Woking High School has been running a series of Christmas appeals with its students in support of good causes both local and international.

“This year, the Student Voice Council wanted to find ways to help the wider school and the local community,” said English teacher and student voice leadNicholas Houghton.

With this in mind we have set up the following charity connections in the run – up to Christmas.”

The Student Voice Council are a motivated set of representatives elected by their form groups to give views and work on projects the general student community think are important.

All students throughout the school got involved, year 7s filled shoeboxes with toys and gifts for children in Ukraine and eastern European countries supported by the Rotary Club.

Years 8 and 9 worked with St Peters Hospital’s paediatric wards, supplying gifts for children and young people who are in hospital over Christmas. While year 10 and 11 students supplied The York Road Project in Woking with rucksacks full of appropriate items for people who find themselves homeless over the festive season.

All these efforts combined with a year 7 disco which raised £421 and the Christmas Concert which brought in £200, will be split between the three charities and has made for a strong start to the charitable side of Student Voice.

Operations Manager Julia Allen coordinated the logistics of the appeals and organised the huge task of sorting through all the donations and delivering them with the students.

She said: “Charity is central to the schools core values such as kindness and personal responsibility and it is so important the students get the chance to make a difference to those in need in their community and much wider.”

For more information, visit https://www.wokinghigh.surrey.sch.uk/.