Spectacular 'colour dash' helps hundreds of schoolchildren raise £10K for charity

Pupils across six schools, which are part of the Mowbray Education Trust, were sponsored to get involved in the event in aid of the Leicester Children’s Holiday organisation, which provides free breaks for youngsters who face difficult circumstances at home.

Teachers tossed colourful dust over schoolchildren at the Melton’s John Ferneley College, Sherard Primary School and The Grove Primary School, as well as Ab Kettleby and Somerby Primary Schools. Brownlow Primary School are hosting a sponsored run later this term to add to the money raised.

Christine Stansfield, chief executive of the Trust, said: “I am so very proud of each and every pupil who volunteered their time and energy to fundraise for such an important cause.

Our Trust is a strong proponent of fostering a holistic education that provides enriching learning experiences both in and out of the classroom to develop the whole-child, which Leicester Children’s Holiday’s offers for both our own and other young people in the community.

“This fundraiser was an excellent opportunity to connect the children across the Trust in a charitable effort to support one of the great pillars of our community, working to address inequalities.”

The assistant head and special educational lead at Sherard Primary School, Jessica Watson, commented: “It was so lovely to see so many pupils taking part and being passionate about fundraising for the charity.

"The Leicester Children’s Holidays partnership has previously supported and continue to provide numerous opportunities for many of our pupils who wouldn’t otherwise have access to such wonderful and inspiring experiences.

“The dash was a great way for the students to raise some money for a good cause and take part in a fun event which they may not have experienced before.”

The donation is a welcome boost to the charity’s mission to help children flourish by widening access to get-a-way holidays, investing in opportunities to inspire dreams, unlock potential and create lasting memories.

As one of the county’s oldest charities – it celebrates its 125th anniversary this year – Leicester Children’s Holidays has a long record of providing enriching experiences for children living in poverty or facing other disadvantages.

Nichola Moore, the charity’s chief executive, said: “We are overjoyed at the response we have had from schools in joining our annual colour dash, a fantastic event for children and young people to have a huge amount of fun whilst also raising money for a local charity that helps and supports disadvantaged children not miss out on enriching activities.

“Mowbray Education Trust has been so positive about supporting us and has been amazing at signing up many schools within the Trust to take part.

"It was wonderful to see how much fun the children had at the LCH Colour Dash 2023.”

Leicester Children’s Holidays is accepting further donations via its fundraising page.

Click HERE to donate or to find out more about their activities and the holiday opportunities it offers for families.