NWHS STUDENTS SHOW THEY HAVE A HEART

Students at North Walsham High School have demonstrated how big-hearted they are, with a series of donations being made to good causes following a year of charity fundraising at the school – which culminated in a whole-school 11 mile sponsored walk at the end of the summer term raising just under £3,000.

Half of the cash raised by the walk has been used to purchase a defibrillator for The Atrium, which could provide life-saving help to any member of the community using the facility.

Meanwhile, the other 50 per cent of the cash is being combined with other funds raised by each House at the school, with five separate charities receiving the money – the good causes chosen by members of each House.

The donations made by each House are as follows:

• Blogg House: £543 to Toilet Twinning, a charity which provides people in the poorest communities on the planet with a decent toilet, clean water and all the information they need to stay healthy.
• Cavell House: £369 to the East Anglian branch of the Teenage Cancer Trust, an organisation which offers world-class cancer services for young people in the UK, providing life-changing care and support so they don’t have to face cancer alone.
• Fry House: £296 to the Benjamin Foundation, a Norfolk-based charity which helps people across the county deal with many of the challenges that life throws at them.
• Kett House: £482 to Cystic Fibrosis Trust, an organisation which supports people living with the condition.
• Nelson House: £541 to Nelson’s Journey, a Norfolk-based charity which supports young people to cope with bereavement.

“An important part of educating young people is to help them understand that they don’t exist in a bubble, and that helping people less fortunate than ourselves is an important part of living in a society,” said NWHS head teacher Caroline Brooker.

“By encouraging each House to choose its own good cause, we create a sense of ownership among students of that cause, and the result has been enthusiastic fundraising throughout the year.

“Traditionally we have allocated half of the annual sponsored walk money to purchase something for the school community, with the balance going to each House’s chosen charity.  This year we used that money to buy a defibrillator for The Atrium, something which will be of benefit both to members of the school, and also people from the wider community who come and use the Atrium’s facilities.

“We have already launched our fundraising activities for the new school year, and we look forward to raising more money for charity during the coming 12 months.”