An Extraordinary Whitgift Charity Concert!

Students from Whitgift, Old Palace and Croydon High presented many acts - my favourite included the now customary student-led Corps of Drums, Staff band (due to the memorable dancing) and that of the prefects. I also enjoyed the return of a recent pupil, now an aspiring grime-artist, Tee Valentine to the school. Closing the evening, the usual Prefect’s Act did not disappoint – a short film detailing the daily life of a prefect, followed by ‘Dancing Queen’ by ABBA.

Through their event they were able to raise funds (almost £2000!) and awareness for three charities:

ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and food for those struck by disaster, sending teams to dangerous places to support them in their time of recovery. Their mission statement describes their purpose as to “provide emergency shelter to families who have lost their home to a disaster, enabling them to rebuild their lives.” Currently, they operate within Syrian regions affected by war, islands in Philippines shaken by earthquakes, droughted Somaliland, flooded areas in Bangladesh and Paraguay, and in what they label the ‘forgotten crisis’, the Lake Chad Basin (the point at which Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger meet), where the violence led by Boko Haram has left 10.7 million people in need of aid. Donations will provide items which can rebuild these damaged communities

Bees for Development believes that keeping bees can aid bees, biodiversity and people, so chooses to support beekeepers that will create a sustainable environment in the poor areas; for example, in the Vietnamese province of Ha Tinh floods have decimated the livestock and have damaged homes – the locals know beekeeping well, and will rely on selling honey to immediately rebuild. Donations will help train and provide resources for these beekeepers, allowing them to “sustain bee populations.”

Canine Partners trains assistance dogs to aid the lives of the disabled. Their mission statement describes that their intention to be realising "a day when every disabled person in the UK has the opportunity to be partnered with one of our amazing assistance dogs.” With donations they will sponsor the training of such animals, allowing them to assist their partners.

Overall, the charity concert was successful in its objectives; to provide entertainment and information about the three charities it hoped to raise money for. As a result, I look forward to what next year’s concert might bring.