Pupils celebrate raising £70,000 for charity
11 Feb 2008
Solihull School pupils have celebrated raising more than £70,000 for a vital charity by presenting a £21,490 cheque to Teenage Cancer Trust.
The school reached the landmark after collecting £20,240 from bag packing by 150 pupils at the M&S store in Mell Square, Solihull last Christmas, including £500 from a sponsored scrummage machine push, and £1,250 from carol singing by the school’s sixth formers.
The achievement came at the end of the school’s fourth year of fundraising for TCT, which will be using the money to help fund specialist teenage cancer units at NHS hospitals throughout the West Midlands.
The charity, which has just launched a £1million appeal to support teenagers in the region, is building a six-bed unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, as well as supporting specialist units at the Queen Elizabeth and Royal Orthopaedic hospitals.
Bag packing organiser Christine Mitchell said: “The commitment and hard work of our volunteers, including past pupils who have come back time and again to support us, has been fantastic.”
TCT regional appeals manager Paula Hancox commented: “The students have been brilliant in raising so much money to support teenagers with cancer who, for the first time ever, exceed the number of children with cancer in the UK.
“With teenage cancer rates having increased by 50 per cent in the past 30 years, their efforts will help fund units that enable teenagers to get on with being teenagers while receiving the best possible medical treatment.”
Phillip Griffiths, Solihull School Headmaster, said: “This is a staggering achievement and I am extremely proud of our boys and girls for their efforts and commitment in helping others.”
Solihull School pupils (left to right) Rebecca Newby, Oliver Mayman, Rosie Burchell and Will Lucas present a giant cheque for £21,490 to Paula Hancox from TCT
Issued on behalf of Solihull School by Lois Burley PR Ltd (0121 666b 7003). For more details, please contact Sean Morgan on 0121 705 09589
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