Hartlepool school raises a cup to a year of hospice fundraising with successful coffee morning

English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College has chosen Alice House Hospice as its dedicated charity for the next year.

For its initial event, Year 7 pupils held a coffee morning when they served up tea, coffee and cakes to their parents who were invited in.

There was also some great music performances by some of the older students.

English Martyrs normally raises money for more than one charity throughout the academic year.

But this year, the overwhelming choice from pupils was to throw their weight behind Alice House which cares for hundreds of people a year with life-limiting illnesses.

Headteacher Sara Crawshaw said: "It was a straight forward decision to support the hospice. They are a local charity making such a difference in our community.

“Students gave testimonials about which charity they felt would benefit from a whole school fundraiser.

"There were a number of students’ families who had benefited directly from Alice House Hospice and they talked in really moving ways about how it had supported them and their families through difficult times.”

Friday’s coffee morning held in English Martyrs’ St Anne’s Hall was supported by staff, prefects and a number of town businesses which gave raffle prizes.

The hospice’s popular mascot Alice Mouse also put in an appearance.

Mrs Crawshaw added: “It was such a lovely opportunity to launch the charity that we’re supporting this year.

"People were incredibly generous with donations for raffle prizes and we raised nearly £900.

"To raise that kind of money from one event is phenomenal.”

Janice Forbes, community fundraiser at Alice House Hospice, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by the students of English Martyrs as their charity of the year.

"It lovely to attend the charity coffee morning and it was great watching the very talented students performing.

"I look forward to working with English Martyrs throughout the academic year.”

Alice House needs to raise £3.5 million this year to continue providing the range of services it does for hundreds of adults from Hartlepool and East Durham.

The majority – £2.8 million – must be raised through the local community and fundraising initiatives, with approximately 20% coming from the government funding.

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