ReachOut Blog: Young people raise £1000 for Meningitis Now

Tuesday, 29 September 2015

Young people raise £1000 for Meningitis Now

Each year our Junior Mentors devise their own group project as part of our ACE programme (Action, Character, Excellence). It can be anything, from fashion shows to comedy videos to restaurant evenings. Last year, the ReachOut boys from Bishop Challoner School in east London decided they wanted their project to benefit others, and devised various fundraising events to raise money for Menigitis Now, inspired by one of their teachers. Now they want to inspire others...

ReachOut Junior Mentors Yr. 11 Group Project

Hi! My name is Paul and I’m from Bishop Challoner School in East London.

I remember finishing ReachOut in Yr. 10 on a high note, having just pulled off a comedy news report for our final project. We started Yr. 11 with new members and little ideas about our plans for this year’s project. But we all had grown significantly.

Shaun and his short bread fingers. (And me on the right)

ReachOut, with the support of our mentors, had shined light on our true potential and raised our confidence to go beyond our limits. For Yr. 11, we decided we wanted to show what ReachOut had brought out of us with a massive project of raising money for a charity- something that for many of us, was out of our comfort zone. Inspired by the work of one of our teachers, we chose Meningitis Now, a fantastic charity doing fantastic work!

Our main strength was unity and the best way to show that was working together to bake. We made a variety of goods from shortbread and brownies, to cakes and cookies- all flying off the stalls!

Zaahir baking chocolate crispies.

It was tough and tiring. Countless hours were spent, week in, week out, baking and selling at our mentors' workplaces. But there was something strange about it. Every week we baked more, we set our goals higher and we branched out into more fundraising ideas. It never felt like work for a single moment!

Presenting the cheque to our teacher - I know we don't look that happy, but it was a great moment.

We cannot thank enough all the people who helped us on our journey. Every little bit of support given meant the world. I hope our efforts have inspired others to do more to help others. Together, over the five month project, with the help of everyone’s efforts, Yr. 11 Bishop Challoner Boys ReachOut Junior Mentors raised £1000 for Meningitis Now!

By Paul Nguyen