School raises over £11,000 for Salisbury homelessness charity
Students from OneSchool Global (OSG) UK’s Salisbury campus in Wilton have raised a staggering £11,000 for the Salisbury Trust for the Homeless, while taking part in a ‘Sponsored Move’ fundraising event.
During the event, each student was responsible for deciding what kind of move they wished to do, from running or walking to star jumps. The initial target was just £1,000, meaning that the combined efforts of over 190 students meant that this goal was leapfrogged, with the end total being over ten times this.
The Salisbury Trust for the Homeless was chosen by the students as they wanted to support a local organisation that might have struggled with the financial impact which Covid-19 has had on many smaller charities. The students also recognised the issue that homelessness poses in Wiltshire, where there are currently around 600 homeless people. Life has been hard for most people this past year, but the pandemic has made life especially difficult for those living without stable accommodation. In response, the students of OSG Salisbury wanted to offer their helping hand to those in urgent need.
The charity was founded in 1987 and its mission is to help people who have become homeless through the provision of safe and secure accommodation, as well as support and training to enable those who have found themselves homeless to achieve independence and develop life skills. The Trust also works to raise awareness about the issue of homelessness in the Salisbury community.
Eldon Diffey, Student Leader at OSG Salisbury, said:
“It is amazing that we were all able to come together and raise such a large sum of money for this fantastic and important charity. Our aim was to raise £1,000 so I am over the moon that we managed to raise over ten times this initial target. Every student involved seized the initiative in true OneSchool Global spirit, and I am so proud of all of their efforts.”
Zeta Diffey, Student Leader at OSG Salisbury, said:
“This event was a huge success, and all those who took part did an incredible job. We were all so excited at the prospect of raising money for the Salisbury Trust for the Homeless, and we cannot wait to see the money be used to help the local community in Wiltshire. Homelessness is a big problem up and down the country and we are proud that our efforts will help address this issue in our area.”
Danny Aris, Lead Campus Administrator at OSG Salisbury, said:
“At OneSchool Global, we are guided by our values of care and compassion which we seek to instil in our pupils, teaching them the importance of being good neighbours, and giving back to the local community.
“I would like to thank our students, staff and the wider OneSchool network for their heroic efforts in raising this monumental sum of money. I would also like to thank the Salisbury Homelessness Trust for their vital work in combatting the scourge of homelessness in Wiltshire.”
Gordon Pardy, Head of Fundraising at the Salisbury Trust for the Homeless, said:
“What an amazing amount of money raised! Huge thanks to everyone at OneSchool Global for such a magnificent achievement.
“The donation is particularly welcome at this time, as we have been unable to carry out most of our normal fundraising activities for so long.”
