Keen kids kindle kindness in Kenya

Kids bored, parents fed up, and the school holidays still have a long way to go.
Jack Ancell, left, and Joseph Bunnage, right, receive their raffle prizes from Colin Shairp, who has also offered the pair an auction lot of a house sale for freeJack Ancell, left, and Joseph Bunnage, right, receive their raffle prizes from Colin Shairp, who has also offered the pair an auction lot of a house sale for free
Jack Ancell, left, and Joseph Bunnage, right, receive their raffle prizes from Colin Shairp, who has also offered the pair an auction lot of a house sale for free

But two 14-year-olds from Springfield School in Drayton are already hard at it working out activities for the new term that sees them enter Year 10 in September.

If that sounds rather bookish, it’s actually all about their summer break in 2017 when Jack Ancell and Joseph Bunnage are off to Kenya among a party of 50 from the school.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Now the two have enlisted the help of Drayton estate agent Colin Shairp, who has found a novel way to support their efforts to fund the trip, which will cost £2,200 each and is all about helping the local community in Nakuru.

While in the Kenyan community, the plan for participants in the trip run by African Adventures is to provide teaching assistance while also getting involved in work to build new classrooms and school facilities.

The pupils are encouraged to fundraise to pay for their trip as this is an important part of the overall experience. They are all coming up with lots of ways to do this and Jack and Joseph are working on individual projects - including car washing, bag packing, car booting, and sponsored events - as well as holding the quiz as a joint effort.

‘It was simple to say to Jack and Joseph that I will give them raffle prizes for their planned quiz event and I’m sure the boxes of chocolates, tea, and sweets that we give to people when they move into a new home will be useful,’ said Colin, director of Fine and Country Southern Hampshire and Town and Country Southern estate agencies.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘However, larger amounts are always useful when aiming for a big fundraising target so I thought I would offer them something that could be converted into cash – we already pay out cash ourselves to Macmillan as part of our ongoing charity commitment.

‘I’ve suggested that they auction the promise that I will sell a house for the successful bidder free of all further costs. Given the average prices in the school’s catchment, it has the potential value of between £2,700 and £3,250 in saved commission.

‘Anyone planning on putting their home on the market within six months of the auction date can make a considerable saving. I’ve suggested to the boys that they have a system of sealed bids but it’s a prize that has to be worth at least £500 to £600 and will still give a considerable saving.

‘Whoever bids successfully will get the full service anyone else would get, so I urge bidders to be generous!’

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jack and Joseph say they appreciate the gesture and hope, too, that bidders will be generous.

‘We are getting good support from local businesses but this offer from Colin Shairp is exceptionally generous,’ said Jack and Joseph. ‘We had a proper business meeting with him and outlined our plans and he was really interested in what we want to do.’

The quiz will be held at Springfield School on Saturday, September 24 from 7pm until 10pm with tickets at £5 each (£2.50 for the under-12s).

Everyone is welcome and tickets can be purchased by contacting Jack and Joseph via [email protected] and [email protected]

Related topics: