John Colet Students Happy to Help

Students from the John Colet Academy, in Wendover, presented a cheque to Rachel Blackmore from local charity Weston Turville Wells for Tanzania, on Friday. The pupils, and staff raised almost £2400, during the ever-popular annual fundraiser ‘Help Week’

‘Help Week’ has been a firm favourite in the John Colet academic calendar for the last eight years, and has raised in excess of £20,000 in total. Each year a different Charity is chosen to benefit from the proceeds.

The week is organised by the School Council, which is made up of pupils from each year group. Activities taking place during the week include a cake sale, a sponsored silence, a talent show and the Friday fancy dress day with both pupils and staff getting involved.

The School Council chose Weston Turville Wells for Tanzania, a small poverty relief charity run by Rachel and David Blackmore, to receive this year’s funds. Rachel was thrilled to join students at their end of term assembly to accept the cheque, she said: “This is a fantastic achievement by the students and staff. Only 25% of children, in the Maasai community we are working with in the Ngorongoro region of Tanzania, are able to progress to secondary education. The people in Tanzania don’t want hand outs, but they do want an education, so they can make their own money to feed their families. This money will allow twelve children to do just that by funding them beyond primary education.”

Jason Gooderham and Emma Eastgate presented the cheque. Jason said: “We were delighted with the amount raised, and how everyone in the school got involved. The week was a great success.”

For more information on Weston Turville Wells for Tanzania visit their website at www.wellsfortanzania.org