Knits and bites at Merstham Park fundraiser

Seasonal celebrations took on a charitable flavour at Merstham Park School when students and staff held their annual Christmas Jumper Day on Thursday 12 December to raise more than £500 for Save the Children.​

​As well as wearing festive knitwear to raise money for this year’s appeal, the whole school shared a Christmas meal.

“The whole school community of students and staff were able to wear their festive jumpers for a donation of £1,” explained Headteacher Callum Mitchell.

“We do this every year, and every year our Christmas Jumper Day coincides with Christmas Lunch Day where staff and students sit down together to eat their turkey or quorn roast.

“We raised about £500 last year and are obviously hoping for more this year, as we are a growing school and now have 650 students.”

Christmas Jumper Day was launched in 2012, and has since raised more than £30 million for children in the UK and around the globe.

Last year, 1.5 million children and teachers and 27,000 workplaces took part, raising £3 million for the charity.

It is just one of the causes supported each year by Merstham Park, which is part of the GLF Schools Multi-Academy Trust.

“As a community-focused school, we raise money for charities throughout the year, and, in particular, we like to support local charities,” continued Mr Mitchell.

“Each of our six houses has their own charity which they raise funds for.”

This year’s choices include the Surrey baby bank Stripey Stork; The Lily Foundation for those with mitochondrial disease; SparkFish charity for young people in Merstham, Reigate and Redhill; Connie’s Crusade to fund treatment for a Redhill toddler with Cystic Fibrosis; The Breck Foundation, which campaigns for online safety; and the Loveworks foodbank.

Other GLF members holding Christmas Jumper Days included Chestnut Park Primary and Meridian High School in Croydon, and Greenway Junior School in Horsham.