Whole-Academy Sponsored Walk for Cransley Hospice
KSA is hoping to raise a significant amount of money for Cransley Hospice with a whole-academy sponsored walk.
Cransley Hospice was chosen as it is a local charity with which the Academy has a close connection - Principal Martin Campbell was keen to hold an event to raise awareness of the work the hospice has done in supporting the staff of the Academy and their families.
Pupils have given the sponsored walk their full support - in July, Year 10 and 11 pupils took part in a successful trial of the route, raising more than £2,000 for the hospice along the way. Tomorrow (Friday 19th October), older pupils will be participating in a walk around the footpaths of Kettering, while younger pupils in the primary phase will either complete laps of the sports field or a walk to Wicksteed Park. It is hoped it will become an annual event and there will be inter-house competitions for the most money raised by pupils.
A group of pupils (pictured) recently visited Cransley Hospice to see the work that goes on there and followed it up with assemblies to their peers to garner support for the sponsored walk. One of the pupils, Tom Martins, said: "It's about giving up a bit of your time to raise awareness of Cransley Hospice and to help patients in their last days receive the care and love they deserve. If it was your relative, you would want their last days to be as comfortable as possible."
Cransley Hospice's fundraising manager, Diana Patrick, said: "We're delighted and thrilled that the whole school has embraced the idea of fundraising for us. We have never had a whole school support us in one go like this before."
The Academy's efforts this term follow a very successful year of charity fundraising in 2011-12. Each of the five houses at KSA had to nominate a local charity which they would raise money for throughout the course of the year. Dozens of activities such as cake sales, quizzes, mufti days and sponsored singing raised more than £8,000 for charity.
Principal Martin Campbell said: "This total reflects the many excellent fundraising activities which pupils from KSA organise, lead and take part in. This is a testament to the importance pupils at KSA attach to fundraising for those who need support."