Private School News

£10,000 in one week – RGS Worcester Haiti appeal clock starts ticking

A major charity appeal for the Haiti disaster, with a deadline of just one week to raise £10,000, was launched today by The Royal Grammar School in Worcester.

The pupils at RGS Worcester have been set this target to help Save the Children’s work in Haiti, providing safe sanctuary, food and water for the thousands of orphans on the island. The situation has been made incredibly dangerous, as over 4,000 prisoners are at large on the island, since the jail was demolished by the earthquake.

No warning was given to the pupils before they received a presentation at their morning assembly. Simon Howells, who is Head of Drama at RGS, is leading the project and has set the very stiff target.

“The scale of this disaster is so great as to be almost unbelievable,” said Simon Howells “and I felt that we, as a school, should make the greatest possible contribution. By limiting the time to just one week it concentrates our efforts. It means that pupils and staff will have to work hard, using innovative fund-raising ideas, knowing that the clock is ticking.”

Almost within minutes of the appeal announcement to the school, ideas for raising money were instigated. “Running to Haiti’ will see pupils running, walking, rowing and swimming a combined 4,070 miles, which is the distance between Haiti and Worcester. Another involves a Nail Bar being set up within the school and there will also be an auction during the week.

The appeal runs 8-12th February. RGS will open a bank each break and lunchtime to collect monies that have been raised, with the running total advertised each day.