Working together to put the fun into fundraising

Charity Week is one of the most popular events in our school calendar, raising many thousands of pounds for good causes every year. RGS News chief feature writer AVA EDWARDS discovers how students work together to put some fun into fundraising

CHARITY Week is perhaps one of the most significant occasions on the school calendar. It occurs every year during the last week of the first half term, with numerous events taking place to raise money for a good cause.

Each year, a different charity is represented. Students are given the opportunity to vote for the charity from a variety of choices, allowing them to become more involved. The represented charity this year is the Survivors Trust. Tristan Paris, the school’s student publicity officer, explains: “The Survivors Trust is a very important charity which, as the name suggests, works with victims of abuse and misconduct, providing counselling and support to those affected and their families.”

The types of activities which take place during Charity Week vary and school officers are given the responsibility of arranging things. Tristan says: “My role as a school officer in Charity Week is very important - organising the events and what will happen during the week and assembling all the things necessary before it’s verified by a member of the sixth form team. It can certainly be a daunting task!”

Since a lot of events are student-run, it creates a more carefree and vibrant environment in school. Students can enjoy participating in or watching the activities as a way of de-stressing after the first half-term. A favourite event among many students is the staff pantomime, with Tristan saying: “I've got to say, I always look forward to the staff panto every year, as it was always fun to see what the teachers did with it, but since I'm a part of Charity Week this year, I'm really excited to perform the student officer dance we've been working on!”

Although the purpose of Charity Week is to raise money for a good cause, it also brings together the community within school. With so many activities taking place, students from all year groups come together to have fun and take a break from usual school lessons. Some activities involve students voting for others to participate in them, making the events even more interesting and entertaining.

Tristan also views Charity Week as fundamental to the in-school community: “I think particularly for the school community, Charity Week is hugely important. It provides the younger years with a chance to experience something in school they might never have seen before, and it allows the older years to make memories and enjoy activities together, as well as making the school feel more together and familiar to everyone, while benefitting charity.”