This year's school fundraising activities will be shared between three main charities: one local, one national and one international. On Thursday 25 November, pupils from the Partnerships Committee led an assembly to introduce options for pupils to vote for as this year's local charity:
"Thursday the 9th of December, 2 weeks from today, will be our second Home Clothes Day of the year. Those of you who have a good memory will know that last year we trialled a voting system, where we let you, as the pupil body, decide what charity you would like to raise money for. As the newly formed Partnerships committee, which involves what was last year known as the Charities Committee, we have decided that we are going to continue with the voting system.
We will have 3 main charities that we share our fundraising efforts between over this academic year: one Local, one National and one International. On this half term’s Home Clothes Day, we will be raising money for a Local Charity. The Partnerships committee have chosen their top three Local charities that you can choose from. Members of the committee in the 6th Form will now give you a flavour of what each charity stands for, so make sure you are listening carefully.
Friend In Deed:
Friend in Deed is a Norfolk based charity set up by Kelly Lindsay, which enables schools and other local groups to create intergenerational friendships. The charity aims to reduce loneliness and encourage kindness. It offers a wide range of activities which help to unite the younger and older generations. These different activities include a pen pal scheme, music sessions, school projects and community and themed events.
Intergenerational visits are proven to not only benefit the older generation but also younger people. For young children, interacting with older people benefits their development, ability to form friendships and can also encourage them to communicate effectively. While for older children, these visits develop their ability to empathise with others and can result in meaningful friendships, helping to create a support network throughout their adolescent years.
Dogs Trust in Snetterton:
Dogs trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and cares for over 15,000 dogs each year through a network of 20 rehoming centres in the UK, with around 1300 stray and abandoned dogs in their care at any one time. The money raised would be essential for the welfare and treatment of abandoned dogs in Snetterton as it would be donated towards the Snetterton branch in Norfolk. Dogs Trust offers a wide range of different ways that people are able to support or provide aid to the dogs, including: providing dog school for the owner and dogs to connect and better understand each other, organising fundraising events, such as a Christmas Dog walk and also provide a volunteer scheme to encourage people to support and care for abandoned dogs in their area.
Dogs trust in Snetterton, as with the other centres across the UK, work hard to rehome the dogs in their care to homes and families that will ensure the dog is safe and content. However, the process isn’t simple, and Dogs Trust focus on finding the perfect potential adopter and correct home to ensure the dog lives a better life than previously. Now more than ever, after the surge of popularity of dogs during lockdown, that are no longer wanted which, in many cases, result with dogs being left stray and abandoned, need our help to supply them with a joyous life.
CHEERS of the NHS:
CHEERS stands for child and adolescent East of England Rheumatology service. They help with Rheumatic diseases: this is diseases that affect your joints tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles. Their goal is for the child and young person to be able to fulfil their potential in all areas of growth and development, without any restriction associated with their condition. One in a thousand children and young people are living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and a number of others have rare inflammatory rheumatological conditions including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and vasculitis. These conditions require specialist care, specific medications and a multidisciplinary team approach. This team includes doctors, specialist nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, a pharmacist, research team, psychologists and support staff.
Hopefully, now that you have heard a little bit about each one of Friend In Deed, Dogs Trust and CHEERS, you may have an idea which of the three you would like to vote for to win.
Voting will take place tomorrow during lunch break outside the refectory. You can take a token and place it in the box that is labelled with your chosen charity as you queue for lunch. Its a fairly simple process, the charity with the most tokens at the end of lunch will be our Home Clothes Day charity, and our main Local Charity for the year. If you aren’t going into lunch, then you are welcome to come and place a token on your way past the refectory during your lunch break.
Thank you for listening, and don’t worry you will be given reminders before Home Clothes Day to remember to come in in your own clothes!
Finally, I would just like to mention that it isn’t too late to join the partnerships committee, if you would like to join, please do get in touch with Abi Hill on teams or via email, we meet once a half term after school on Mondays."