Pupils from Lordswood Primary School in Chatham, part of Griffin Schools Trust (GST), raised £600 for the NHS as they celebrated GST Founder’s Day, exercising and having lots of fun as they joined their champion PE teacher Karl Baker-May, Head of PE at GST, in a 100 minute workout challenge.
Over 500 pupils from Nursery to Year 6, and parents, took part in the fundraiser with each year group participating in activities tailored to their age. “It was great having all the children joining in,” explained Mr Baker-May, former UK and European footgolf champion and twice winner of the Footgolf Ryder Cup, “We wanted to raise money for the hospital because Covid19 has impacted greatly on our local community. Knowing how dedicated the staff at the hospital are and how hard they have worked over the past year, it was good to be able to support them.”
The £1200 raised by the sponsored 100 minute workout was equally divided between Medway Maritime and the GST Sports and Arts Fund which supports students who demonstrate dedication and ability in sport and the arts outside school. The fund is open for any student across GST’s 13 schools to apply to purchase equipment to help them pursue their passion.
“The fundraiser was part of our sixth annual GST Founders Day, when we celebrate our roots, our journey and our identity, using creativity, innovation and imagination to promote the GST vision of Proud Traditions, Wide Horizons and High Achievements,” explained Jayne Lusinski, Headteacher at Lordswood. “The whole community comes together through various events, with fundraising a key part of the day. Serving our community and wider society is an important part of our pupils’ education. Our school is at the heart of the community and for our young Griffins to flourish, we all need to work together. The event exceeded our expectations – at this difficult time the community has really pulled together and been outstanding in their support.”
On receiving the cheque Cheryl Jones, Fundraising Officer for Medway NHS Foundation Trust commented, “ We are extremely grateful to Lordswood Primary School for their brilliant efforts in raising £600 for the Medway Hospital Charity. This donation will help fund medical equipment to enhance facilities at Medway Maritime Hospital. Every donation has a positive impact on the experience of our patients and wellbeing of staff.”