We are really excited about the week and feel it will bring some much-needed joy and community spirit to the school after what has been a very tough year. Below we share with you the charities we have chosen to support.

Foodbank Collection
We are proudly supporting the Uttlesford Foodbank this year in their efforts to ensure no child in the local area goes hungry over Christmas.  See the Foodbank Collection page for furhter details.

Accuro
Accuro are a local charity working in West Essex. They work to eliminate the social isolation of people with disabilities, by helping boost their confidence and supporting them in the wider world. Every Saturday, Accuro host two play clubs in Saffron Walden, helping children and young people with a range of disabilities and needs. They also offer an adult friendship scheme that operates in Uttlesford, providing adults with a disability the chance to engage in social activities with friends in the community. Sadly, the pandemic has limited much of the support Accuro can offer and so we are really pleased to be trying to support them in their essential and inspiring work, even in these exceptional times.

Winston’s Wish
Winston’s Wish is a wonderful charity which has provided emotional bereavement support to children since 1992. It is estimated that 100 children per day are bereaved of a parent and sadly, during these current times, this number is increasing. Winston’s Wish has helped thousands of children through unimaginably difficult periods of their lives and with our support we know they will help many more. We believe it to be more important than ever to support a charity providing such amazing services for children who are facing traumatic emotional difficulties, particularly during the current times when sadly, many children across the country will have lost a family member to COVID-19.

Home Start Essex
Home Start Essex are a charity that supports families who are disadvantaged or experiencing tough times. The charity helps families with young children living in poverty, suffering from illness, or supporting single parents alongside many other issues that are very common in our society. Unfortunately, many families have suffered as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and have been put under great strain. Over 2019 within Essex alone, 1123 children were supported in over 589 families and no doubt this year’s demand is even higher. We are therefore proudly supporting Home Start Essex as one of this year’s chosen charities to help best support young families in the local area.

Cystic Fibrosis Trust
With cases remaining high in society, we felt it was essential to support those who are continuously placed under high risk due to the pandemic. Cystic fibrosis is a life threatening, genetically inherited disease which causes thick mucus to build up and clog certain organs, such as the lungs, pancreas, and intestines, and affects over 70,000 people worldwide. This charity goes above and beyond in order to conduct ground-breaking research, all over the country, to best support people with cystic fibrosis. We hope to help such an amazing charity that pursues research into a currently uncurable disease, which drastically shortens the life expectancy of many people across the country.

We really appreciate your support and are so excited for a week of fun!

If you have any questions, or feel you can further support us in our fundraising over Charities Week, please get in contact with the Main Office or Mr D. Crittenden in the Sixth Form (dcrittenden@swchs.net).

Thank you in advance for your generosity in support this year’s Charities Week.

The Sixth Form Student Committee