Local student leadership team and charity committees, made up of Year 13 and 12 students from across the Central Region Schools Trust’s Sixth Form schools, came together to lead and plan a week of exciting activities to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
These student leaders challenged and supported student councils and leadership teams from all 13 of the Trust’s schools across the West Midlands, ranging from Early Years to Sixth Form, to work together to plan imaginative activities to raise money for the chosen charity. The chosen charity was nominated by students themselves as the charity of the year for the trust.
Their ultimate goal was to raise £10,000 to help children who receive vital care at the hospital. Students demonstrated strong leadership behaviours as well as a great deal of maturity when considering the implications and limitations of their concepts and ideas, developing a sense of ownership over their chosen events.
Together, students from across the Central Region Schools Trust schools exceeded their goal by raising more than £10,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital. All schools hosted an array of fundraising events including charity wristband and homemade bracelet sales, discos, whole school carnivals and fairs, cake sales, guess the number of sweets in a jar and even 'Splat the Teacher'.
The Sixth Form charity committee leaders were invited to present the donation cheque to the hospital and tour the areas that will benefit from the donation. The monies raised will be used to fund a project to update the play and distraction offerings within the Surgical Day Unit.
The Trust’s student leaders, from across all year groups, will now be working together to identify potential charities to be their ‘Charity of the Year’ for 2025 and are already eagerly planning their Charity Week activities. Central Region Schools Trust Sixth Form Lead, Gemma Loveridge, said: “We are over the moon with the achievements of our fantastic students and their communities who have raised an incredible amount for such a good cause.
“The money will help ensure those children who are waiting to have their surgery, who are often anxious and worried, are engaged and distracted and able to feel at ease and calm prior to what can be a scary time.” Guy Shears, CEO of Central Region Schools Trust, said: “We are unbelievably proud of all our students across all 13 of our schools within the trust who dedicated their time, energy and passions to this very worthy cause.
“The support of staff, families and the wider community has meant we are able to support young people and families who use the services at the hospital. Our students have shown incredible development of their leadership skills, working together and seeing that they can have real world impact.
“We are proud to be supporting the development of the play and distraction facilities for the surgical day care unit and look forward to seeing the end product.”
