Fundraising Letter: organising the Lent Appeal

Dear Parents/Carers, I am delighted to inform you that we are organising the Lent Appeal once again this year. Blue Coat was founded many years ago as a charity school which provided education and guidance to the poor people in and around Walsall. A prevalent part of the Christian faith is to treat others as you wish to be treated and at Blue Coat we strive to achieve this from all pupils. As a Church of England Academy we celebrate special events in the Christian calendar, including Lent. We believe that being benevolent forms a part of our Christian philosophy, and even though there are many different faiths at Blue Coat, charitable giving is a fundamental part of all faiths. The Lent Appeal project aims to raise as much money as possible for our chosen charity and support those in need. We have been raising thousands of pounds for many different charities over the past few years with the support of students, teachers and parents. Last year we accumulated over  £3,000 for the charity Islamic Relief, and this year we are hoping to raise even more but in order to achieve this we will need your continued support. The event will take place during the Easter period as a commemoration of the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert making sacrifices. We remember this time by encouraging pupils to give up their time and money just as Jesus gave up his life for others. Each year the pupils are given a voice. During a vote they select which charity they most want to raise money for. This year the majority of the pupils nominated Water Aid. They use practical solutions to supply clean water, effective sanitation and education to the world’s underprivileged people. In addition they try to influence education policy at national and international levels. They are presently operating in twenty seven countries mainly situated in the Africa, Asia, Pacific region and Central America continent. This specific charity also provides safe aquatic and public health services close to people's homes. Furthermore, their projects allow communities to attain a more robust quality of life and escape the spiral of poorness and specialise in fairness. During the Lent period we ask both parents and students to support our fundraising events and take part in extra-curricular activities that are led by teachers. We like to allow students to take ownership over raising money, with the support of their form tutors to help build self-confidence, team work skills and understanding the importance of helping others. There are many ways in which you can offer support; firstly encourage your child to take part in all events, attend after school events such as; fashion shows and X Factor. There will also be friendly competitions between the different colleges to help raise money for Water Aid and we would like your child to take part in at least one. You can obtain further information regarding the project by either visiting the school website or collecting a leaflet from the school reception. Once the Lent Appeal is over, the money will be collected together by a member of staff and the total calculated. The grand total will be announced in a special church assembly with a cheque awarded to a representative of the charity. To encourage pupils to support the Lent Appeal there will also be certificates awarded to individuals, forms and colleges who have raised the most amount of money and shown a high level of commitment. I hope I have covered all of the information you need however if you would like any further details please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you in advance for your continued support.