What does it take for seven girls to jump off Middlesbrough’s iconic Transporter Bridge? For the students of Queen 
Margaret’s who took part in the activity, their answers may be slightly different from the obvious: they jumped to raise funds for a charity.
At the beginning of the academic year, QM’s Charity Committee chose York Playspace as their ‘Charity of the Year.’ To date, they have raised nearly £4,000 through a combination of creative efforts, most recently ‘throwing [themselves] off a very high structure on the off chance that a piece of springy cord might keep [them] alive’ as one participant noted.
With 3 brave staff members joining in the ‘fun,’ girls summited 210 steps to the top before flinging themselves off for a quick descent of 170 feet towards the Tees. Two of the girls reported:
“It looked an awfully long way down from the top, and it was at this point the nerves really started to kick in! Although we were all scared, we all completed the jump and agree it was an amazing experience.”
Funds raised will be used to support York Playspace’s popular Chill Out Zones which provide children and young people with opportunities to play, learn and socialise together. Manager Alison Shepherd was thankful for the donation, saying, “This donation will help to support the activities and provide warm, safe places for the children and young people who attend the Chill out Zones in Moor Lane, Tang Hall and 68 Centre in York. It is a much needed contribution towards the running costs for another year.”
Deputy Head, Mrs Carole Cameron, who co-ordinates the School’s Charity Committee noted,
“The girls have shown tremendous dedication and effort in raising funds for York Playspace. One of Queen Margaret’s aims is to enable girls to engage confidently with their community and I am very pleased with their great success in this endeavour.”
Each year, the Charity Committee selects a charity to direct their fundraising efforts towards. Last year, the School saw great success with Revive, a charity fashion show which well exceeded the £5,000 target. Those funds were given to The Riverside Project, a project focusing on the revitalisation of a derelict pub on Huntington Road into a community centre.