September 2022 has already seen the nomination and election of Form Charity Representatives, a smaller Charity Council and the selection of six charities to support this academic year. The role of the Charity Council is new and will be an opportunity for some of our most altruistic pupils to represent and lead their peers in charitable giving. Pupils were encouraged to propose smaller, less ‘mainstream’ charities to be considered – ones where the contributions that we make over the course of the year will really make a significant difference to the support and impact that each charity can make. Three of the chosen charities will be supported through financial contributions and three will be supported through donations.

The chosen charities for the school year 2022-23 are – Bury Hospice and Porch Boxes (local charities), Cyclists Fighting Cancer (CFC) and Young Lives vs Cancer (national charities) and The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Sal’s Shoes (International charities).

Our Reverse Advent Collection raised donations for Porch Boxes, a local food bank. Our Christmas bike collection was a chance for families to donate outgrown and unused bikes of all shapes, makes and sizes to the charity Cyclists Fighting Cancer – they sell refurbished bikes from their shop in Chorlton to raise money and use this money to help children and young people living with cancer across the UK regain their physical fitness, improve mental wellness and reduce social isolation by giving them new lightweight bikes, specially adapted trikes, tandems, other equipment and support. At the end of the school year, we will once again collect outgrown school shoes to donate to Sal’s Shoes. 

Bury Hospice has already been supported through our Year 7 ‘Heartbeat Bury’ event and will be further supported by our Primary Division Reindeer Run and Bunny Hop. Young Lives vs Cancer are receiving all of the money raised from non-uniform days this year and the WWF are being supported initially through staff donations from our charity/wellness initiative ‘Caketime Breaktime’ and later on in the year through money raised from the Tenner Challenge. 

Moving through the academic year 2022-23, we will be focusing on how to embed a greater appreciation of the importance of charity at all different stages in a young person's life and providing our young people with clear information about the impact these charities make: developing engagement between the nominated charities and our young people will be an important part of our charity focus moving forward. This will include assemblies in all sections of the school led by both our Charity Council Representatives and also led by the charities themselves. The Charity Council will be engaging further with local charities through visits to support the work that they do and to speak to people who benefit from the many services offered. 

With a total money raised reaching more than £23,000 last academic year, our aims for this year are high. With an opportunity now to embed the charitable actions and events of last year, we have ambitious goals and ambitious pupils working to meet them. 

Thank you to Mrs Dickson, Head of Charities for this report.