O’Reilly School Receives Sports Equipment Support from Founder’s Descendants

The family of Victor Lawrence, great-grandson of Reverend Festus Ezieliel O’Reilly Wright, in collaboration with the O’Reilly Wright family, has donated much-needed sports equipment to the O’Reilly School Sports Department, reaffirming a deep family legacy and commitment to the development of sports at the institution.

The donation, which included volleyballs, soccer balls, handball balls, training bibs, a table tennis board, table tennis bats and balls, was facilitated by Victor Lawrence, a former international athlete and member of the British hurdles squad. According to him, the gesture was inspired by the school’s rich sporting heritage and the visible need to better equip young athletes to reach their full potential.

Speaking to the media after the presentation, Victor Lawrence described the donation as only a starting point, stressing the family’s belief in the school’s importance not just to its students but to Ghana as a whole.

“This seedling type act not only highlights our profound belief in the institution’s value not only to its pupils and the surrounding community but to Ghana as a whole, but also exemplifies our commitment to its continued excellence and future development. Coming here and seeing the level of talent with very limited resources really touched me, and it became clear that support like this is necessary if these young people are to thrive,” he said.

Drawing from his own background in sports, Victor Lawrence explained that his motivation was shaped by his experiences growing up and competing in the United Kingdom, where access to proper facilities and equipment played a major role in his development as an athlete.

“My motivation comes from growing up and doing sports in the UK from a very young age, right up to international level. When I came here the other day, I realised the necessity for us to be able to facilitate these young champions, potentially of tomorrow, and give them the opportunity to achieve and to compete at their best with the right equipment, the right training and the right facilities,” he stated.

He further indicated that the donation should not be seen as sufficient, noting that discussions were ongoing with sports masters to expand support in the areas of equipment, training and knowledge sharing.

“This is not enough. The list of needs is long, and what we want to do, with the help of the sports masters and others, is to provide more equipment, more information and more knowledge. All of this will help the teams to achieve further success in the future, and that is something we are very committed to doing,” Victor Lawrence added.

Explaining his personal connection to the school, Victor Lawrence said the decision to support O’Reilly School was rooted in a strong family history dating back a century.

“I chose O’Reilly because my great, great grandfather founded this school back in 1925, and that makes it a family legacy. My mother also schooled here from the age of three to sixteen before returning to Sierra Leone to complete her high school education. She shared many wonderful stories about being in Ghana and being part of O’Reilly School, and that is a big part of my motivation,” he said.

Receiving the items on behalf of the school, the Headmaster, Francis Opare Aniagyei, expressed profound gratitude to the Wright family, describing the donation as timely and morale-boosting for both staff and students.

“On behalf of management, staff and students, I want to say a very big thank you to the Wright family for coming back to give to your school. As my students stand here and see these items, they are extremely happy because we have been going around appealing to people to help us with some of these things. Despite having very little, our students do very well when we go out for competitions, and we are always winning,” he said.

Mr. Aniagyei noted that the school’s achievements in sports had been remarkable despite severe infrastructural constraints, and expressed hope that improved facilities would elevate the school to even greater heights.

“When you look at where we play handball or even train, it is the same place we hold our morning assembly and general gatherings. We do not have proper basketball or volleyball courts; what we use are makeshift ones. Yet, we have been zonal champions for the past five years in soccer, volleyball, handball and netball. If we are able to get proper volleyball and basketball courts, I can confidently say that we will be competing on the international stage,” he emphasized.

The Head of the Sports Department, Michael Adjie, also highlighted the school’s steady rise in sporting performance, particularly in volleyball, attributing the success to discipline, improvisation and dedication from both students and coaches.

“When I came here, we were not doing well in volleyball, but as we speak, we are the reigning champions in both boys’ and girls’ volleyball, and we are not stopping. We have put certain measures in place that are working, and that is why when you talk about sports in the zone, you first talk about volleyball and soccer at O’Reilly,” he explained.

Mr. Adjie said the donation was especially encouraging given the fact that students have been excelling even without standard facilities, describing the situation as both challenging and inspiring.

“I am a professional teacher, and I understand improvisation. Sometimes you may not have the facility, but that should not stop you from doing sports. Any space you get, once you shape the interest of the students, it becomes effective. We have been participating and doing well, and this donation motivates us even more. I pray that God blesses him, because thinking about O’Reilly and thinking about sports, knowing how sports can shape lives globally, is not an easy thing to do,” he said.

Some students of the school also expressed their frustration over inadequate sporting facilities, while welcoming the donated items with excitement and optimism, describing them as a boost to their confidence and motivation to train harder.

The donation marks another chapter in the long-standing relationship between the O’Reilly Wright family and the school, reinforcing a shared vision of nurturing talent, preserving legacy and using sports as a platform to shape future champions.

By Bawa Musah