Over September Field Weekend, 129 pupils and 11 members of staff slept rough under the stars in the car park of St Basils, a charity in Birmingham supporting young people aged 16-25 who find themselves either homeless or at risk of homelessness. They were lucky with the weather this year and managed to stay dry in their makeshift cardboard shelters, raising over £11K for the work of St Basils, a charity which has had strong links with the School for over 40 years.
On Field Weekend Sunday, pupils and visitors dodged the rain clouds once again and enjoyed a sunny Have a Go Day afternoon on the Two Acre pitch and in the School swimming pool and sports hall. Over 150 visitors were able to try their hands at a variety of activities including tennis, boccia, badminton, giant Connect 4, as well as arts and crafts. There were traction engine rides on offer, too.
On Field Weekend Monday, whilst some pupils were spending all or part of the day taking part in their regular activities, Community Action hosted three speakers who spoke to pupils about their work in the charity sector and offered volunteering and fundraising opportunities. First to speak was Carole Hughes, founder of Anna’s Hope, a charity supporting children with brain tumours. Carole was followed by Ed Walker, the founder of Hope into Action, a local charity supporting the vulnerable with provision of homes in partnership with churches in the East of England. The final speaker of the morning was Revd Justus Miwanda from International Needs Uganda, who encouraged pupils to commit to fundraising for water projects in villages in Uganda.
L Turnbull
