The week began with House Meetings. The new House Captains bravely made their speeches, new members of the Houses were welcomed, and each House elected its chosen charity for the school year. I am pleased to see that these are a mixture of the very local and the truly global. St Christopher’s children learn to be good citizens within our wider community, as well as responsible inhabitants of Planet Earth.
Anson Lions have supported Off The Fence, which has worked with the homeless and vulnerable in our city, for many years now. On Thursday, Rev Julio Abraham, who took over from our old friend Paul Young last year, gave Assembly to Middle and Upper School. He spoke about how the charity uses the funds we raise, and the difference we can make to those less fortunate than ourselves. He was proud to receive his official Anson Lions badge!
Our Harvest Festival is coming up in a few weeks, and this is the first major event of the year which sees the school join together as a whole to support a local charity. This year, we have chosen The Clocktower Sanctuary. As the weather starts to get colder and wetter, those who sleep rough on the streets of Brighton and Hove need our help more than ever. Our very youngest children can understand the need to support those who don’t have a bed to sleep in or access to clean, dry clothes.
Supporting our local community is not just about raising money, it can be about giving our time. Our Make A Difference Day at the end of last term saw our children out and about assisting with various projects around the city, and we are hoping to volunteer again as a Water Station in the Brighton Marathon 2025.
As the new fundraising year begins, our JustGiving status shows that we have raised over £11,000 via the site since we joined. This covers a wide variety of charities, and doesn’t take into account cash collections on Own Clothes Days or at Carol Services and other events. This is an excellent achievement and one we can be proud of. I also know that in the recent past, individual pupils have raised money for many charities on their own through sponsored swims, abseiling, sleep outs, runs, and on two occasions last year even donating their hair!
Ms Elizabeth Lyle, Head