Interact students donate money to Rett UK and Build on Books

On Wednesday 25th May, students from the Great Marlow School Interact group handed £1000 to the two nominated charities for 2015/16: Rett UK and Build on Books. Interact invited representatives from each of the charities to collect a cheque for £500 and to speak to the assembled guests about the charities they run.

Interact is made up of students from Years 12 and 13 who meet every Wednesday with their mentors from the Marlow Thames Rotary Club, Peter Reynolds and Jo Braybrooke; a huge thank you goes to Peter and Jo for their support and dedication throughout the year. The students decide on which charities they wish to raise money for and how to go about raising as much money as possible from the generous staff and students at Great Marlow School.

This year, Interact was led by President Ellie Peers and Vice–president Eve Milsom who, with the group, organised cake sales, sports day refreshments, book drops and mufti days. Not only did the students raise a fantastic amount for their nominated charities, they learnt about their own personal qualities and a huge amount about how to organise an event, media publicity, working as a team, handling finances, responsibility and determination. Each member of the group should be proud of their efforts and take the valuable skills that they have learnt into the wider world beyond the school environment.

Next year, Kai McKenzie and Kirsten Barretto will take over as the president and vice president of Interact, we wish them every success and hope that they can raise even more money for their nominated charities.

About the charities:

Rett UK

Rett syndrome is a complex neurological disorder. Genetic in origin, it affects one in 12,000 females and a few males. Although signs of Rett syndrome may not be initially obvious, it is present at birth and becomes more evident during the second year. Established in 1985, Rett UK is a parent led charity dedicated to making a real, positive and lasting difference to people living with Rett syndrome. It provides professional support services for families, carers and professionals.

Build on Books

Build on Books began in 2009, as a project to send huge quantities of books to schools and libraries in Sierra Leone, bringing the gift of knowledge to tens of thousands of children. They have provided books for over 170 libraries so far. However, Build on Books has also become, Build a Borehole, Build a School Farm, Build a Toilet, Build a School Science Lab and more

The charity is helping schools and communities in one of the world’s poorest countries to help themselves overcome the devastating effects of poverty. Build on Books provides the resources while Sierra Leonean communities provide hard work and dedication. Together they save lives through clean water, sanitation, and food production. The books and science equipment sent provide the tools for future prosperity while goats and seed help feed children now.

The Build on Books team also take fresh food to the orphans of Ebola who are trapped under quarantine in their homes or at the Ebola holding centres.

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