Charity Appeal 2004/5
ART-INTER ROMANIA
Congratulations this year CLS managed to raise £30,000 for Art-Inter Romania
Can you imagine what it would be like if your family had never been on a beach holiday – or if you had never done something as basic as visit a cinema, or enjoy a meal in a restaurant? What if you had never received a proper education or if, as a child, had never experienced the love and affection of a parent? Life would be grim, for certain. On top of all that, add the tragic fact that you suffer from HIV AIDS. For hundreds of children in Romania, this is the bleak reality.
After the policies of the 1980s Communist dictator, Ceausescu, these Romanian children were left as first-generation AIDS victims, but their parents were not. Not wanting to live with the stigma, many parents abandoned their children in orphanages in which conditions were, and still are, terrible. A number of years ago, the British actress, Joyce Nettles, raised $30,000 in the UK and Europe to provide a healthy and loving environment for a few of these poor children, taking them from the orphanages to a new, custom-built house, where they could be cared for by two foster parents.
Following a presentation and a whole-School vote, Art-Inter Romania was selected ahead of the other three charities. However, when Joyce Nettles discovered that Kids 4 Kids, a charity working in the Darfur region of Sudan, had come a very close second, she felt it would be wonderful for the School to support both. Therefore, if a sufficient amount is raised, not only will the City of London School Charity Appeal provide a house for the HIV-positive children in Romania, but we will also be able to help hundreds of people in one the poorest areas of Africa.
Charity has always been a big part of the School’s heritage. From the time of John Carpenter’s Children to the present day, there has always been the desire and determination to help those around us. After the unrivalled achievements of last year’s campaign, which raised over £50,000 for Water Aid, this year’s Committee had a very tough act to follow.
This year got off to a good start, however, with the first ever Teacher’s Fashion Show, put on by 3C, which was extremely popular with all the boys. By the start of 2005, the Appeal had raised an estimated £8,000 - a fantastic total, considering we had not been able to have the Sponsored Swim as there was no pool then available!
After the shocking and tragic events in Asia, the committee entered the New Year wanting to make an especial donation towards the Tsunami relief effort. Consequently, a one-off Mufti Day was held and a superb response from everyone in the school allowed us to raise a staggering £2,200 in one day.
With the New Year came new ideas to raise funds. Many people will know about the spreading popularity of yellow ‘LiveStrong’ wristbands, followed by blue ‘Beat Bullying’ and black-and-white ‘Stand Up, Speak Up’ wristbands. To add to the growing trend, pale blue ‘A.I.R ’05’ (Art Inter Romania) wristbands were especially made and sold to willing punters for £2. They were a great way of spreading the message and contributing to this year’s Appeal.
The School Fees Raffle – a chance to win a term’s School fees worth £3,500 – continued to be a successful contributor, as was a successful Cake sale and special Charity Quiz. After the successful Sponsored Walk from Hampton Court to Kew, the Appeal rounded off the year on July 7th with another Charity Fete. On such a horrifying day, the decision to go ahead proved to be a sound one and showed a certain rallying of spirits. Thanks to those super-slick organisers, Alastair Gledhill (4M) and Hursh Mehta (4M), we still managed to draw on our resources and raise approximately £500 for charity.
All that is left for me to say, on behalf of the committee, is a big ‘Thank You’ to all those who worked hard organising the events and raised money for a great cause. We are truly grateful for your sterling work.
Timi Dorgu (J6)