Schools sending their love around the world
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‘Tis the Season: Charitable Schools

At Christmas our thoughts turn to shopping for presents for our nearest and dearest. Of course many of us also spend time and money on causes close to our hearts, and many top independent schools have been feeling the love this term.

Around the country teachers, prefects and pupils have been pulling out the stops to send gifts all around the world – close to home and to other continents – where they will make a big difference to other children’s lives.

BEECH HALL SCHOOL, MACCLESFIELD

Beech Hall School supported Manchester Street Angels

Beech Hall School pupil, Lilly Hicks, has supported the homeless and vulnerable this Christmas by initiating a charitable project at the Tytherington-based school.

Enthusiastic to raise the profile of Manchester’s homeless population, inspirational Lilly sought help from her fellow classmates and friends to donate to the Manchester Homeless Shoebox Appeal. After requesting permission from headmaster James Allen, Lilly and the other pupils rallied around to put together a bountiful donation.

The Beech Hall cohort collected thirty-five fabulously-filled and festive-wrapped boxes containing toiletries, gloves, hats, chocolate, biscuits and more, which were then handed over by Lilly to a representative from the appeal ran by the Manchester Street Angels.

I would like to extend my thanks and respect to Lilly for suggesting and promoting this project within our school community. It was a brilliant initiative and a great way to consider and help those who are less fortunate.

As as a school, we inspire our children to think outside the box for creative solutions, especially when it comes to helping others. Lilly used her own initiative for this venture, a key skill that will help her in all aspects of life and something which we will continue to encourage throughout all ages

James Allen, Headmaster at Beech Hall School

HAZLEGROVE PREP, SOMERSET

Hazlegrove Prep sent gifts to Moldova as part of the Mustard Seed Charity

Year five children from Hazlegrove Prep School have filled shoe boxes with gifts and useful items to be sent off to Moldova in Eastern Europe to help disadvantaged children and young persons in support of the Mustard Seed Charity.

The Mustard Seed Charity has been operating since 1992 and sends out much needed aid to disadvantaged children and young persons in Eastern Europe. Their Love in a Box campaign every Christmas allows schools, businesses, churches and other organisations and individuals to fill shoe boxes with gifts for the children who would otherwise not receive a Christmas present.

The shoe boxes are collected by the charity, checked, sealed and sent to the children in Eastern Europe via lorry. The lorries are met by the distribution teams where the precious gifts are given out to the children who are eagerly awaiting them. Then the fun begins as the children open the gifts! Their smiles are priceless.

CRANLEIGH PREP, SURREY

Cranleigh Prep sent musical instruments to orphanages in Romania

Pupils from Cranleigh Prep took part in a charity initiative in the run up to Christmas to provide a ‘shoebox’ of Christmas treats for disadvantaged children in orphanages in Romania.

With thanks to their charity prefects, who helped carry the colourful array of about 100 Christmas shoeboxes from the Reception to the car that was delivering them to the Rotary Club, they will be arriving in Romania in time for Christmas. They were filled with a wide range of goodies, from winter woollies, wrapped sweets and soft toys to games, stationary and torches. 

This year the Music Department also donated a wide range of instruments, including violins, trombones, keyboards, flutes and clarinets, from both the Prep and the Senior School.  These were added to two more car loads and sent on to budding musicians in the Romanian orphanages.

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