5 minute read
Charity
Churcher’s College is very pleased to announce that in the 2019-20 academic year we have raised more than £18,445 for many amazing charities.
With many students voluntarily engaged in fundraising activities for local, national and international charities, charity work at Churcher’s runs throughout the school and is led by the Charities Committee. This year saw a wide range of events and initiatives, and through some fantastic efforts a large amount of money was raised and lots of awareness created for these amazing charities.
Each term we have two non-uniform days, apart from the Summer Term where we can only fit in one, much to the students’ disappointment! For a £2 donation, they can wear their home clothes for the whole school day. The Charities Committee decided who to support and this year’s recipients were: FitzRoy, Dogs for Autism, Just4Children, Tabora League, UWS and Home-Start Butser. The day before, we dedicate our school assembly to the charity to create awareness for why we are fundraising and what the money can do to help. A particular highlight of these assemblies was when Reggie, one of the dogs from the Dogs for Autism charity, jumped up onto the chair next to Mr Knowles on the stage while the Headmaster was talking to get a better view! At the start of the year, the Sixth Form joined the BIGGEST NATIONAL COFFEE MORNING EVER for Macmillian raising over £220 selling beautiful cakes and treats in Ramshill. After the tragedy of Hurricane Dorian, a group of Second Year girls lead by Catherine Tupper wanted to help. They came up with the plan to run a whole school bake sale in the dining room and raised over £341.
Another hugely successful event this year, was our first ever Charity Race Night for parents and staff. We raised £1,800 for United World Schools, our partner school in Mude. It was really great to see so many parents and staff getting involved and willing their horse over the line! Back by popular demand, for a second year in a row, the Reindeer Run was a big hit with the Lower School this year. With all the students running around the school spreading Christmas joy with their reindeer antlers, flashing noses and Christmas jumpers; it was a really great way to end a busy term. We also just managed to beat our fundraising total with a massive £1,763.
As well as raising funds, charity work has proved to be another way for students to form friendships united by a common cause. The charities we donated to this year include: • Centrepoint • Rowans Hospice • Macmillian • FitzRoy • Just4Children • Dogs for Autism • HMP Winchester Prison • Step by Step • Royal Marsden Hospital • Chestnut Tree House • MNDA • The King’s Arms • Tabora League for Children • United World Schools • Home-Start Butser
Ms C Evans
Community Support The Churcher’s College Catering Team responded quickly to the changing requirements brought on by the lockdown. The team initially stepped in to support the local Age Concern Lunch Club when their cook had to shield. At short notice, the service they were providing within the Community Centre had to diversify to a lunch delivery service every Tuesday and Thursday.
Work started on Thursday 26 March, shortly after the PM’s lockdown briefing, cooking just 25 hot meals and desserts. Over the next couple of weeks, other charities were added, including The King’s Arms and Home-Start Butser, and numbers rapidly grew. The local Petersfield Coronavirus Community Support hub also assessed and added individuals that had contacted them for support. Within a few weeks we were cooking approximately 300 main meals and desserts each week and a team of local volunteers organised by Age Concern delivered the meals straight from the school to the recipients. Our last meals went out on Thursday 13 August after 21 weeks, by which time we had produced 5,054 hot meals and desserts.
Mrs B Speirs
United World Schools The UWS mission of teaching the unreached kicked into overdrive this year. With Nepal being faced with school closures, the pupils of UWS Mude started to learn by radio. Every day, teachers from UWS would broadcast their lessons in English, Maths and Science across the airwaves so that those on the steepest of slopes and highest of mountains could learn. Teachers that were unable to teach in closed schools were trained by UWS Nepal to be local Covid leaders: they were educated about effective social distancing and the role of hygiene.
As a community, our support of UWS has not faltered, with the Junior School raising nearly £1,500 by virtually climbing Everest and learning Nepali. There were probably some sore legs after that effort! In the Senior School some pupils took part in the UWS photograph competition and, although we didn’t win a prize, I hope they enjoyed the distraction from remote learning. Equally, some First Year pupils took part in a global UWS Assembly with children from nine different countries. Looking back, it is at times of upheaval and seismic change that we can see the best of those around us. As a result of our efforts of supporting UWS, the education for the pupils of the rural village of Mude continued. As a community, they were better informed about Covid-19 and safer as a result. It really highlights the unknown benefits of the charitable work that we, as a College, consider so important.
Mr J Harris
