Elgar House Students at The Weald School recently held their third Reindeer Run in aid of Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice, raising an impressive £2,900 in just one day.

They were challenged to run 48 miles, which is the distance between the school and the Chestnut Tree House Hospice near Arundel and back. The route was mapped out around the school campus and students were divided into teams to tackle the distance. To add some more festive cheer students wore Christmas jumpers, antlers and flashing red noses.

Each student who took part donated £1 towards the charity and was then further tasked with collecting sponsorship. Companies were also generous in donating, with Study Experiences, Allfire Protection, Tooveys Auctioneers, Black Horse Global and Windlesham Golf Club contributing £580 towards the total.

Along with her fellow House Captains, Kirsten Knowles, was heavily involved in organising this year’s event ‘The Reindeer Run is a really fun way of raising money for a great cause. We continued supporting Chestnut Tree House because it’s a local charity that directly supports children of our age. We’ve been learning about the work they do and what a big difference it makes to families where a child has a life limiting illness. This is why we want to raise as much money as possible.’

Weald students have been loyal to Chestnut Tree House for 3 years and have raised over £7,900. Jo Smith, Community Fundraiser expressed her appreciation “We are so grateful for The Weald’s continued support for Chestnut Tree House, the students are always very enthusiastic during the events. It is because of schools like The Weald, who fundraise and support us that we are able to continue to provide fundamental care to the local children and families.”`

Paul Sweeney, Elgar Head of House at The Weald said ‘It’s a superb effort that reflects our dedication in supporting of a very worthy cause. We’re delighted to have raised such a large sum which will directly support local children who are less fortunate than us. A big thank you to everyone that supported us, especially parents and the generous company sponsorship we received.

If you’d like to support our Elgar students and to help them smash our £2,500 target, please visit their Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/Paul-Sweeney12 Every penny counts!