banchory helps helambu
‘BHH’
Banchory Primary School, a busy school of over 400 pupils, kindly offered to support the Helambu Project in Autumn 2008. This came about after an approach from Lynne Service, Deputy Headmistress, who felt that a link between the two schools could benefit them both in the long term. Since October 2008, the pupils of the school have been very busy trying to think of, and then organise, various activities which could help to raise money for the Helambu Project. Not surprisingly, during this time the pupils have grown to understand that we can all take many simple things for granted - like education and health - which our Nepalese friends have very limited access to.
The children, staff and parents of Banchory Primary School have raised an incredible £2000+ for the helambu project since they joined up in late 2008.
Primary 4D came up with the idea of creating and selling a school calendar for 2009 with profits going to Helambu. They came up with the idea of asking each pupil to draw a self-portrait, which they then gathered together and spread throughout the months according to their month of birth. A run of over 400 were printed and went on sale for £4 each. They were a sell-out, raising over £700!
the school calendar
Mike Steven came along to the school at both the P1-3 and P4-7 assemblies on Friday 7th November. Children all got the chance to wear bright and colourful socks - or tights! - in return for bringing along a small donation to Helambu. This in itself raised an amazing £331. After a brief talk by Mike, a selection of pupils from P4D did a very interesting presentation to the rest of the school about the calendar and the work that had gone into it.
P1-3 recited poems at a coffee morning on Thursday 30th October in which p4D showed a PowerPoint of the work they have done for BHH to over 200 parents. On this morning alone £418 was raised through donations from parents and through the raffle of a Halloween cake thanks to the PTA (Parent Teacher Association).
bright sock day!
Mike was also presented with a cheque for £425 from the school from the donations received at the coffee morning. A separate cheque of £6 was also very kindly given to Helambu by P4's Callum Bowie and James Plender, who'd sold some of their old comics for profit. Clearly two budding and very thoughtful businessmen
Finally, on the 22nd of January 2009 Dr Mike Steven visited the Primary 4D class to thank them once more for all of their hard work in creating, printing and selling the calendars. All of the calendars were sold at £4 each raising a total of £780 pounds in profit! Well done ! He also collected a cheque for £235 from the PTA.
The money has been used principally to fund the purchase of seven Yaks - 5 babies and 2 daddies - all of whom will be used in helping the builders in carrying and transferring heavy loads. In the longer term they will be used to help local farmers. Money was also used to buy the team of Sherpa builders a Christmas present of warm jackets, a winter hat and safety glasses, which was very well received!
..and how the money has made a difference
