Pupils Spread Christmas Kindness Across the East Midlands
By Charities Correspondent
THIS Christmas, pupils at Loughborough Schools Foundation have been swapping classroom lessons for acts of kindness, spreading festive joy to charities and community groups across the East Midlands.
At Loughborough Grammar School, students aged 10 to 18 have taken the lead in organising a school-wide hamper initiative to support the elderly and vulnerable.
Each year group is responsible for creating gift hampers filled with seasonal treats, essential toiletries and handwritten Christmas cards.
Approximately 50 hampers have been distributed across Nottingham, Loughborough and West Bridgford, supporting organisations including HOPE Nottingham, Open Heaven Church Community Grocery, Equality Action, Living Without Abuse, Action Homeless, The Friary West Bridgford, Community Pantry, Junction Church Soup Kitchen and The Carpenter’s Arms.
Any surplus donations have also been shared with local food banks.
Helena McDowell, charities coordinator at Loughborough Grammar School said:
"It's been fantastic to see our pupils fully embrace the spirit of giving through the range of charity initiatives we’ve run this term. Supporting our local community, particularly at Christmas, is incredibly important to us and it’s great to see the boys take so much value from being part of this.”
The festive fundraising continued with the Grammar School’s own Santa Run, which has raised nearly £2,000 for Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People.
Jeremy Parton, head of year 7 at the Grammar school said:
“After COVID made it difficult to take part in the traditional Santa Fun Run, we decided to create our own, and it’s now become an annual tradition. It’s opened the event up to more students and allowed the whole school community to get involved.
“It’s been a brilliant way for pupils to support local charities, particularly those that give back to children their own age. We have a strong relationship with Rainbows, having recently supported their abseiling event at Derby Cathedral, and we’re incredibly proud to have raised almost £2,000 through the generosity of our community.”
Alongside Loughborough Grammar School, pupils across the Loughborough Schools Foundation have supported with several seasonal fundraising initiatives, including collections for Children in Need following Christmas performances at Fairfield Prep School, a ‘send a candy cane’ campaign for Make-A-Wish UK, and a raffle at Loughborough High School which raised funds for Menphys, a charity supporting disabled young people.
Community engagement is a core part of the Loughborough Schools Foundation ethos, and this year’s initiatives highlight the values of compassion, responsibility and teamwork that pupils carry with them throughout their time at the school.
To donate to the Rainbows fundraising initiative, visit the JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/lgs-funrun
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