Supporting Good Causes
In addition to connecting and supporting parents, the Parents’ Association undertake a range of work to both support good causes and invest back into the School to provide extra equipment or activities above and beyond that which the School would be expected to provide.
We are very proud of the monies raised for local and national causes, echoing the School’s Partnerships programme. Our current chosen charities are:
Holding on, Letting Go, Sal’s Shoes, The Make Way Foundation, the 1811 Circle , and Lunch Buddies.
hOLDING ON, LETTING GO
Holding On Letting Go is a Kent-based charity that helps children to cope with the death of someone close to them.
Often the children they see have lost their mum, dad, grandparents, a sibling or a friend. Sometimes more than one person in their family has died or there are sudden and traumatic circumstances surrounding the death, such as suicide, a road accident or murder. Since the adults around them are also grieving, these children often feel unable to express their feelings or talk about their loved one or their sadness.
Many adults don’t know how to support children through the grieving process, so HOLG give support and guidance to parents and carers too.
Their vision is a world where every bereaved child and family receive the support they need. Their mission is to create a child and family centred service offering a pathway of support for bereaved children, young people and their families.
One of the ways that HOLG help the families they support is through bereavement support weekends. These are free to children and their families and are staffed by trained volunteers. Children are encouraged to share their feelings in a safe, nurturing place to help them deal with difficult emotions such as grief, fear, anger and sadness. The weekends are full of creative and musical activities which are designed to help the children to hold on to those precious memories of their loved one, whilst learning to let go of the sadness. At the end of a bereavement weekend, each child goes away with a memory box full of things that they have made that help them to remember their special person.
Caterham PA are hoping to raise enough to fund one of Holding on Letting Go’s bereavement support weekends.
We also support collections for a local branch of The Hygiene Bank and a local Ukrainian Support Group.
The Make Way Foundation
The Make Way foundation is a UK based charity that focuses on helping children with disabilities achieve their full potential in life without missing out. Make Way believe that all children should have the opportunity and ability to live their lives to their full potential regardless of their disability.
They help children in need with disabilities afford the wheelchairs and mobility equipment they need and deserve. They also help fund sports equipment so that no children miss out on participating in sport.
In the UK, funding for wheelchair services is very restricted meaning many children are unable to attend school or participate in day to day activities as they do not have the equipment to meet their needs.
The Make Way foundation believe that all children should feel proud of who they are and should be given the opportunity to enjoy life with nothing holding them back. Many children have a huge ambition to experience and take part in para-sports but sadly the funding is just not available.
Caterham PA have chosen The Make Way Foundation as one of their charities to help this new charity achieve their much needed ambitions.
kids recycle
The PA works with Kids Just Recycle allowing parents to have a good clear out of unwanted items for the benefit of charity and the PA.
Last year the PA raised over £1200 by collecting and recycling unwanted clothes, bags, towels, sheets, duvet covers, indeed any textile. Money raised is used to buy “extras” for the benefit of all our pupils.
A collection bin is now available at Beech Hanger for donations at parents’ convenience. Bags of any size can be used.
PLEASE FILL THE BAG with: adult and children’s’ clothing, hats, shoes, belts, handbags, and household textiles including sheets, pillow cases, duvet covers, curtains and towels. They DO accept school uniform and sports wear BUT non school branded items only. Please note: branded Caterham School uniform and sports kit (old and new) can be resold/recycled via the NNU shop.
THEY DO NOT TAKE: Blankets, Bric-a-Brac, Duvets, Pillows, Sleeping Bags, Rugs, Carpet, Offcuts of fabric, Any WET items, Curtains, Tent Canvas or ripped or stained clothing.
PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT THE CLOTHING IS FOR RE-USE SO SHOULD BE IN A WEARABLE CONDITION.
Click here to read more about items that can be donated
SAL’S SHOES
Children tend to outgrow their shoes before they outwear them, and shoes are relatively difficult to recycle; so Sal’s Shoes finds children’s preloved shoes their new feet. In the last 10 years, the charity has distributed over 5,000,000 pairs of shoes in 60 countries around the world. In the U.K. Sal’s School Shoes Fund distributes new school shoes and PE trainers to school children in need. Last year over 30,000 pairs were given out. The charity now also operates 11 Sal’s shoes shops’ nationwide, in existing community spaces, where low income families can retain their sense of dignity, enjoy a shopping experience and exercise choice, without having to pay for the footwear they need.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sal’s Shoes, Camilla was awarded and OBE in the New Years Honours for services to Young People, to Education and to the Environment.
https://vimeo.com/928355738/7e96c08e32?share=copy
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