Students and parents at Hurstpierpoint College recently raised over £20,000 for three children’s charities. Cheques for £4,673 were presented to representatives of Brainwave, Starr Trust and Winton’s Wish.
The ‘Big Apple’ themed party was organised by the Hurst Parents’ Association and the College’s community group, Hurst Society. The party was held at the school campus and attended by parents.
Money was raised for the charities through a silent auction, with prizes including a villa to rent in Slovenia and an Ultimate Porsche experience at Silverstone, donated by Porsche Centre Mid-Sussex. A photograph taken and donated by Year 11 Hurst student Charlie Parsons also raised £75 in the auction. Tickets to the Derby Meeting at the All England Jumping Course, Hickstead also attracted people to buy raffle tickets which raised a large amount of money towards the total.
Director of Marketing, Gillian Luis-Ravelo commented, “The event was so successful because of the support of a number of companies who offered their services and saved us thousands of pounds. They included Coordination Catering, run by Gevin White who offered us equipment for the event and the College’s catering company, Sodexo who provided the three course meal.”
Austin Kearley will directly benefit from the money raised. The money will pay for his guardianship, an assessment and support at Brainwave.
Brainwave aims to improve the mobility, communication skills and learning potential in children suffering from brain injuries, autism and genetic conditions. The charity has three centres in England that work with children with a wide range of conditions and developmental needs such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome and developmental delay.
Also receiving over over £4,000 each, were Winston’s Wish and the Starr Trust. Winston’s Wish is the leading childhood bereavement charity in the UK. They off er practical support and guidance to bereaved children, their families and professionals. Winston’s Wish help over 40,000 children every year through their Helpline, weekly groups, support programmes and one-to-one support services.
The Starr Trust is an independent, family-run charity based in Hove. It was formed to help 10-18 year-olds reach their full potential through sports, arts, and education providing grants, training and mentorship. The charity’s income comes entirely from community fundraising and donations.
Find out more about the charities online at brainwave.org.uk; winstonswish.org.uk and starrtrust.com
