Fantastic fundraising sees pupils donate £2,924 to good causes

Kind-hearted children have raised almost £3,000 for good causes in just six months.
Debra Turner (headteacher) of St Francis of Assisi, Crawley with some of the children who have raised nearly £ 3,000 for charities. Pic Steve Robards SR1611868 SUS-160425-160336001Debra Turner (headteacher) of St Francis of Assisi, Crawley with some of the children who have raised nearly £ 3,000 for charities. Pic Steve Robards SR1611868 SUS-160425-160336001
Debra Turner (headteacher) of St Francis of Assisi, Crawley with some of the children who have raised nearly £ 3,000 for charities. Pic Steve Robards SR1611868 SUS-160425-160336001

The youngsters, from St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, in Southgate, organised events such as a sleep over and teddy bear’s picnic to raise the money.

Headteacher Debra Turner said each term different year groups carried out mini enterprise projects, choosing a charity of their choice and one area of school development to support.

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This year’s charities were Nightstop, which helps homeless teenagers; family support charity Homestart; aid agency CAFOD, which helps people around the world make a living and access essentials such as clean water and education; and Fairtrade, which fights for decent working conditions and fair pay for farmers and workers in developing countries.

Mrs Turner said: “The idea is that the children use cross-curricular links to independently plan, prepare and deliver a fundraising event.”

The Year 6 children chose Nightstop as their charity.

They held a sponsored sleep-over where they came to school with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, and prepared and made soup for supper and porridge for breakfast with water to drink in between.

Once the night was over they had raised £1,850 of which £925 went to Nightstop.

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The other £925 was used to fund the creation of a ‘funky’ study area at St Francis.

The Year 5 pupils chose to support Homestart and held a teddy bear’s picnic for the infant children, charging them £2 a head.

The picnic raised £400 of which £200 went to Homestart while another £200 financed a webcam bird box for the school grounds.

The Year 1 children held a Fairtrade coffee morning where they made and sold pizzas and fruit salad. Every penny of the £74 profit went to the charity.

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The schools religious education council planned, prepared and delivered a Water Aid disco, raising an impressive £600, all of which went to CAFOD.

Mrs Turner said: “Our children have an understanding of the difference each and every one of us can make. We have a culture of, ‘think global and act local’ – as a result the children have independently raised funds for overseas charities.

“All of these fundraising events have been child-initiated and led. The school has raised further funds through our parents and friends association as well as the Poppy appeal and the Good Shepherd appeal.

“Since October the children have raised £2,924 which will make a significant difference to others.”

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