Leigh Bristow voted Clarins’ most dynamic woman

If anyone doubts the veracity of the adage that dynamite comes in small packages, they have clearly not yet met Leigh Bristow, the executive director of Sumbandila Trust, who has recently won the Clarins Dynamic Woman of the Year award for sub-Saharan Africa.

Clarins, one of the major players in the international cosmetics industry, presents this award annually to a woman involved in changing the lives of disadvantaged children. As head of the Sumbandila Trust, Leigh is closely involved in the daily running of the programme, the selection of candidates and the raising of funds to keep the programme going. The trust, established in 2007 with the aim of identifying worthy candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds in Vhembe, provides these individuals with full scholarships to complete a world-class education and resources to move on to a tertiary education in order to make a difference in their communities and the country as a whole. Leigh has been instrumental in the success the trust has achieved.

Thiofi Lambani, an ex-pupil of Ridgeway College who worked for the trust for two years, nominated Leigh for the award in August 2015, without her knowledge. When she initially received the email from Clarins to notify her that she was one of the three finalists, Leigh immediately deleted it, suspecting that she was the victim of a prank. A short while later, Thiofi showed up and informed her that it was no spoof and that she was indeed one of the three finalists.

A team from Clarins and Media 24 visited the school’s hostel early in November and interacted with the beneficiaries, who showed them around and answered all their questions. The judges must have been suitably impressed, because Leigh was declared the winner at a glamorous function at Summer Place in Sandton on 2 February and presented with a trophy, R250 000 for the trust and an Avis branded car for her personal use for a year. The head of the Clarins group, Christian Courtin-Clarins, presented her with her prizes. Needless to say, Thiofi was ecstatic that Leigh had won.

The award is recognition for a lot of hard work that has gone into establishing and maintaining resources for disadvantaged children who arrive at the hostel with just about nothing; the trust literally supplies them with everything. More than the material benefits, however, the award gives the children something to aspire to. It will also (hopefully) open some doors for the trust by adding a bit of clout to any future efforts to raise awareness and funds for the project.

For Leigh personally, the award is significant in terms of what it means for the future of the trust. She is not one who does things for personal gain, although she does admit that the pampering preceding the function and the lovely banquet that followed were great fun. Her husband, Gavin, and their two daughters were really thrilled for her; Aidan, her son, was apparently less impressed by the hoo-ha. Even the fact that his mother appeared on SABC television with the other two finalists apparently did not really score points with him.

When asked what Louis Trichardt and its inhabitants could do to contribute to the efforts of the trust, Leigh points out that donations of all kinds are always welcome. “Although money is always welcome, no matter how little one can give, people can invest time and energy into enriching the lives of these children by showing them what life has to offer. Remember, Sumbandila means ‘show the way’, and people can show the way by coming to the hostel and interacting with these children, or taking them on an outing or helping them to master a skill. The smallest thing for one person can mean a lot to someone else who has nothing – old clothes, old cell phones or computers/laptops people no longer use. All these things can be a tremendous help,” says Leigh.

Businesses who would like to earn BEE points can consult the trust on how to get involved and earn points at Level 1. Another way of contributing could be to provide counselling to the children, some of whom are boarders who come from areas that they cannot visit regularly for guidance. Hearing Leigh talk about the way Sumbandila changes the lives of these children who had no prospects before they became part of the programme makes one realise that South Africa, and Limpopo in particular, still has a long way to go and can do a lot more to create a better life for all its citizens.

Visit the Sumbandila website for more information on the programme at www.sumbandila.org. The trust’s headquarters is situated at the corner of Leeu and Protea Street – the big red house - or phone them at 015 516 0251.

News - Date: 25 February 2016

Nic Hoffmann

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