CHARITY
'Get More Giving'
A Gordon's education strives to be one where students not only work hard for themselves but for others. Students are encouraged to contribute to others inside and outside the school, whether in leadership roles, volunteering or service. This culminates in the Sixth Form with all students expected to be active members of the school community and to give back.
Students and staff regularly contribute to charities in the UK and overseas. Here are some of the charities Gordon's has supported over the last two terms:
Gordon's has one whole school charity and three further charities chosen annually by students and staff. The whole school charity is the Camelthorn Foundation which is raising money to build a girls' boarding house (to be known as Gordon's House) at the Ngamo School, Zimbabwe. In addition, CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and Papyrus (prevention of young suicide) and Angus' Army, raising funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, will benefit from charitable giving this year.
Charity Prefects H Ashcroft, N Mann, R Rowe, TC Chan, W Bowe, S Mardani and T Olowoniyi pictured below, will be helping to raise awareness and money for these charities in the coming year.
CRY
(Cardiac Risk in the Young)
Papyrus
Prevention of Young Suicide
Angus' Army
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity
Whole School Charity - The Camelthorn Foundation
Thanks to fundraising efforts by Gordon's students, led by the Charity Prefects, Gordon House, a girls' boarding house at the Ngamo School in Zimbabwe is now up and running. A further £4,000 of the £15,000 target for internal improvements will be raised this year with various fundraising activities planned. Please see below for an update by the Charity Prefects and the full story of the fundraising and why the boarding house is so important for the education of girls at the Ngamo School.
BUILDING A GIRLS' BOARDING HOUSE IN ZIMbabwe
A major three year charity initiative was launched at Gordon’s in January 2022, linking the school with the Camelthorn Foundation, a UK-based charity which supports global community and conservation projects including one based in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa.
The conservation charity helps communities mitigate damage by wildlife; prevents illegal use of wildlife; promotes community-based wildlife initiatives and education and socio-economic opportunities.
Gordon’s has a particular interest in supporting the education arm of the Camelthorn Foundation and the Ngamo Secondary School in Ngamo village, close to the world famous Hwange National Park.
The school educates around 147 students from 13 years old to 16 years old from a 50k radius.
With no public transport, the children must walk at least seven to ten kilometres every day to school with some children living as far away as 20 kilometres. Their journey to school is arduous, and involves walking through thick Kalahari sand with the risk of encountering lion or elephant on the way. So those living further afield - nine girls and six boys - are weekly boarding at school.
Boarders are expected to bring their weekly evening meals when they come to school on Monday mornings. They sleep in rudimentary facilities, which was on the floor of a teacher’s accommodation. They must cook their own evening meals and wash their clothes. While the school has some access to water, it does not have electricity or solar power. The image (left) shows the facilities for the boarders now.
Gordon’s committed to changing that and through fundraising, providing the money for a purpose built boarding house (below) as part of a longer term project to encourage children, particularly girls, to continue with their education.
The initiative ties in with the School’s ethos of being a symbol of what can be achieved by a community united in making an outstanding contribution for the good of global society.
Camelthorn Foundation Trustee James Koch spoke to all year groups at Gordon’s to launch the campaign.
Further information on the initiative is available here.
How the school fundraises:
Coronation Colour Run
Bike ride to Bristol
Students Oliver Roberts and Conan Lam cycled 120 miles from Gordon's to Bristol City Centre, raising over £1,000 for the Camelthorn Foundation for the Gordon's girls' boarding house in Zimbabwe.
The Year 10 students set off from school in June, travelling along towpaths and disused railways, stopping only for drinks and something to eat. Bath to Bristol proved the most challenging but the boys particularly enjoying the views and smooth road surfaces of the section from Kintbury to Devizes. Afterwards, Ollie said: "I don't think we would do the ride again any time soon, but maybe in the long future".
