KES Senior School Community Raises £13,596 for Charity

The charity fundraising efforts of the KES Senior School community were recognised earlier this week, as King Edward’s made donations to five separate charities after a year-long programme of fundraising during the last academic year.

Three of the charities supported by KES are local to Bath and include Bath Welcomes Refugees, Bath Foodbank and Dorothy House Hospice Care. Through a mix of non-uniform days, cake sales, a music marathon concert, speaker events and donations at the Christmas Carol Service, the school community raised £2,510 for Bath Welcomes Refugees, £2,694 for Dorothy House and £1,588 for Bath Foodbank. This was supported by clothing and regular food collections for Bath Welcomes Refugees and the local foodbank.

Much of the School’s fundraising efforts were organised by pupil volunteers, including members of the School’s student charity committee. As part of the fundraising programme, pupils also visited the operational sites of the charities, so they could understand the work and impact of their fundraising.

Commenting on the fundraising efforts of the School, Alice Herve, Language Support Coordinator at Bath Welcomes Refugees, said: “Thank you and all the staff and children at KES for the very generous donations. It is a most substantial contribution to our work with refugees and asylum seekers. We are highly appreciative of all you have done to further our cause. Thank you from all our trustees and management committee.”

Grainne Moher, Food Manager at Genesis Trust Bath, said: “A huge thank you to the KES school community for your support helping us to provide emergency food parcels for local individuals and families who are in need. Your generous gifts ensure that people who are struggling to afford to buy food are able to access this help, also allowing for the opportunity to receive further support to address any underlying issues. “We are very grateful to you for choosing Bath Foodbank as one of your charity partners.”

In addition to supporting local, Bath-based charities, King Edward’s also continued to raise funds for its longstanding charity partner, Moving Mountains Trust, an international charity working with disadvantaged children and communities in Kenya, Tanzania and Nepal. Last year, fundraising initiatives by the School included a Christmas Jumper Day and the KES Unite Music Concert, which all helped to raise £4,214 for the charity. In addition to fundraising for Moving Mountains, a group of Senior School pupils will be travelling to Kenya this summer to volunteer at Moving Mountains projects and to see first-hand the impact money raised has on local communities. Whilst there, KES pupils will help teach lessons to local children and take part in extra-curricular activities.

Gavin Bate, Chairman, Moving Mountains Trust, said: “The support of King Edward’s School has once again helped Moving Mountains fund teachers, social workers, cooks, counsellors and project managers to look after our beneficiaries in the schools and deliver the constant services that we provide for so many children. Their work influences hundreds every day, most of whom come from difficult backgrounds and struggle with trauma continually. Education fees, books and financial support are one aspect, but arguably more important is the sense of family and identity we provide for so many children who lack both. By providing such long-term support for individuals over decades, we can now see how our approach truly gives people a chance to achieve a level of stable mental health in adulthood, and ultimately social mobility to break out of the poverty trap. I want to thank everyone at KES for being a partner with us on such a long and fulfilling journey.”

In further fundraising, the School also raised £2,588 for the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Last year’s Charity Coordinator at KES, Miss Perris, said: ‘Throughout my time as Charities Coordinator, I have been extremely impressed and humbled to witness the generosity of our school community. Whether it be bringing generous donations for Bath Foodbank collections, turning up to events to do their bit, or even just asking me what they can do to get involved, our pupils have been the driving force behind raising such an incredible sum of money. Working with Moving Mountains, both from Bath and in Kenya, has been a particular highlight for me. The charity remains very close to my heart as we will travel to Kenya this summer with 36 pupils, who will be able to see first-hand the impact our fundraising has had and will continue to have on the lives of the beneficiaries, particularly in the town of Embu. I wish Mrs Lascelles every success as she takes on the role this year and look forward to seeing our school fundraising go from strength to strength!’

Our new Charities Coordinator at KES, Mrs Lascelles works in the Pastoral team & has been with KES for six years. Before joining the KES family, Mrs Lascelles worked in sales and marketing for a large blue-chip company in London. Throughout her career, she has worked alongside numerous charities, an area she is incredibly passionate about.  She said: ‘I am honoured to be taking up this new position at KES. Charities is an area that is very close to my heart and I am very much looking forward to engaging & inspiring our pupils through this incredibly important role that we all play in giving support to those most in need.’