Matthew Moss pupils pile high pennies for Springhill Hospice

Matthew Moss pupils pile pennies high for Springhill Hospice

Matthew Moss High School has signed up for Springhill Hospice's Million Pennies Challenge with students from across the school banding together to raid their pockets, purses and piggy banks to collect together piles of pennies.

The Million Pennies Challenge was launched in schools in May as part of Go Green 2016, one of the Hospice's major fundraising events of the year. The aim is to reach a fundraising target of £10,000 from inviting schools across the borough to copper up and come on board to build a pile of pennies a mile high.

The four 'families', or houses, of the school - Lime, Beech, Oak and Maple - went head-to-head in order to raise money. Leading the project is teaching assistant Roy Down, he said: "The whole school was encouraged to drop in some coppers for Go Green Day in our own inter-family challenge and we had a fantastic response..

"Two members of our teaching staff, Danielle Parkinson and Rachel Crompton really motivated our learners to plan some fantastic fundraising ideas.

"The support from the Springhill Hospice fundraising team was always on hand. Barbara Lloyd and Lillie Winterbottom came into school to talk about the fabulous work the Hospice does and the huge fundraising efforts needed.''

Year seven pupils were also able to develop their own fundraising ideas as part of the school's My World community project, which is designed to foster links between the school and the community, and raise awareness among the students of current social, environmental and health issues.

Pupils planned and delivered a wide range of fundraising activities including 'sponge the teacher', bake sales, guessing the number of sweets in a jar, football cards and supermarket bag packs. The two My World groups combined raised just under £500.

The school raised a total of £634.10 for Springhill Hospice.

Little Winterbottom said: "I enjoyed going into the school to meet the students to hear about their plans and to answer questions about the Hospice. It is an important part of the work we do to raise awareness of hospice care and we are all very grateful to all the pupils and staff at Matthew Moss for their support."