Pupils at St Thomas’ Catholic Voluntary Academy have raised £1,800 to buy super egg-laying chickens for families in Kenya.
The money raised by the school, in Ilkeston, will go to CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, and the charity will buy chickens for families in Kenya.
Training is provided for families to help them look after the chickens and they can use any eggs produced to eat or sell.
Pupils at St Thomas’ raised the £1,800 through sponsorship they collected for taking part in an inflatable obstacle course and a cinema night at school.
Pupil Charlie said: “I loved the inflatable obstacle course, it was dead good. Inside it was like being in a jungle. I am glad we helped the people in Kenya to buy chickens and I managed to raise £20 myself which buys 5 chickens.”
Pupil Stanley said: “We got to play on the inflatables and it was good to do that with my friends. I really like doing this sort of thing in school, it’s fun and it’s good that we are helping people in Kenya and raising money to buy chickens for them through our sponsorship money. Having chickens will mean that they can eat the eggs.”
Pupil Ava said: “We had a cinema night at school when we could bring our own sweets in and watch Chicken Run with our friends after school. We paid £3 and the money goes to charity. It’s much better watching a film in school because there’s more space and you get to watch it with your friends.”
Headteacher Michael Sellors said: “Every year, and again this year, we are bowled over by the level of support from our school community to help others in need, whether this be in our local community, or internationally supporting the work of CAFOD."
Other fundraising events at the school have included an all day danceathon which raised £1,450 for a charity called Network for a Better World, a lay missionary group which works to relieve poverty, with specific support for women and children, in a rural mission parish in Southern Malawi.
Every child at the school created a piece of art based on Catholic Social Teaching principles and the work was sold at a grand art sale attended by parents and carers.
Over £500 was raised and this will be split between the charities supported by each class including Little Ways, Poor Clare Sisters, CAFOD World Gifts, Mary’s Meals, Beauvale Society, Fair Trade and St Vincent De Paul Society.