On Friday, 5 February, Woolmer Hill pupils held a fund-raising day to earn money to help in the relief work for the victims of the Haitian earthquake. Three Year 10 boys, Ben Still, Solomon Lawes and Ed Gibson, asked Mrs Bullen, Headteacher, for permission to have a day when pupils could raise funds for the people of Haiti through various sponsored activities. The boys, with the help of Mr Poole, Business Studies teacher, devised a football tournament using the latest technology. The boys also gave an assembly to the rest of the school to encourage pupils from all Year groups to organise their own events for Haiti. These included sponsored silences, sponsored “tying together” of pupils for the day and the sale of cakes.

All the cake and biscuit sales proved very popular on the day with both pupils and staff but one Year 10 girl, Chloe Dollerson, really pulled out all the stops in the name of charity. She worked extremely hard, single-handedly making over 100 cakes and biscuits, bringing them into school on the Friday in trays, boxes, bags and tins. Selling her goods with the help of very professional advertising material which she also made herself, she raised over £70 through her sales during break and lunchtime. The cakes included an awesome Rocky Road recipe, which pupils are still talking about, and Millionaire’s Shortbread. Chloe has given the money she raised to a neighbour who has already been out to Haiti as a volunteer nurse and is going back there to help build and establish an orphanage. Chloe said, “It’s really nice to know exactly where the money I raised is going to. My neighbour will be letting me know how the work is going on.”

Meanwhile, the Year 10 boys had a larger undertaking to raise funds for Haiti by organising, with Mr Poole’s help, a computer football tournament using PlayStation3 handsets, playing the games out on the big computer screen in the main school Hall at break and lunchtime over a period of two weeks. At least 64 pupils and a number of staff took place in this knockout tournament. The participants each paid £2 to enter and the tournament was played out with noisy support being given by the watching crowd. Mr Poole reports that the only member of staff who progressed past the first round of matches was Mr Hull, of the English Department.

Mrs Bullen, Headteacher, said, “I am really proud of what the pupils of Woolmer Hill have achieved for Haiti. The idea was their own and they have taken on the organisation of the events with minimal help from staff. This includes the three Year 7 boys who swam one weekend to raise funds for Haiti. The events in the school have so far raised £789.74 and the sponsorship money is still coming in. We are very much hoping that we will reach our target of £1,000 for the Haitian people and more money will be going to that cause, at the request of our School Council, through a mufti day at the end of the Spring term. Well done to all those pupils and staff involved!”