Charitable Contributions

Our school appreciate the importance of supporting our local community in whatever way we can including raising money for charity.

We not only follow the lead of national fundraising events such as Macmillan Cancer Coffee Mornings and Children in Need but we also raise money for causes closer to home. The Student Council and House Captains in the school discuss which causes they would like to fundraise for.

Ongoing Charitable Fundraising through RECYCLING:

Stamps – The Royal National Institute of Blind People

We are collecting used postage stamps in the school office for The Royal National Institute of Blind People, which is a UK charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people in the UK with sight loss. Please drop off your stamps to help us raise as much money as we can! Thank you!

Textile Recycling – Friends of Chilmark School

Astra Recycling, a small business based in Hampshire, is a textile recycling company on a mission to divert used clothing away from landfill and raise money for schools and community services in the process.

They support our school with their textile recycling fundraising service. All we have to do is donate unwanted:

• Clothes
• Shoes
• Accessories
• bed linen
• soft toys

The bank is emptied once a fortnight so if it is full please keep trying as it will soon be emptied.

Astra Recycling pay by the kilo for what is collected and pay Friends of Chilmark monthly for what has been collected the previous month.

The textiles that can be reused are sent to poorer communities across Eastern Europe, and the garments we cannot use are converted into insulation materials and industrial cleaning wipes, so nothing ends up in landfill.

We feel that Textile Recycling is a great way of raising extra money for the school, doing something positive for the environment and can teach children about the importance of recycling.

Here are some of our other fundraising efforts over the last 12 months:

World Wide Fund for Nature – December 2023

The School Council wanted to run a cake sale to raise money for their charity of choice this term. The cake sale was a great success and over £80.00 was raised for this amazing charity.

Childen in Need – November 2023

Thank you for supporting our Children in Need fundraiser - we have raised over £50 from the non-uniform day.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society – November 2023

Mrs Farrant & the Hog Friendly team raised funds by creating an image of a hedgehog from coins in the front playground. All money raised was donated to The British Hedgehog Preservation Society as they work to raise awareness of the practical steps we can take to reverse the decline of hedgehogs in the wild, improve their welfare and safeguard the future of this much-loved animal.

There was a lot of excitement as pupils from every class worked together to cover the hedgehog in the front playground. The hedgehog looked amazing in the sunshine. We collected £24.13 towards The British Hedgehog Preservation Society. At Chilmark School, we are extremely passionate about our environment and these activities have definitely demonstrated this.

Trussell Trust – Harvest Time Collection – October 2023

Families donated dried and canned food, cartons of fruit juice, tea, and coffee for the Trussell Trust Salisbury Hub. This is an annual tradition in conjunction with our Harvest Assembly. Thank you all for your contributions, which the Trussell Trust distribute as emergency food parcels to support people facing hardship.

Macmillan Cancer Support – September 2023

We hosted a Macmillan coffee morning on Friday 29th September at the same time as our half-termly PiP (parents in partnership) meeting which was an opportunity to welcome everyone to the new school year and to share our vision for the coming year. Left over cakes were sold after school which was very popular after running club!

Thank you to everyone who supported it both in terms of baking and buying cakes/making donations. We raised a fantastic £144.88.

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) – July 2023

An RNLI volunteer, Jan Fitzjohn, who has been volunteering for over 40 years, came to the school to talk to children about water safety. There were two age-appropriate sessions teaching the children about staying safe on and around water. Oak Class loved having the opportunity to dress up as a lifeguard We asked for donations from families to support the valuable work of the RNLI as a token of appreciation for their visit and their invaluable work. We are the last ever school Jan will visit as she is retiring. Thank you so much for your time, Jan, we wish you all the best for the future!

Comic Relief – March 2023

Children wore red in support of Comic Relief. Over £50 was raised for this valuable cause. Thank you for your contributions.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance – February 2023

The school council wanted to raise money in support of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. The children produced an image of the air ambulance in the playground with loose change donated by families, Friends of Chilmark School and our local community in Chilmark Village.

Ukraine Clothing Donations – January 2023

Thank you to everyone who has supported our request for items to be sent to Ukraine. We have received a wonderful amount of clothes and blankets. These will be greatly received by the families in Ukraine.