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25 May 2023
Portsmouth High School’s outgoing Head Girl team presented a cheque for £10,190.79 to The Sussex Snowdrop Trust.
‘We were thrilled to have the opportunity to raise money for The Sussex Snowdrop Trust this year,’ said Head Girl Phoebe Wilson, 18 . ‘As a sixth form, we thoroughly enjoyed preparing and putting on the events during Charity Week and throughout the rest of the year. One highlight in particular was our extraordinary two-night fashion show, themed ‘Now That’s What I Call PHS’, which had a record-breaking turnout. The collaboration with the whole school, particularly sixth form, has been something I will never forget and knowing the money is going to such an amazing, local charity makes it even more special.’
The Sussex Snowdrop Trust is a unique charity providing ‘Nursing Care at Home’ for local children who have a life-threatening or terminal illness. In 1992, Dr Ann Wallace, Chichester Consultant Paediatrician and Ward Sister Beth Connolly, asked families of sick children what their needs were when they left hospital and returned home. Parents wanted to know more about their child’s illness and the time to discuss all their concerns, they wanted to be shown how to care for their child in the home and they needed financial help – as invariably one parent had have to give up work. With no funds available to help these special families, in 1993 Co-Founders Kate Shaw, Diana Levantine and Frank Snell set up The Sussex Snowdrop Trust.
The majority of the amount of £10,000 was raised during Charity Week which takes place each November. The week includes quizzes, a fancy dress parade and the much anticipated two night fashion show. The theme was ‘Now That’s What I Call PHS’ and the pupils wrote their own choreography for the walks and dances, hosted the event and encouraged donations to The Sussex Snowdrop Trust. Walks included show stoppers from Grease, ABBA, Cotton-Eyed Joe, Bee Gees and One Direction. The staff joined in the fun and put together a walk based on popular songs.
Charity Week at Portsmouth High School has been running for over 25 years and is always organised entirely by the Sixth Form. Led by the Head Girl Team, the pupils use business acumen and entrepreneurial skills to negotiate with local shops and liaise with local businesses to put on the show.
Lucy Ashworth, Fundraising, Media and Events Manager for the charity said,
‘It is amazing how creative the pupils have been in fundraising with the variety of activities they have undertaken to reach this incredibly amount.’
Chairman and Co-Founder of the charity, Diana Levantine added:
‘This amount of money will ensure that the care we provide is able to continue and contributes considerably to the cost of the care at home teams which includes vital nursing care.’
Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Katie Wood, added:
‘Our Head Girl Team’s fundraising efforts have been phenomenal this year. They have raised a staggering amount for this important charity, and we are extremely proud of their energy and enthusiasm and the means by which they have engaged the whole school community in their mission.’
