The Sixth form students at Notre Dame School undertook several events to raise money for charity - but how did they come about raising an astonishing £3,133 in just 4 days?
Notre Dame School’s Sixth Form have the opportunity each year, to raise money for a charity of their choice. They prepare various activities to collect donations over a 4 day week called RAG Week (‘RAG’ stands for ‘Raising and Giving’). This year, lead by Head Girl, Manon Leary, the girls raised money to support ‘Emma’s Bubble Trust’ - founded by a teenage girl who suffered from cancer. Her aim was to create a better environment for teenagers to be looked after when they are unwell – not an adult ward or a children’s ward, but one suitable for teens.
Activities to raise money were numerous and exciting. Emma’s Bubble Trust promotes the colour pink, so what better way to start off the week than with a pink mufti and pink candy sale! Other activities included: a pick ‘n’ mix sale, a lunchtime pool party, a mass order of Domino’s pizza, glitter and face-paint, a silent disco and a raffle for a chocolate hamper. Not only that, but the Sixth Form, desperate to raise as much money as they could, encouraged the parents to come to an Afternoon Tea, where they bought cakes, tea and prosecco that had all been donated as well as buying raffle tickets for a beauty hamper, with prizes including a meal at the Ivy and a hairdresser’s appointment!
After speaking to Manon, she revealed that the activity which raised the most amount of money was the Domino’s pizza. After asking her why she thought this was, she said, “Who doesn’t want pizza at school? Also, we managed to buy the pizza at half price from Domino’s and sell it for the original price, making an 100% profit!”
So what made this RAG Week so successful? “Running RAG week was stressful and needed a lot of organisation.” Manon said. “Though, there are some key factors that will make RAG Week even more successful for next year’s girls. Teamwork is key because through organisation, you can run several different events at the same time to maximise the money raised in a short period of time. It is also very important to keep a spreadsheet of payments coming in and out to keep on top of the money being raised.”
The Notre Dame RAG Week has been a successful and integral part of the school calendar and has raised many thousands of pounds over the years for charity. I highly encourage other schools to take on similar events to raise money for other worthy causes.
By Emanuela Nigrelli
