Back in December, over 500 members of the school community completed a two-mile Santa Run, with each participant donating a minimum of £1.50 for the privilege of taking part. 

As one of only four high schools to stage a Santa Run, the students of Withernsea High join pupils from over 50 primary schools who have helped to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the charity through their own Elf Run adventures.  

Gemma Hindley, a Fundraising Assistant from the hospice, visited the school last week for a cheque presentation. Handing over the donation on behalf of the school was event co-organiser, Nick Richmond, accompanied by four of the school’s recently-recruited Sports Ambassadors.

The role of the ambassadors is to assist in the running of sporting events, helping to shape decisions about PE provision and building relationships with budding sports stars both in school and across the wider community.

Their support helps to make activities such as the Santa Run the successes they deserve to be, and thoughts are already turning to a follow-up event to be held later this year. School Sports Coordinator, Nick Richmond, said “We are very pleased to finally hand over the donation which the school community put lots of effort into raising back in December.

I would like to thank everyone who helped make the event possible and also thank those who donated towards such a worthy cause.

I’m extremely proud of our students’ dedication and enthusiasm. Working with our Sports Ambassadors, we are already looking forward to planning a similar event for December 2023.”

Dan Clipson, Senior Fundraiser at Dove House Hospice was delighted with Withernsea High School and their support “Thanks to the support of four local High Schools, including Withernsea, we estimate that their combined efforts have raised £3,000 towards the hospice.

We are incredibly grateful to the students and staff of Withernsea High School for their fantastic efforts in raising £1,000 to support this year’s festive fundraising appeal.”

The money raised forms part of the staggering £30,000-and-rising amount that has been amassed from similar fundraising activities at schools across the county. These funds will go directly towards helping the day-to-day care of patients and their families at the hospice

For almost 40 years, Dove House has been caring for people in Hull and East Yorkshire. Patients and families are at the heart of everything they do, whether it is caring for people at the end of their lives, providing therapies to help people with life-limiting illnesses improve their quality of life, or giving much needed bereavement support to grieving families.

ABOVE: Pictured (left to right) are Teacher of PE Nick Richmond with School Sports Ambassadors Daniel, Evan, Connie and Chloe, and Gemma Hindley (Fundraising Assistant at Dove House Hospice)