Pupils step out for a fun-filled day with woofs and wellies
02 Apr 2013
It was time for walkies this weekend as girls from Central High and Church High Schools came together in Exhibition Park for a special charity dog walk, held in aid of two charities close to the hearts of both schools.
The family fun event, which was followed by a cake sale and refreshments at Central High, was organised by the Year Seven and Sixth Form girls from Church High and Central High.
Half of the total £314.84 which has been raised so far will be going towards the cost of a new classroom at Shia School in Tanzania, which pupils from Central High have been supporting for a number of years – indeed some of the girls on the walk recently visited the School to help start building the classroom they have been raising money for – while the other half of the money will also go to Church High’s chosen charity, The Great North Children’s Hospital based at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
As Church High and Central High prepare to join together in September 2014, the girls have been busy getting to know each other, with the event giving them a great opportunity to team up on an exciting and successful project.
Canines of all shapes and sizes put their best paws forward on the day, with prizes awarded for a number of categories, including biggest dog, smallest dog, best dressed dog, best groomed and many more.
Alice Bearpark, 17, from Church High whose dog Kevin won the award for best walk said: “We have had lots of fun this morning and it was great to see so many girls able to bring so many different dogs along too.”
Emilia Cooke, 12, from Central High came to the event with her Giant Schnauzer, Reeva who won the award for best groomed dog. Emilia said: “We’ve had lots of fun this morning and I am delighted that Reeva also won a prize!”
Lucy Franks-Doyle, Head of Year Seven at Central High said: “It’s great to see so many people really getting into the spirit of the event, to raise lots of money for two incredibly worthwhile charities.
“The girls from both Church High and Central High have worked extremely hard to put on this event and all the girls contributed many fantastic ideas, coming up with an imaginative range of doggy competition categories.”
Cathal Doyle, History and Politics teacher at Church High said: “Pupils, their families, staff and of course, canine friends, all braved the cold weather this weekend to put on a great event for everyone who came along.
“All of the girls worked hard to make this fundraising event such a huge success and it has been such a positive experience for them getting to know one another and working together. We are really proud of all they have achieved and delighted that all of the money raised will go to the two fantastic charities the girls have chosen.”
After a month of planning and organising the charity dog walking event, the overall success of the event was down to the hard work and team spirit of the girls from both schools.
Naomi Warin, Head Girl from Church High said: “It’s been great fun organising the charity dog walking event and we’ve all had a fabulous time getting out into the outdoors with our friends, families, teachers and pets! A lot of my friends are at Central High so it has been good to be able to meet up to organise the event together.”
Event organisers from Central High’s Sixth Form included Emma Reavley, Philippa Shipley and Lizzie Verrill. Emma said: “Helping to organise the charity dog walk this weekend has been such a good experience and a great way of bringing everyone together. Dogs of all shapes and sizes took part in the walk and there were some adorable competition winners!”
Central High and Church High will join together in September 2014, to form the region’s leading independent girls’ school, Newcastle High School for Girls, and in the build-up, a wide range of activities have been planned to enable girls from both schools to get to know each other and shape the future of the new school.