Coast-to-coast adventure boosts charity

A cheque for £11,511.23 is presented by Downshire pupils Chelsea Campbell and Scott Black to Catherine OHara from Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. Included are principal Jacqueline Stewart (second from right) and teachers who took part in a fundraising canoe challenge, Miss Wylie, Miss Aicken, Mrs Broadhurst and Mr Best. INCT 41-792-CON

The six Downshire School staff members completed the 100km trip across Scotland in just five days during the summer.

Miss Wylie, Miss Aicken, Mrs Broadhurst, Mr Broadhurst, Mr Whelan and Mr Best raised £4,898.34 for Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice through their adventure.

Last term, the school also held a sponsored 24-hour fast. With more than half the pupils taking part, this raised £6,612.89.

The combined sum of £11,511.23 from these endeavours was presented to a representative of the charity at a special school assembly last week.

Principal Jacqueline Stewart said: “I am very proud of our staff team who undertook the canoe challenge. To set off on such a strenuous adventure after a busy and action-packed school year was a big undertaking both physically and mentally. The team did a fantastic job in raising so much money for the NI Children’s Hospice and this, coupled with the superb efforts of pupils and staff in their sponsored fast, led to us donating the grand sum of £11,511.23 to this very worthy charity.”

Mr Best, from the school’s RE Department and organiser of the events, added: “We are immensely proud of our pupils and staff. Our pupils went without food for a full twenty-four hours to raise money for other children less fortunate than themselves. And our staff trained hard and gave up a week of their summer holidays to paddle 100km across Scotland from Fortwilliam on the west coast to Inverness on the east coast to raise money also.”

Catherine O’Hara, community fundraiser with the charity, said: “On behalf of everyone at Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, I would like to sincerely thank the staff and students of Downshire School for their outstanding generosity and support.

“The sense of adventure and discipline shown by the teachers and students was amazing. They really are all super heroes for our Children’s Hospice. This wonderful donation will make such a difference to our charity.”

Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice is a local charity caring for children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. All money raised will go towards providing the best care possible for children, young people and their families. It costs £503 to provide for the full care of a child for 24 hours and £102 for one overnight nurse at home.