charity Challenge – if you have been involved either as a student or a charity representative over those years, we’d love to hear your thoughts about the project. Do get in touch!

We all know fundraising is tricky at the moment – but here’s a way to contribute and have some fun at the same time! We’re holding a charity quiz night 5th March 2026 at the Manx Legion on Market Hill in Douglas. Andrew Langan-Newton will be our guest quizmaster again (those of you who came last time will remember his innovative rounds of questions!) and there will be questions on both local and global general knowledge.

Tickets are just £5 per person and you can buy them by emailing info@owciom.org or calling Wendy on 310191. There will be prizes for the winners and we’ll have a raffle too. Teams can be up to 6 people but if you’re by yourself, come along anyway, and we will link you up with other players.

Along with other global learning centres, we are celebrating Global Education this week and asking people to reflect on how global learning can help people to think critically about the world and equip themselves with the skills and knowledge to life fairer and more sustainable for all. Follow the hashtags #GlobalEducationWeek and #GlobalLearning to see examples of what is happening to mark the event.

Here on the Isle of Man we are privileged to have had the Manx Bard Bradley Chambers give us his own reflections in the form a poem written especially for the occasion. Thank you Bradley!

Tomorrow’s Lesson

I connect the now to the not yet

I’m a quirky, brittle thing

always

               one

                        edge

                                   from

                                              your touch

I evade your definitions

even though you think you ‘know me’

But how can you know me?

I’m wild and free.

See how a baby grasps me in her perfect hand

but you held me in your arms

and were petrified you might

                drop

                me

You still don’t remember?

Alright. I’ll show you.

See how I race down a centillion neural pathways, build bridges, form networks.

I focus hearts

and minds because,

I’m running out

…but also catching up.

You want to restrain me?

I never let you.

I will let you shape me though.

What do you need me to be?

I draw diverse landscapes of learning and imagination

my home is the smile of a child who has

finally

found the answer

to a question.

I’m every gold star ever awarded –

and the stars sparkle tonight

the same child has begun to realise

(at an early age)

       -how-connections-are-made-

this should help

in the future

With a terrific number of entries – 335 in total – this year’s SDG Art Competition on SDG14 Life Below Water was always going to be difficult to judge but we are finally able to reveal the winning entries.

Congratulations to Ruby, our overall winner in the Secondary class, and Mia, overall winner in the Primary class. Their posters, along with those of the runners up and highly commended entrants, are currently on display at the Sea Terminal in Douglas which is well worth a look to see how our young people responded to the theme of Save our Seas and highlighting action we can take to keep our seas, oceans and rivers clean and healthy.

Many thanks to our judges Martyn Cain from the Isle of Man Arts Council and Chido Maunze from the One World Centre who patiently studied all the entries.

Choosing Fairtrade is one of the easiest ways to help ensure the farmers and producers who grow our tea, coffee, cocoa, bananas and many other everyday items earn a fair wage and benefit from advice on how to make their farms more sustainable.

Look for the label when you shop and learn more at Fairtrade Foundation

NB Our office is now re-open but please call before you visit to make an appointment.

Please note our Howard Street office is closed for the rest of August 2025 due to building works. However we are still working so, if you need to get in touch, please email or phone us!

We are delighted to once again host our Global Village event which takes place on Tynwald Day – Monday 7th July this year.

This event brings together different cultures and different organisations working in the fields of sustainable and international development to provide an international perspective to the Manx National Day.

Expect to find lots of stalls with family-friendly activities, a selection of food from around the world and our stage area with music, song and dance to keep you entertained. Our set list includes Sambamann, a Brazilian music trio, the didgeridoo and a Bolivian song as well a great selection of local bands and the fantastic Rhythm of Bulgaria dancers.

Please come on down to the arboretum to support us – it’s free entry and we’re open 10am to 4pm!

Oceans and seas make up about 70% of the earth’s surface and we rely on them for food, energy and water. They are also home to over 260,000 known species with perhaps
millions more still to be discovered. But pollution, overfishing and climate change are endangering ocean habitats and everything that lives in them.

This year’s SDG Art Competition focuses on SDG 14 Life Below Water and challenges young people to create a poster outlining what positive action we can take to keep our oceans healthy. There are two classes of entry – primary age and secondary age – with prizes of £50 creative vouchers for the two winners and £25 for two runners up in each class.

Full details including a flyer, terms and conditions and the entry form are available here. The closing date is 25th July 2025.

Well done to Ballakermeen High School for winning this year’s exciting competition with their chosen charity Gumboots Foundation! Also to Castle Rushen for winning the AFD Advocacy prize for their work in raising awareness of Seed Madagascar. All the teams performed well and here is the press report in full:

Lack of education, poor access to health care and gender inequality were just some of the issues explored by local Year 12 students at the finals of this year’s One World Charity Challenge programme, held last week at Babbage’s, Mountain View Innovation Centre.

The competition, which is the finale of months of work by the students, saw some outstanding presentations performed in front of an invited audience which included Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer and Lady Lorimer, the Minister for Education, other members of Tynwald, invited guests, teachers and families.

Overall winners were the team from Ballakermeen High School representing Gumboots Foundation UK, a charity set up to address poverty and AIDS-related issues in townships and rural areas of South Africa by improving education, nutrition, empowerment and well-being. Their lively and engaging presentation saw them collect the top prize of £1,500 for their charity as well as the Frances Davidson cup. This is the fourth year that teams from Ballakermeen High School have taken the top spot!

Second place were the team from St Ninian’s High School representing Street Child, a charity that works across the world to ensure children are safe, in school and learning. It was clear this team had really engaged with the charity and, among other things, had taken part in a youth summit looking issues Street Child deals with. They won £1,250 for their charity.

Third place went to the team from King William’s College representing Livingstone Trust Tanzania, another charity which helps overcome barriers to education. They picked up £1,000 for this charity which is shortly changing its name to Mikuyu Tanzania.

The remaining two finalists were teams from QEII High School representing Action Village India and Castle Rushen High School representing Seed Madagascar. They both won £750 for their charities with the team from Castle Rushen also picking up the £1,000 AFD Award for Advocacy for their fantastic work in raising awareness of Seed Madagascar in the local community.

Judges for the evening included Lady Lorimer, Ramsey Grammar School headteacher Sonia Taylor, Phil Craine from the One World Centre and Jasmine Cowin, a former Charity Challenge contestant now working for Isle of Man Government. The prizes were kindly presented by the Lieutenant Governor.

Speaking after the event, One World Centre Coordinator Wendy Shimmin said, “As always, the students provided us with a very entertaining evening and much to think about as they explained the work and impact of their chosen charities.

“This year saw a record number of 35 teams taking part in the Challenge so it was already a real achievement for these five teams to get through to the final stage.

“One World Charity Challenge is one of our flagship projects. This programme not only introduces young people to the world of international development and humanitarian aid at a time when they are thinking about their own future choices in life, but offers lots of opportunity to practise key skills such as research, teamwork, organisation, presentation and time-management that will stand them in good stead as they move on to university or into the workforce.

“We are indebted to our judges who had lots to consider on the night, to the charities and link teachers who supported the students, and to the Elizabeth Clucas Charitable Trust and Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust, as well as AFD Software and other donors, for providing the prize money which goes directly to the charities involved.

“We also thank AFD Software for hosting the evening at Babbage’s and for the marvellous technical support they provide to the teams.”

The Disasters Emergency Committee has now called an appeal for the survivors of the terrible 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar which has devastated many areas of the country. Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds are still missing. Many more have no access to the safe shelter, clean water, food and medical care they need to survive.  

Countless roads and buildings have been destroyed, including hospitals, schools and water supplies. Network and power lines are down. People are cut off from vital services.

Myanmar was already facing a severe humanitarian crisis with a third of the population in need of humanitarian aid. Now the situation is catastrophic.

We will holding a street collection on the Isle of Man this weekend and are keen to hear from anyone who can help, even for an hour or so. Please get in touch with Wendy either by emailing info@owciom.org or calling 310191. Thank you.