Huaxia Chinese School marked its 30th anniversary with a community celebration recognising three decades of partnership with the University of Manchester. Huaxia is a community led charity and Sunday school that provides Mandarin and Cantonese language education and cultural learning for children aged 5 to 18. It has grown from 20 students to over 600 and is now one of the largest supplementary schools of its kind in Manchester and across the UK.  

For 30 years the University has hosted the school on campus. This long-standing support has played a vital role in helping the school thrive and reflects the University’s commitment to social responsibility and engagement with local communities.  

The event welcomed a number of guests, including the Lord Mayor, Councillor Carmine Grimshaw; Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility at the University of Manchester; Dr Sara Jackson from the University’s Institute of Education; and Mr Kui Man Gerry Yeung OBE DL, a local community leader. Each guest offered short remarks that celebrated the achievements of the school and recognised the value of language education for young people.  

Children from each class took to the stage to perform in Chinese, showcasing the confidence and skills they have developed through their studies. Learning a heritage language can be challenging, and many pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds, but the school’s staff and volunteers are committed to supporting every child to become bilingual and proud of their cultural identity. The anniversary highlighted the positive impact that long term partnerships can have on local communities and celebrated the dedication of everyone involved in the school.