Philippines Fundraising

Published on isbi School News dated Tuesday 14th of January 2014

Pupils at St Benedict's School, Ealing have raised over £6,000 to help the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines. The money raised will go to the nuns of St Scholastica's College in Tacloban to help with their relief effort. Just before the typhoon hit the southern Philippines, Headmaster Chris Cleugh, Deputy Head Peter Allott, Head of RE Father Alexander Bevan and Assistant Head Joe Foley had attended the triennial International Conference of Benedictine Educators in Manila. Their hosts were the Benedictine Sisters at St Scholastica's School, whose college and hospital in Tacloban had both been severely damaged a few days earlier.

The culmination of the fundraising effort was to fill with coins a giant wave drawn out on the floor of the Cloisters Hall. This had to be completed in one day as the hall is in regular use. There was huge excitement as the empty wave gradually began to fill, with pupils, staff and parents emptying their pockets of loose change. Teams of Sixth Formers arranged the coins helped by Ned Gatacre (Head Boy) and Camilla McCosker (Head Girl) in the Junior School. The initial target had been to fill the inner wave but this was comfortably met before lunch break and, before the end of the afternoon, the outer wave was also filled to raise a total of £1192.43. Joe Curran and Karina Walker, Heads of Senior School, masterminded the whole operation.

The fundraising had kicked off with a Mufti Day in the Junior School in November. The children were all asked to bring in £1 so that they could wear their own clothes. A Jelly cat Sale was held later that month with toys, handbags, purses and glasses cases all donated by the mother of Junior School Head Boy Ned Gatacre. The hall was packed with people looking for Christmas presents and £1,407.60 was raised in one afternoon. A Cake Sale was very well supported and the tables cleared very quickly! Further funds were added by the sale of specially designed wrist bands, an initiative being carried out across all the Benedictine School in the UK and Ireland. Finally a Christmas Jumper day added colour and swelled the collection fund.