Charitable Giving

£400,000

raised for charitable causes in the last decade

[Movember ]

16.439 pt [ Standing together for Movember ] Charitable giving

Charitable giving is at the heart of our community’s ethos. Over the last decade a staggering £400,000 has been raised supporting over 100 charities, including local charities such as Keech Hospice Care, Macmillan, Bedford Daycare Hospice, Bedford Soupfest, Headway Bedford, Road Victims Trust and District Handicapped Riders. Teacher and Head of Charities and Fundraising Mrs Spyropoulos first launched the 'Movember' fundraising and awareness campaign in 2012 with a group of Sixth Formers (now fondly referred to as the ‘Mo Bros’) to teach each other about mental and physical health issues. Every year the boys create a Movember video for YouTube, which usually goes viral, helping raise awareness and communicate crucial messages about mental health. Additionally, fundraising has taken place in a myriad of ways, from cycling around the world to shoe shining, from open mic nights to themed mufti days; every boy in the school has a chance to take part and contribute in some way. In the eight years we have been supporting Movember, the school has raised a staggering £95,000 to become one of the leading educational fundraisers for this charity. However, it is not just about raising funds. Mrs Spyropoulos commented “We place a huge emphasis on peer led education on physical and mental health; through direct peer teaching as well as leading by action and example, boys are able to learn from one another as well as communicate the health message of Movember within the whole school community'”.

Charitable giving starts at an early age at Bedford with boys in the Prep School raising funds for many different causes. Not only do they fundraise within their houses but boys and staff also support numerous charities and events as a school, including the annual 'Christmas in a Box' appeal, that helps feed families in food poverty over the Christmas period, Carols at the Kiosk and Soupfest.

Prep boys with donations for the 'Christmas in Box' appeal

Kindness for Captain Tom

It was wonderful to see the strength and widespread reach of the Bedford School community when it came together to help sort 160,000 birthday cards for Captain Sir Tom Moore's 100th birthday. Over 160 volunteers from across the school community came forward to generously give up their time to support this herculean task. A team of helpers also sorted through the mountains of stamps from the envelopes which were donated to raise money for the locally based Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in Moggerhanger and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

Volunteers from across the community opened over 160,000 cards

Head Master James Hodgson joined volunteers in opening and reading cards

Stamps collected were donated to Royal National Institute of Blind People