WHERE GIRLS VOLUNTEER

WAKEFIELD

WHERE GIRLS VOLUNTEER

Charities News 2020-21

Although some of WGHS annual charity fundraising events, such as the Christmas Fayre and the Teachers’ Eating Competition, have been limited by the pandemic due to not being able to come together physically for whole school events, it hasn’t restricted our ability to help many wonderful charities in year group bubbles. Year 7 held bun sales and participated in a Zumba workout to raise money for Lepra. Year 8 fundraised for Guide Dogs by taking part in a sponsored fancy dress fun run. Year 9 got involved in the organisation aspect of charity by curating their own events such as Kahoot! Quizzes and raffles in aid of the Darjeeling Children’s Trust.

As a whole school community, we joined forces to collect food for St Catherine’s food bank twice during this academic year. St Catherine’s is a charity that has seen an influx of impoverished Wakefield residents becoming more reliant upon the food bank due to the pandemic’s impact on jobs. We also did a Christmas present collection to help local families experience the magic of Christmas by giving them the ability to treat their children to presents, despite not being able to afford them. Overall, Wakefield Girls’ High School has raised money for a range of different charities such as Candlelighters, Wakefield Hospice, Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, MY Hospitals Charity and Wakefield Trinity Community Trust alongside those already mentioned.

It is not just WGHS students who have participated in events and volunteered for the benefit of others, but also members of staff. Mrs Maher organised The Big Knit in aid of refugees, the homeless, the elderly and other people in need and our school Matron has also volunteered at weekends in vaccinating against Covid and she has delivered approximately 1,100 vaccines so far!

Our most recent charity venture took place on the penultimate day of school before breaking up for summer. WGHS held its annual Summer Charity Fayre for Years 3-10, which involved music, food stalls and tombola. The Year 12 Charity Student Leaders played a huge part in making the Summer Fayre a success, through their organisation of the event and running the stalls. The lower school student charity representatives have also had a significant impact thanks to their creativity in coming up with Covid restriction-friendly ways of supporting different charities.

At the time of writing, the running total for monies raised this year is an amazing £8,674. 90. Mrs Phillips, WGHS Charities Coordinator, would like to express her gratitude to everyone who has organised and supported the Charities Committee this year for their generosity.

Amelie Dissanayaka -Year 12

They distribute knitted items regularly to over two hundred outlets, including hospitals, womens’ refuges, refugee drop in centres, prisons, community groups and hospices”

Raising money for Lepra and Cancer Research

Imagine if you could not use one of your arms, or could not see. The world would be a very different place. Leprosy affects approximately 200,000 people a year and causes devastating consequences such as blindness and loss of the ability to use your arms and legs. This is why when Year 7 started to raise money for Lepra, a charity dedicated to raising awareness and helping those with leprosy, I decided to try and reach at least £100. You may ask, how? I worked in the fields like many in India, well the back and front garden clearing dead leaves and weeds. Next, I worked and did all my usual things with only one hand and that was my left hand - brushing my teeth was interesting and feeding myself. Having experienced this, I really understood what it meant to have a significant disability. I also completed the 10,000 steps a day challenge for Cancer Research in March and continued throughout April to remind me how far some people have to walk to get simple supplies such as water and medicine. Finally, I played my piano and accordion and learnt a number of new songs and made my grandparents really proud and instead of wasting the money on sweets, I asked that it be donated to Lepra in my name.

Eleonora Green - Year 7

The WGHS big knit

The 3rd national lockdown was very difficult for many of us, and for many different reasons. Staying motivated, keeping busy and not allowing the hours to pass completely uneventfully was a challenge for everyone, and whilst school work kept us busy during the day, and even all evening for some, there were times when finding something to do other than school work was really important for our wellbeing. It was important to remember to allow time to do something creative, something to improve our skills and something for others.

The WGHS Big Knit was launched to all students, staff and families to encourage the support of a charity called Knit For Peace. Based in London, the charity Knit for Peace UK is an initiative of the Charities Advisory Trust. They distribute knitted items regularly to over two hundred outlets, including hospitals, womens’ refuges, refugee drop in centres, prisons, community groups and hospices, as well as to developing countries and refugee camps, or those living in the rubble in Syria.

On our return to school on March 8th, I was delighted to find many knitted items on my desk; cute bootees in beautiful pastel shades, many of which were knitted by our Exams Officer Jayne Hitch, amazing soft toys knitted by Donna from Peppers and hats knitted by Miss Gunn. In addition to these there were dozens of squares knitted by many of you for joining into blankets. Thank you so much for getting behind this event, supporting the charity and upskilling. Some of you were knitting for the first time!

Mrs Maher