The Girton eLink

Community Service

The Queen's Fund

In early October, Ada Sandercock (11 Riley) and Tessa Sandercock (7 Riley), spent the weekend at the Garden Lovers’ Fair in Mt Macedon. However, they weren’t strolling around the grounds of Bolebek and enjoying the sunshine. They were busy baking and selling over 700 scones! The girls raised an impressive $400 and have decided to donate the funds to The Queen's Fund, an organisation that supports women and children escaping domestic violence. It encourages women to increase their self-worth, skills and knowledge. Ada and Tessa’s donation may pay for a new school uniform for a child or cover the removalist costs so women and children can move to a safer environment.  

 

Congratulations, Ada and Tessa. This is an excellent example of the action our Community Service program encourages.

Zinda Festival

Twenty-five students and two parents volunteered their time at the Zinda Festival. Zinda celebrates and acknowledges Bendigo’s growing diversity. All of the different cultures that contribute to our community were celebrated. The atmosphere was vibrant and energetic. Some students volunteered to help run the drumming sessions while others welcomed attendees by handing out sunscreen and information about the day. 

Walk for Premmies

Walk for Premmies is the largest annual fundraiser by the Life’s Little Treasures Foundation. It is a charity supporting the families of babies born sick or premature. It was started in 2005 by parents who had experienced this first-hand, and the people involved  understand the challenges that these families face. Our students had a wonderful morning volunteering at the Walk for Premmies at Lake Weeroona. They played games with the children, handed out medals, did face painting and so much more.

Thank you from the Running Water Project

Following on from our recent fundraising efforts at the ArtsFest, Mrs Nic James, Head of Art for Junior and Senior School, has received the following email regarding our donation:

 

Thank you for organising the fundraiser for ‘running water project’. The funds of $2581.30 will go toward two schools connecting running water to toilets, handbasins and World Food Programme kitchens.

 

The first $800 of your funds has gone toward connecting the secondary toilets and primary school’s World Food Programme to running water. There is a primary and secondary school on the same site and due to the number of students they required two systems of tank, stand, pipes and pump. 

 

The remainder of your funds will provide a tank, stand, pipes and pump to Somrong Primary School, which currently has no running water. This school has four toilets and a World Food Programme kitchen. In addition we will provide a concrete lid to prevent children falling into the old well. Our most recent intervention in schools is testing the water to determine whether the well water is safe to drink when filtered. If successful we will install a filter. The children currently bring boiled water from home.

 

 Thank you very much for your support.

 

Best

Susie Lachal

 

The below images are:

  1. The well that requires a cover
  2. Two newer toilets. The western toilet is the disabled toilet. We provide a Menstrual Health Management (MHM) kit including a handbasin with running water inside the toilet cubicle, toilet brush, soap, soap holder, and bucket with lid. 
  3. Older toilets 
  4. Tank and stand at Kuok Nguon (the new tank and stand will be the same)
  5. MHM kit