Maralyn Parry

Maralyn is a science teacher in a high school in Oswestry, but in addition to her ordinary teaching she is also in charge of international work in the school. Through her influence her school now has projects with schools in a township in South Africa, and has had projects with schools in Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Turkey, Poland, France, Romania, Hungary and Spain. She has also been involved with arranging contact with schools in China and Sri Lanka. When she started at the school the pupils were really insular. People from the next town were looked on as dangerous. Now they are happy to work with and host pupils from all over the world. As part of an ongoing project Maralyn has hosted teachers and pupils from most of the countries, has taken groups to meetings in partner schools and has raised funds for more disadvantaged areas. She drove across Europe with some students to take equipment to northern Romania, and has taken two groups to work with the three partner schools in South Africa. She has also set up a group in her school to help students who move from other countries into Owestry settle in. Her committment to international relations and understanding makes her a prime choice for Olympic torchbearer.