St Mary's Calne
On 11th March the students organised a Mufti Day in the school community, for pupils of both St Mary's and St Margaret’s Prep, with participants making a donation to UNICEF's Ukraine Crisis Appeal.
UV (Year 11) pupil, Poppy, talks about what motivated her to organise the day for St Mary's:
'In the light of the recent horrifying and escalating conflict in Ukraine, I decided to take what little action I felt I could, and organised a Mufti Day at school in aid of the UNICEF Ukraine Crisis Appeal, so show our support, as a community, to this cause. I would like to say a massive thank you to all who participated and helped to raise money for this cause.
The Appeal is working on the ground in Ukraine to try and keep the children who are affected, and their families, safe. Although there has been a huge and devastating escalation recently, the conflict has been ongoing for eight years. But in recent weeks, as the conflict has intensified, 7.5 million children are potentially at risk across the whole of Ukraine, with over a million children already refugees at the time of writing.
In response to this enormous humanitarian crisis, UNICEF are doing what they can - brining emergency supplies to the region, supporting unaccompanied and separated children, providing safety and support for displaced families, to name but a few. To give an idea, £46 can help provide a family with an emergency water and hygiene kit. So every little donation, no matter how small it may seem to us, can make a huge and meaningful difference.
On a personal level, I have always longed to do what I can to help wherever I can. I have always felt that we are so fortunate as a community, so it seemed the least I could do to help those so desperately in need. Children in Ukraine who are my age, who should be focusing on their futures and academic studies, are instead facing a terrifying and uncertain future. So, to conclude, thank you so much to everyone who has helped me support this life-changing charity and support those so desperately in need of stability, safety and hope.