Pupils at Dunhurst, Bedales Junior School, have raised £1500 for the school’s Sam Banks’ charities: the Sam Banks Memorial Pavilion and the Sam Banks Memorial Fund, through a £10 business challenge.
At the beginning of the Spring term pupils were asked to start a mini business of their own choice from a starting budget of just £10 and then donate the profit from that business to the Sam Banks’ charities.
The resulting businesses showed lots of creativity and entrepreneurism: Issy (Block 1/Year 7) and Olivia Edgeworth (Group 1/Year 4) with Alice Lester (Block 1/Year 7) raised just under £150 from a home-baked cake stall in the middle of Petersfield; Group 3s (Year 6s) Meg Alin and Ellie Marshall also raised £150 from the sale of handmade jewellery; Taran Llewelyn-Bradford (Group 3), with his amazing knitting grandmother, raised £250 from the sale of broaches made from wool and beads; and many of the pupils produced and sold CDs of their own music, made cushions and washed cars.
“After much counting of boxes, pots and envelopes of notes and coins, we now have our total raised by pupils. This is an impressive amount and all the pupils who gave their time and energy, not to mention their imagination and considerable business acumen, should be really proud of what they have achieved” said Jane Grubb, Head of Dunhurst.
75% of the money raised will go towards the new Sam Banks Memorial Pavilion – dedicated to the memory of Old Bedalian Sam Banks, a keen and talented cricketer who died at the age of 20 – which will provide a facility which will overlook both the Bedales astroturf pitch and the Dunhurst sports pitches. This pavilion, for which the school is currently fundraising, will not only be available for Bedales but also the local community for all manner of uses, special occasions and events.
In addition 25% of the funds raised will go to the Sam Banks Memorial Fund. This provides bursaries for low income Bangladeshis to study photography at Pathshala South Asia Media Academy in Dhaka. Just two weeks before he died, Sam had been delighted to receive news that he had been accepted to study Photography, Film and Television Production at LCC, so this project, enabling others to pursue their dream in this field seemed appropriate. The aim is to provide bursaries for other students; one per year on the three year course. The college has an excellent reputation and many Bangladeshi students go on to win international photography awards and pursue careers in journalism.
Louise Banks, Sam’s mother, commented:
“I would like to personally thank all those pupils, parents (and grandparents) who so kindly helped to raise money for the Sam Banks charities. I have been very touched by the children’s efforts; their various mini businesses have shown a great sense of enterprise and creativity. Both the Memorial Pavilion and the Bangladeshi bursary project will be wonderful tributes not only to Sam, but to the generous spirit of the Dunhurst community. The response has reflected all that is best about the school that our son loved.”