Archbishop Holgate's School Fundraising for Cape Town

In April this year another ten students will yet again be representing Archbishop Holgate’s School and the Diocese of York as they head out on expedition to Cape Town with teachers, Mr Nihill and Miss Turvey.

Plane tickets have been purchased, accommodation booked, the itinerary is taking shape and fund raising is underway. As usual the staff and students are working together to raise some of the costs of the visit, but more importantly they are trying to generate money to pay for the charitable work. In the past this has included buying paint and varnish, plants and shrubs, as well as irrigation systems for vegetable patches.

Last weekend many of the group participated in a family service at St John’s Church in Stamford Bridge. They were invited because several of those on the expedition are from the village. They led the worship by singing and playing instruments, reading prayers and bible passages, and were interviewed about their reasons for participating in the visit. Richard Nihill, Lay Chaplain, spoke about the history of the link and interviewed Miss Turvey about her thoughts after many years of involvement. He finished by sharing some thoughts about the spiritual dimension of the link and its capacity to transform in many ways.

After the service there was a charity lunch attended by parishioners, friends and villagers. A traditional South African dish called Bobotie, originating in the Western Cape, was served with a delicious array of salads. This was then followed by a wide variety of desserts, including the South African Melktert (Milk Tart). All the food was cooked by the parents and the young people were the waiters, following this with clearing tables and washing up.

The event was a real success and raised about £500, to be split between the charity projects and the young people. It was also a great opportunity for the young people to spend time working together as a group. The next fundraising event will be a quiz night at the school on Thursday 3rd March at 7pm, to which everyone is very welcome, followed the next week by packing shopping bags at Morrisons supermarket on Saturday 12th March.