Portsmouth High School ‘proud’ of fundraising school pupils as £10,000 presented to city refugee charity Friends Without Borders

MORE than £10,000 has been raised for a city charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers thanks to the efforts of fundraising school pupils.
Emily Jessica Turner
By Emily Jessica Turner
Published 23rd Jun 2022, 15:30 GMT
Updated 23rd Jun 2022, 15:31 GMT
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Portsmouth High School’s outgoing Head Girl team presented a cheque for £10,150.48 to Veronica Dunne, chair of Friends Without Borders.

This charity provides support for asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants within the Portsmouth area.

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Head Girl Annalee Macfarlane, 18, said: ‘We were so pleased to raise this amount as Friends Without Borders is such an amazing charity in our local area.

From left: Portsmouth High School Headmistress Jane Prescott, Veronica Dunne, Deputy Head Girls, Holly Love and Anisa Rahman Choudhury, Head Girl Annalee Macfarlane, Deputy Head Girls, Juhi Miah and Alexandra Cells, Sharon Brooks and Katie Wood. Picture: Sally TillerFrom left: Portsmouth High School Headmistress Jane Prescott, Veronica Dunne, Deputy Head Girls, Holly Love and Anisa Rahman Choudhury, Head Girl Annalee Macfarlane, Deputy Head Girls, Juhi Miah and Alexandra Cells, Sharon Brooks and Katie Wood. Picture: Sally Tiller
From left: Portsmouth High School Headmistress Jane Prescott, Veronica Dunne, Deputy Head Girls, Holly Love and Anisa Rahman Choudhury, Head Girl Annalee Macfarlane, Deputy Head Girls, Juhi Miah and Alexandra Cells, Sharon Brooks and Katie Wood. Picture: Sally Tiller

‘As a year group we worked so hard to put on a set of successful events throughout the year, despite much of it being affected by Covid-19 restrictions.

‘Our motivation was always to raise as much money as we could for such a worthwhile cause as well as engaging the whole school in activities and providing so much excitement and fun after a hard couple of years.’

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The majority of the money was raised during the school’s charity week, which culminates in a fashion show run by the Sixth Form.

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The theme this year was music icons and the pupils devised their own choreography for the walks and dances.

Miss Dunne said: ‘I was totally blown away when I was told how much the girls had raised.

‘What amazing people they are to have so much empathy and understanding at such young ages.

‘They will go far in society with these tremendous attributes and we are truly grateful to them for choosing our charity to support.’

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Miss Dunne was accompanied by charity trustee Sharon Brooks, who added: ‘This amount of money will keep our drop-in sessions open for a whole year. We are so grateful to these young women.’

SEE ALSO: Leigh Park students set for ‘beautiful’ outdoor learning space thanks to £10,000 community fund boost

Friends Without Borders runs a regular drop-in support session and its Access to Justice project from All Saints Church on Commercial Road.

Katie Wood, head of Sixth Form, said: ‘Our Head Girl Team have been totally inclusive, creating opportunities for the whole school to get behind their efforts.

‘They have encountered so much disruption and uncertainty over the last couple of years, but it is typical of them to continue to put others first, and to overcome every obstacle in order to hit the hugely ambitious target they set themselves.

‘We are very proud of them.’

Related topics:Portsmouth