Joe Clarke, organised a challenge for Year 9 Students at the school. St Bon's The winning forms are meeting with representatives from Tate and Lyle and the Petchey Foundation who underwrote the start up costs of the Challenge.

Forest Gate students raise £1,600 for charities

Kay Atwal, Chief Reporter Monday, July 23, 2012
7:00 AM

Students in Forest Gate have raised more than £1,600 in a charity challenge.

Year 9 pupils at St Angela’s and St Bonaventure’s Schools have been raising money for local and international charities in a scheme dreamed up by sixth former Joe Robinson.

As part of the Charity Challenge, each of the 14 forms were given a £20 float which they could use to pay for their own undraising ideas.

The idea was to encourage the pupils to develop their own creative and innovative fundraising schemes. The start up money was donated by Tate and Lyle and The Jack Petchey Foundation agreed to match the money that was raised. The money raised is to be given to Community Links and Cafod to help to pay for vital services here and abroad.

The two schools raised £920, the Jack Petchey Foundation £450, and Tate and Lyles contributed a float of £280. They raised a total of £1,650.

Paul Halliwell, St Bons Headmaster said: “The pupils in Year 9 have entered into the Charity Challenge with great enthusiasm and have learned much from the experience. The Enterprise element on the challenge gave a new dimension to the schools fundraising activities. Their ideas have been creative and innovative, my favourite was the lunchtime cinema. The competition appealed to our boys, we had fun whilst raising money for good causes. I thank Joe, Tate & Lyle and The Jack Petchey Foundation for this opportunity.”

The scheme was invented and run by St Bons 6th former Joe Robinson who said: “This is a difficult time for lots of people and also for the charities that help them. Young people are an important part of the community and as we have seen in this Charity Challenge they are keen to get involved and to help raise money for important causes.”