A Selly Oak primary school came alive with Christmas spirit on Wednesday 18 December, as pupils swapped their uniforms for festive knits to help raise funds for a local hospice.
Over 100 five to 11-year-olds at Watermill Primary School took part in ‘Christmas Jumper Day’, raising an impressive £111.60 for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.
The big-hearted pupils brightened up classrooms and corridors, wearing colourful jumpers featuring Santa Claus, snowmen and festive elves. Every student and staff member who took part in the festive fundraising day made a donation to the Hospice, helping provide vital care and support to local people who are living with life-limiting illness.
The generous schoolchildren also learnt about the Hospice with an informative assembly, discovering how its staff support people to live well with illness.
Mr Hill, deputy head teacher at the school, said: “The pupils and staff have had a lot of fun wearing our favourite Christmas jumpers today. It’s great to see everyone come together and do something good at this time of year.
“We wanted to support a local charity as we wanted to help people living in our communities. It’s been wonderful to invite Birmingham St Mary’s to the school to teach the pupils about hospice care, and I think it’s really important that the children have a better understanding of the vital care it provides.”
Every day, Birmingham St Mary’s cares for and supports 500 people who are living with life-limiting illness across Birmingham and Sandwell. Most of the Hospice’s care is provided in people’s homes but its expert team can also support individuals in the community and at the Hospice itself.
Charlotte Dowling, community and corporate fundraising manager at Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many pupils, teachers and staff at Watermill Primary School get involved with our Christmas Jumper Day, so thank you to everyone who took part. Not only is wearing your festive knit a fun and easy way to kick start the Christmas celebrations but every sweater worn will help raise much-needed funds for the Hospice.
“It will cost £24,658 to run our vital services on Christmas Day – over 64 per cent of which must be raised through generous voluntary donations – so we’re hugely grateful for the school’s support this year.”
Christmas Jumper Day is part of Birmingham St Mary’s ‘Care at Christmas’ campaign – a festive appeal which aims to boost support for the charity leading up to and over the Christmas period. This year, ‘Care at Christmas’ will be extra special as it will help raise much-needed funds during the charity’s 40th anniversary year.
To find out more about the Hospice and it’s Christmas fundraising, visit here.
To find out more about Watermill Primary School, visit here.
