'While we have time let us do good to all’. (Galatians 6:10)'

A 'Thank You' from Rugby Foodbank

John Hemmings, an Engagement Officer from Rugby Foodbank, recently sent us a thank you letter and certificate to let us know how much food we had donated.

"Many thanks for your kind Harvest Donation," he said. "Harris School collected 52.8 kg for the Rugby foodbank. All your donations go directly to those in Food Poverty in Rugby. Last year Rugby Foodbank supplied 3 day emergency food packs to over 5000 people in the Rugby area. We are always grateful for your ongoing generosity."

York House Trip to Zoe's Place Baby Hospice

Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice - York House Charity

Back in 2015 when I became the Head of House for York, I had the task of choosing a House Charity. The obvious choices included organisations such as Cancer Research or the British Heart Foundation but a Year 10 student at the time made a very good point that having a local charity would be better as we could see where the money goes.

I set about exploring local charities and came across Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice in Exhall, Coventry. Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice Coventry is a registered charity providing palliative, respite and end of life care to babies and infants aged from birth to five years suffering from life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. They work caringly with the children and their families.

I visited Zoe’s Place and met with Mick McCann, the fundraising director, who gave me a tour of the hospice and I can safely say I was totally blown away! The support they provide for the children and families in their care is second to none and simply amazing in the difference it makes.

From that moment, Zoe’s Place became cemented into the ethos of York House and became very close to the hearts of many across the whole school community. During Lent each year, each House does fundraising for their chosen House Charity. Within York, we raised funds through cake sales, raffles, penalty shootouts, car washing, donating pocket money, and even a sponsored trek to the summit of Mount Snowdon in Wales completed by my daughter and me.

The fundraising activities were great fun and many of the York House students put in amazing levels of effort in raising money for this wonderful charity. Over the four years of fundraising, York House raised almost £7,000 for Zoe’s Place. Each year, I took the students who raised the most funds individually to visit Zoe’s Place and present the money as seen in the photos. They were taken on a tour of the hospice, which enabled them to see first-hand where the money goes. On the fourth annual visit, Zoe’s Place had built a summerhouse style building in the garden to be used for 1:1 therapeutic work with the children and some of our previous fundraising had partially made that possible. This made the reason why we raised money for Zoe’s Place very real; hence the sterling efforts that went into raising an amazing amount of money.

As a former Head of York House, my heartfelt appreciation goes out to all those “Yorkies”; students past & present who were part of something wonderful.

Will Glendon-Doyle

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