Over £2000 Raised in 24-Hour Charity Challenge

A dedicated group of 75 Penrice students volunteered to take part in a gruelling 24-Hour Charity Challenge last week, all in aid of Children’s Hospice Southwest.

The 24-Hour Challenge is an annual Penrice fundraiser where students volunteer to take shifts dancing, cycling and rowing as a team, non-stop for 24 hours.

A fundraising total was confirmed on Wednesday 29th March and the 75 brave volunteers raised a grand total of £2,080.

The money will be used by Children’s Hospice Southwest who provide care and respite support for children with life threatening conditions and their families through their hospices located in Cornwall (St Austell), Devon, and Somerset.

In a public message on social media, Children’s Hospice South West commented:

“Amazing Team Year 11!!! Thank you all for your outstanding support, you guys are superstars.”

The event kickstarted at 1:45pm on Thursday 23rd March in the Penrice Assembly Hall, surrounded by spectating pupils and teachers who were cheering on in support.

The music volume was kept high as students worked through the night to keep the bikes spinning, the rowing machines whirring and, of course, plenty of shapes being thrown on the dancefloor!

Ms Gambier
Headteacher at Penrice Academy

“The 24-Hour fundraiser is always a highlight of the academic year and the charity being supported this time around is Children’s Hospice South West whom we have a close connection with. Our Year 11 volunteers demonstrated tremendous resilience and endurance as they powered through the night. They even put on a real spectacle for students and staff who arrived at 8am the next day to see a packed dancefloor of energetic students in a synchronised dance routine.”

The 24-Hours ended with a carefully choreographed group performance of Waka Waka by Shakira, which included an innovate group dance move of a 4-person human bicycle.

A Proud Head of Year 11

Mr Toms
Head of Year 11

“The students did themselves proud. It certainly wasn’t an easy 24 hours; the nightshift between 3am and 5am was particularly challenging. But to see so many students involved throughout with very happy faces at the end was hugely rewarding. They’ve raised so much money for charity and they’ve done themselves proud!

These students were willing to put themselves through something that is very challenging for the benefit of other people. The funds donated to a very local charity shows a great sense of pride within our community along with compassion and respect for other people.”

Penrice intends to welcome a charity representative into the school after the Easter holidays for a formal cheque presentation.