Students, teachers and ex-teachers from Sacred Heart RC School, Redcar, flew from Teesside International Airport to The Republic of Ghana for a shared learning experience trip.
The exchange programme with Ayensudo Junior High, on the south coast of Ghana, has been running for the past eight years. Eight children, a teacher and two ex-teachers will be taking part in the scheme. Each student independently raised £1,500 for the trip.
Sacred Heart RC School said they specifically chose Teesside International Airport due to the airport’s convenient location for the families, as well as the chance to fly with KLM, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
The Dutch carrier provides regular air-links to and from Teesside International and Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, which is a major worldwide aviation hub giving global access to over 200 destinations.
During the last trip in February, the local community in Ghana decided to use the money raised by Sacred Heart RC School to build a bungalow at the back of their school which will be used to accommodate the 20 student teachers who train at the school.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “We say you can get Worldwide from Teesside and this trip goes to show how true that statement is. Our airport isn’t just for holiday flights, thanks to our partnership with KLM, local people can travel to more than 200 destinations and passengers are now really starting to take notice.
“Sacred Heart is doing fantastic things in its exchange programme with Ayensudo Junior High. I’m delighted Teesside International can play a small part in this relationship, which is incredibly rewarding for everyone involved.”
