Charitable Activities at Bow

All Bow pupils take part in charitable events on a regular basis. We have one main fund-raising event every term but also like to feel that we never miss an opportunity to allow the pupils and parents to demonstrate their generosity. Thinking about and doing something to help those less fortunate than ourselves is a key part of our "hidden" curriculum and we enjoy a positive relationship with charities ranging from St. Cuthbert's Hospice, a local charity, to worldwide organisations such as Oxfam.

The charitable work mainly takes the form of fund-raising activities, whether it is a simple non-uniform day, a 'Silly Tie' day or more complex events like Spellathons and coffee mornings.

In the past few years we have raised in excess of £2000 each for Mencap, Oxfam, Barnardos, Coco and Sargent Cancer Care for which we were the fifth largest fund-raising Prep or Primary school in the country. Smaller amounts have been raised recently for charities such as Jeans for Genes, The Children's Society and Unicef, to name but three.

Pupils at Bow also contribute in other ways. Redundant items of uniform, as well as unclaimed lost property, are regularly given to charity shops along with books and equipment which we no longer need. At Christmas the choir sings in the children's ward of the local hospital, as well as in nearby nursing homes. These activities supplement the fund-raising and ensure that the notion of caring for the less fortunate is never too far from the minds of the pupils at Bow, Durham School.

"Having not been at such a big school before, I wasn't at all sure what to expect but I needn't have worried about anything because everyone in MacLeod was so friendly; all the girls look after one another making you feel extremely comfortable and at home. You soon settle in to the routine of lessons and especially the routine of tea and toast."
Harriet Ward, MacLeod House