All muck in for charity day

CHARITY DAY at St Benedict’s School in Ealing, west London, raised £8,738 for five charities, both local and international. For the day, March 19, the Benedictine foundation turned into a riot of colour and activity.
The charities are Over the Wall (holiday camps for seriously and terminally ill children), Aid to the Church in Need, St Mungo’s (for the London homeless), the Catholic Children’s Society and Matumaini (a day centre for Tanzanian handicapped children).
Dickie Thomas, director of co-curriculum, organised the event, mobilising staff and pupils to do things they did not want to do, would not normally do and then ending up enjoying themselves hugely. Everyone mucking in is the mantra. After all, it is charity.
Julie Greenhough, teacher of English, said she had the “perfect get-out clause” to those cheeky pupils who asked: “Do you mind if people throw water filled balloons at you, Miss?” Mrs Greenhough replied: “Sorry lads, I can’t, I’m being Dannii Minogue in X Factor.” She also had a purse full of raffle tickets for items she did not really want but was excited that she might win all the same. She added: “Six-foot cuddly tiger anyone? The pupils are ecstatic with glee. Never has raising money for others been such fun.” Outside light drizzle failed to dampen Nicholas Guise’s barbecue. Sixthform girls turned the sociology room into a nail bar complete with wallmounted MTV and there was a queue of boys and girls wanting their nails painted. There was a casino in the reading room and sporting events in the gym and cloisters. Batman’s team took on Spiderman’s lot in five-a-side football.
Then the highlight of the day arrived: St Benedict’s X Factor. The first act saw the headmaster and deputy head singing, using that verb in a loose sense.
Following acts involved impersonations of Elton John and Kiki Dee breaking hearts with their singing and the modern languages department coming up trumps with their Abba routine. The day ended with Mass in honour of St Benedict in the abbey church.
Fr Thomas Stapleford, the school chaplain, reminded everyone what it was all about.
He said: “As sons and daughters of St Benedict we are judged not just by what we say but also by what we do. Our actions recall the words of the hymn, ‘helping each other, humble, true and gentle’.” Charity day reflected the school mission of “Teaching a way of living”.