Through practical hands-on experience of planning and delivering activities and events, children gain a greater understanding of the reasons why charity is important and how the different charities we support effect change in their communities. Over the school year our children learn about a number of different charities and how they support and advocate for children around the world.
World Vision: A Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to help them reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision channels funding through sponsorship to help children in communities which need help until they can become self sufficient. St. Michael’s has a long term commitment to sponsoring two children through World Vision and we will continue to do so throughout their schooling. This means raising money every year to maintain this commitment. Fifty percent of the money raised during Good Neighbour Event goes to support this long term commitment to World Vision. The remaining fifty percent will be divided between UNICEF and one other children’s charity which is nominated annually.
UNICEF: This is our Student Leadership Council (SLC) nominated charity. St. Michael’s has a well established relationship with UNICEF, our SLC use their convention on the Rights of the Child as the focus for all the activities they engage with throughout the year. Among other things UNICEF have been supporting communities in North Japan rebuild both physically and emotionally after the Earthquake in 2011. UNICEF have a ‘Build Back Better Campaign’ whereby they support the disaster affected communities in the following ways.
- Health and Nutrition
- Emergency Relief Supplies
- Psychosocial Support
- Child Protection
- Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans
St. Michael’s also supports the Poppy Appeal each year. In the run up to Remembrance Day the SLC sell red poppies. Donations to the Poppy Appeal is used to provide welfare support for veterans and their dependents of all ages. The significance of this is explained by Year Six during their special Remembrance Day assembly, which is held on the Friday nearest to 11th November.