Reporter: Catherine Smyth
Date online: 10 May 2010

Valley students help flooded school 

CARING students raised £1,000 to help their counterparts at Cockermouth School after the town was devastated by floods.

Haslingden High head Eve Challinger is a former pupil of Cockermouth Grammar School and she showed students newspaper cuttings she had been sent by relatives.
They also watched news footage, which showed how the torrential rains last November destroyed the town and school. 

Mrs Challinger said: "It was horrendous to see the coursework of pupils in years 10 and 11 floating off down the river; it could never be replaced. Books and sports equipment were all washed away too." 

The graphic images sparked the school group Help Haslingden High Support Charities (HHSC) into action and a fund-raiser was quickly organised. 

Group leader Megan Ashwell, 13, said: "We held a non-uniform day and also sold cakes we had made. We raised £1,000 and then went to Cockermouth School to present the cheque. "My dad Trevor is a firefighter and he was drafted in to help when the town was flooded so he had told me all about it too." 

A party of students from Haslingden High was given a tour of the town before seeing the restoration work that is being carried out at the school.

Mrs Challinger said: “The headteacher at Cockermouth School has set up a hardship fund and if students have lost equipment, such as football boots in the flood, they can put a bid for money to help replace what has been lost. I think the students did a fantastic job raising £1,000.”
Headteacher of Cockermouth School Geoff Walker said: “We are very grateful to these youngsters for raising funds for our school and our students.”

For more information please contact Gill Rennard 01706 215726.

CARING students: Megan Ashwell presents Cockermouth School students with the money raised at Haslingden High. (flood)