Charity Appeals
Food Bank Donations
As a Christian community, it is our duty to look after those who need our help. Every year St Edmund’s has a charity focus and this year our appeal is to donate to local foodbanks at key times during the year.
The Trussel Group, a charity that runs foodbanks, has stated that the use of their foodbanks has increased in the last five years by 73% (913,138 people to 1,583,668 people). In the Greater London area alone, 166,512 people used their services last year, 59,775 being children.
To help make sure everyone has enough food throughout the year, we are asking families to donate at key times during the year. The Caritas website gives wonderful ideas for donations and a website to locate their nearest foodbank. Alternatively, you can donate directly to the Whitton Foodbank by using the donation box in Sainsbury’s on the High Street.
When you and your family do donate, please send a picture of the children, with the donations to info@st-edmunds.richmond.sch.uk . These photos will go on our school ‘Making a Difference in the World’ display.
If we as a school community pull together, think of the difference that we can make. If you have any questions or need help with what to donate or where to take it, please speak to your child’s class teacher.
Thank you to the families who have already started their donations. There has been lots of positive conversations at the school gates.
Christmas Appeal
Cafod Fund Raising
This is message from CAFOD thanking our school community for all our fund raising activity in the last year. At St Edmund's, we always want to help out brothers and sisters around the world.
This year families have purchased the following for our friends overseas...
FANTASTIC FISH What a catch! This gift of fast-growing and easy-to-farm fish will net a poor family a long-term source of nutritious food and help them scale up their business. This gift provides 500 fish and the tools and training needed to build a pond and maintain a fish farm.
Fish provide a healthy, high in protein source of food for a whole family. With a starting point of 500 fish, there are more than enough to sell at market, bringing in money which can be spent on other necessities
EMERGENCY WATER When disaster strikes, this amazing charity gift could make a life-saving difference to a family in urgent need. It will provide essential clean water to a family who have nothing to drink after an emergency. It helps to provide essential water quickly in a crisis, and provides essential water to mothers and children in need. This gift allows CAFOD to react quickly to emergencies through our partners already at work on the ground. We can then stay for the long term, helping communities to rebuild their lives so that they can be better prepared the next time an emergency hits.
HAPPY QUEEN BEE This charity gift provides a happy queen bee for a hive. The queen brings more bees to the hive, and more bees mean more delicious honey to eat and sell! Families can boost their own diets and start their own honey making businesses. Honey is highly nutritious, and can help fight infections.
THE GOAT THAT GIVES Not only does the charity gift of a goat provide a family with up to 12 pints of milk a week –which they can drink or sell –it also produces free fertiliser which they can use to help grow crops. Goats are very hardy animals and are easy to feed and look after. This multi-talented goat provides nutritious milk to supplement a basic diet and its dung can be used as fertiliser!
SCHOOL STARTER PACK Many children in developing countries cannot go to school, so are unable to reach their true potential. This brilliant charity gift includes a uniform, stationery and a school bag; everyday items that will give a child the gifts of education and opportunity. This gift is packed full of essentials that will give pupils a great start! This gift makes a real difference, as in some places, children without a uniform, pens or books simply can't go to school.
Providing uniforms, stationery and a school bags gives children confidence as well as the opportunity to learn.
WATER FOR A FAMILY This life-saving charity gift provides families with a supply of clean, safe water for drinking and cooking. Using a water pump also means families can wash in clean water, keeping everyone safe from infection. Helping protect families from deadly water-borne diseases. Having a supply of safe, clean water nearby means that women and children don't have to walk for hours each day to fetch water.
HELPING HAND FOR OLDER PEOPLE This life-changing charity gift offers a helping hand to older people who have experienced high levels of ongoing violence and stress in their lives –providing psychological support and access to activities, such as art therapy.
Being part of a supportive community group helps older people who have suffered extreme stress and street violence to rediscover their own self-worth, contribute to their local community take part in fun activities that can help to improve their wellbeing and prevent isolation and loneliness.
Helping vulnerable older people to feel less isolated by bringing companionship and joyful moments into their challenging lives.
Extending the hand of friendship to older people –giving them the chance to get involved in art and craft activities and days out to help build friendships, self-confidence and learn new skills
Lenten Appeal
The Mini Vinnies have chosen to support the Westminster Catholic Children's Society for our Lenten Charity appeal this year. Each child from Reception to Year 6 should have brought home a purple collection box. Please set these up at home and donate whatever spare change you can. This wonderful charity helps vulnerable children and their families all over the Westminster Diocese. Please return these boxes after the Easter holidays.
