Students’ fundraising for Cambodia trip which will support rural communities

Jan 1, 2020

  • A group of 15 Students from St Edward’s School are raising money towards a trip to Cambodia where they will work on sustainable projects supporting rural communities.

Students from St Edward’s School, Poole, are raising funds for a trip to Cambodia in 2021 which promises to be transformative, both for them and the rural communities they will work to support.

The 15 students, who are from mixed year groups, are set to travel to the impoverished country during the summer next year, where they will work on a range of meaningful community and conservation projects in the rural villages they will live alongside during their four-week stay.

The project will help to improve living conditions by building wells to provide water access to the village and constructing toilets for local families. The students will also be working on food sustainability initiatives such as building chicken houses, water pots and a jungle garden.

The all-inclusive expedition costs £4,380, so the pupils are now working hard to raise money to support their efforts. Independent fundraising has seen students hosting stalls at the school’s Christmas market. The school has also introduced a donation box for unwanted clothes in reception, to be sold to Cash4Clothes to contribute to the trip costs. Clothes, shoes, belts, hats, small soft toys, handbags, jackets and coats are all welcomed.

Michael Antram, Headteacher at St Edward’s School, said:

“This trip offers an unparalleled opportunity for our students to have an enriching and horizon-expanding cultural experience a world away from their lives here, as well as an important opportunity to make a difference and work to help the Cambodian communities – where many people live below the poverty line.

“We are hugely grateful to the school community for the donations which have been made so far and we hope more will follow. We’d also like to reach out to local businesses on behalf of our pupils and invite them to support this truly worthwhile endeavour.”

The life-enhancing trip is organised by Camps International, providers of ethical and sustainable school expeditions, and will also include visits to ancient historic sites, and a scuba open water diving course.

For more information about St Edward’s School, visit: https://st-edwards.poole.sch.uk