Eight enthusiastic Year 8 students, proudly named ‘The Goat Getters’, took on a Dawn ‘til Dusk Challenge successfully raising over £2,000 for the Holme Grange School farm on Saturday 26th September.
The enthusiastic fundraisers committed to twelve hours of travel around Dinton Pastures Country Park from 7.00am to 7.00pm varying their modes of transport between walking, running and cycling. Dressed in matching t-shirts the team handed out flyers as they lapped Black Swan Lake encouraging members of the public to support their cause. Their parents, grandparents, friends and teachers, were based at the Dinton Activity Centre providing food, drinks and moral support for the duration of the challenge.
The group were aiming for 100 laps and had already achieved 68 by 11.30am! Why 100? This year marks Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, and as admirers of his lifelong dedication to animals and the natural world, the pupils felt 100 laps would be a fitting target. Ultimately they managed 151 laps and collectively covered 407km or 253 miles! Their £2,000 target was a little tougher but by 5.30pm the team were celebrating their phenomenal achievement and the evening ended with a spectacular £2,135 in the pot!
Kenzie (Year 8) whose endurance and determination helped secure the success reflected, “The part I enjoyed most about the challenge was the opportunity to help raise money for our beloved animals and help progress the farm further. The hardest part of the challenge was trying to keep up the same amount of energy throughout the entire day since we had to start early and finish late, but I think we all helped each other overcome this by encouraging each other to go another lap. This was a good cause to raise money for because many pupils and teachers love the farm and all the animals, and the challenge let us help make the farm even better and even more fun for anyone who goes inside!”
Farm Lead and Year 8 parent, Estelle Meiers, added, “What makes this challenge particularly special is that the students were given the opportunity to decide where they wanted the money raised to go, and they unanimously voted for the school farm. They all spend a great deal of time there during break and lunchtimes and feel that the farm is an integral part of school life, with the animals bringing them so much joy and enjoyment. The money raised will help to improve enrichment for our existing animals and, most excitingly, contribute towards purchasing two rare-breed Wensleydale sheep. The farm plays a hugely important role in our pupils’ education, with some of these students having enjoyed outdoor learning there since Reception, continuing throughout Pre-Prep. From Years 5–8, pupils build on this experience through Animal Care courses, learning about first aid, animal welfare and how to be responsible pet owners. The farm then becomes integral to our extremely popular Animal Care BTEC in Years 9–11, where students develop practical knowledge and skills in animal behaviour, handling and husbandry across a range of different farm animal species. The Goat Getters are therefore not simply raising money for animals; they are helping to protect and enhance a unique and much-loved part of our school community.”
You can still sponsor the group here as they raise money for two sheep and a climbing frame for the goats at the Holme Grange School farm. Any additional fund raised will be dedicated to enriching the welfare of our animals.