Fund-raisers’ high-flying effort for The Wings of Hope

A Year 9 pupil took part in a team fund-raising drive culminating in a special theatre concert, raising more than £2,000 for an international children’s charity.

Senthuran Jeevan worked with three friends from other schools as Team Oak to raise money for The Wings of Hope in a money-raising campaign spanning almost a year.

Headmaster Neil Enright was invited as Chief Guest to the concert at Rickmansworth’s Watersmeet Theatre. QE boys have now been involved in fundraising for The Wings of Hope for several years.

Since Team Oak was formed last April, the four boys have engaged in a range of pursuits, including car boot sales, selling food and flowers at temples, Halloween sales, cake sales and door-to-door collecting to raise money for the North London-based charity.

The concert programme featured music and dance – including a performance by a number of QE musicians – as well as speeches from Mr Enright and from Team Oak themselves, who spoke about The Wings of Hope. Team Oak had been working on the concert since October, winning sponsorship and selling advertisements in the programme.

Senthuran said: “We are raising funds for this truly amazing charity as we believe our lives should not only be enjoyable for ourselves, but useful to others as well. We believe it is a great cause and we are honoured to have the opportunity to support it. At the same time, we are also developing great new skills.”

Speaking afterwards, Mr Enright said: “I commend Senthuran and his fellow Team Oak members for a tremendous effort in a very good cause. Not only have they been industrious and creative in organising such a variety of events, but they have also worked hard to raise awareness of the charity’s work through a number of social media channels.”

The Wings of Hope’s work includes the support of children in India and in Malawi. In India, it provides a free education to children whose families could not otherwise afford to send them to school, as well as arranging tuition evenings in North Chennai for some children living in slums. In Malawi, its work involves not only education but also providing poor and orphaned children with the basics of life – food and clothing – and with the stationery they need to attend classes.