Wolsingham students serve up festive treat for senior citizens

A group of religious education GCSE students from Wolsingham School will be heading out to Kathmandu, in July, to support underprivileged children at Shubhakamana Academy.

And the trip, led by the school’s Faculty Leader of Religious Education, Jenni Rawlinson, will be supported by donations made during the annual Senior Citizens’ Christmas Dinner.

The festive event, featuring a three-course dinner and carol singing, was funded from the neighbourhood budget of County Councillor Anita Savory, who is the school’s chair of governors.

Councillor Savory, who even helped with the washing-up, said: “The school is the heartbeat of the community, and tonight is another example of why I am so fiercely proud of the students and the staff.

“The catering team has worked during the day to provide school lunches, and then stayed behind to pull out all the stops for older people, many of whom live alone. The goodwill of the staff, and the commitment from the students, is a joy to see.”

Councillor Savory said the school had gone “from strength to strength” since becoming part of the Advance Learning Partnership family of schools.

Transport for the senior citizens, who came from Wolsingham and the dale, was provided by Weardale Community Transport.

Many of those attending the dinner also benefit from the ‘Winter Warmers’ project, which provides older people with a hot nutritious meal at the school every fortnight, again thanks to Councillor Savory’s neighbourhood budget.

Head teacher Nick Mitchinson said: “The school has been here for more than 400 years, and it is such an important part of the local community. The spirit in the school is a testament to the staff and students who have passed through, and it is lovely to see the generations coming together for what is a truly heart-warming event.”

House Captain, Emily Maasz, 15, said: “A lot of those here tonight live alone, so it’s incredible to give them the opportunity to come together, while raising money for the trip to Nepal at the same time. We want to make a difference in our local community, and also help those in poorer countries to get the education they deserve.”

Catherine Scrivener, who lives alone in Wolsingham, was among the guests. She said: “It’s wonderful to see young people showing their appreciation for the older generation. They put on a lovely Christmas treat for us, and we help them by donating towards their trip to Nepal.”