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The CLS School Charity 2008 - 2009 : Seeing is Believing

  

At the beginning of the school year, Seeing is Believing was elected with a great majority to be this year’s charity. Its aim is to stop avoidable blindness- which makes up a staggering 75% of the world’s blind population. With some effective treatments costing the same price as a can of Coke, the amount raised by CLS is sure to make a difference. There is more information on the charity’s website, www.seeingisbelieving.org.uk.

 

This year has seen a huge array of diverse events, ranging from red-themed Mufti days to Krispy Kreme doughnuts, from Sponsored Swims to Charity Wristbands, and from the Battle of the Bands to the Paris Cycle Ride. It has been quite a year for the Charity Committee!

 

Despite the economic downturn, the school was not fazed, with the lower school producing just as many sticky delights, home baked cakes (and even sushi!) as ever, and pupils and teachers working together to co-ordinate some superb events.

 

The second half of the autumn term saw flashes of blue and green all over the school as pupils purchased their rather fashionable Seeing is Believing wristbands, in addition to calendars and the CLS-designed Charity mugs. The first ever Winter Fête- including such seasonal stalls as mince pies, hot chocolates and marshmallows, and even a Santa Penalty Shoot-out in the Sport’s hall- proved to be a great success, and the ticket sales from the production of Waiting For Godot also aided this year’s appeal.

 

At the Winter Jazz Evening Mr. Griffin took a bold step and agreed to sing. After a slightly nervous (or perhaps just excited) speech, he launched into some 1950’s Christmas classics, prompting a roaring applause at the end of the evening as donations were given.

 

City boys showed the diversity of their talents this year with the Battle of the Bands, judged by former pupils Fred Les (from Les Incompétents) and Charles Cave (White Lies). After an exciting and very youthful evening, the bands were constructively criticised before heavy-metal band Line of Descent swept the crown, pleasing the judges particularly with their originality and indifference to the nature of the competition.

 

More recently we saw the Sponsored Walk, where almost the entire school trudged cheerfully through 10 miles of Greater London sun following the banks of the Thames from Richmond Park to Kew Gardens (hopefully raising heaps of money too!), kept on the right track by marshalling 6th formers and teachers under parasols.

 

In the final week of the year was the Summer Fayre where the staff snatched a victory in the Staff vs. Pupils quiz with a petty lead of almost a hundred points, whilst other teachers met their fate in the stocks of the Soak the Teachers stall. Other stalls included a Pogo stick maze and the more traditional Shove Ha'penny- for which I can only assume Mr. Wingate came back especially.

 

However one of the most exciting events of this year’s Charity Appeal was the London-Paris Cycle Ride.

 

On behalf of the whole Charity Committee, I would like to thank Miss Jones for all her help, effort, and wisdom; for her advice on organising events and for her willingness to step in and lend a hand, even with very little notice. Thanks also go to all those members of the Charity Committee in the J6 who worked so hard this year, making sure that this year was yet another successful appeal. A thank you also goes to all those teachers who helped us along the way: whether through helping their forms, guiding on the Sponsored Walk or simply through public humiliation.

 

Yet the greatest thanks must, as ever, go to the parents and boys, without whom this year’s Charity Appeal could not have been a success. The endless energy and enthusiasm has been phenomenal! Without help from parents, events such as the Sponsored Walk would have been impossible, not to mention the seemingly endless sales of home baked sugary substances in the Lower School!

 

It has been a busy year of late nights, early mornings, chaotic lunches and frantic break times, but it has been well worth every second. The final amount raised has was £37,084.52 and this figure was match funded by Standard Chartered - the company behind Seeing is Believing. Therefore the total benefit to the charity is nearly £75,000!

We wish the best of luck to next year’s committee, and, of course, a very fruitful appeal!

 

Jake Alden-Falconer and Josh Hirschowitz