Burgess Hill school trek to rebuild orphanage in Nepal

Staff from a Burgess Hill infant school are embarking on a 30 mile South Downs trek to raise money for an orphanage destroyed in the recent Nepal earthquake.
A group of teachers and other staff from the Gattons Infant School is embarking on a 30 mile sponsored trek across South Downs to raise money for an Orphanage that was destroyed in the recent Nepal earthquake. Pictured Steph Firmin, Ellie Bennett and Clare Tidbury. Pic Steve Robards SR1514870 SUS-150630-134507001A group of teachers and other staff from the Gattons Infant School is embarking on a 30 mile sponsored trek across South Downs to raise money for an Orphanage that was destroyed in the recent Nepal earthquake. Pictured Steph Firmin, Ellie Bennett and Clare Tidbury. Pic Steve Robards SR1514870 SUS-150630-134507001
A group of teachers and other staff from the Gattons Infant School is embarking on a 30 mile sponsored trek across South Downs to raise money for an Orphanage that was destroyed in the recent Nepal earthquake. Pictured Steph Firmin, Ellie Bennett and Clare Tidbury. Pic Steve Robards SR1514870 SUS-150630-134507001

On Saturday July 4 two teachers and the school’s bursar at Gattons Infant School will walk the first 20 miles of the route from Beachy Head to Kingston near Lewes.

On Sunday they hope to be joined by more staff for the final 10 miles and pupils and parents for the last one mile stretch.

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The school has sponsored a seven-year-old Nepalese boy, Prayash, for two years.

They are now raising money to rebuild the Surya Children’s Centre in Nepal where Prayash lived before it was destroyed by the earthquake.

Assistant head Ellie Bennett, who is taking part with Year 1 leader Stef Firmin and bursar Clare Tidbury, said: “The children have raised money for him on a few occasions over the past few years which has helped provide his health care, education and food. We felt it was the staff’s turn to raise some money following the earthquake.

“They have had to move from their area because everything has been destroyed.

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“They are living in an open compound in the front of a friend’s house.

“They are far from a city and therefore far from hospital and food is not plentiful at the moment to say the least.

“The children cannot go to school at the moment because the bus does not go to the area where they are staying.

“Milan, one of the managers of the orphanage, says that the children are upset because they have no toys to play with - no toys and are not able to go to school.”

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The school started supporting Prayash as part of its role as a United Nations Rights Respecting School.

They wanted to help children elsewhere in the world have their rights met. After linking with the Surya Children’s Centre, he was chosen for them to sponsor. They hope to raise £2,000 by doing the challenge.

To support the schools’ team go to fundrazr.com/campaigns/2z1r6/ab/94ksp8