29 Jun 2023
London’s Air Ambulance Charity was chosen to be the recipient of Tower Hamlets Pupil Parliament efforts throughout the 2022-2023 academic year and has witnessed great work from all the schools involved.
The Pupil Parliament was first formed in 2020 and consists of school council representatives from different primary schools from the Isle of Dogs. In 2022, the pupils made the decision to support London’s Air Ambulance Charity – raising vital funds for the charity as well as learning more about the air ambulance service.
Richard Griffiths, Leader of Enrichment at St Luke’s C.E Primary School, said: “The idea of the parliament was to discuss issues that are local to us and important to our school councillors.
“Your Schools and Youth Engagement Lead, Rhiannon, came in and spoke to the children about London’s Air Ambulance Charity and they were very engaged. We decided as a pupil parliament that we therefore wanted to focus on the service throughout the academic year.
“From that the children have gone away as individual schools and focused on London’s Air Ambulance Charity in their own school councils. Every school is hoping to raise £300 to £400 for the charity’s Up Against Time appeal.”
A final meeting of the year recently took place, to which representatives from Arnhem Wharf Primary, Cubitt Town Primary, St Edmund’s Catholic Primary and St Luke’s C.E Primary attended.
Rhiannon said: “It was great to see that the pupils already had an awareness and familiarity with the air ambulance, as they regularly see the helicopter flying overhead. It is always a pleasure to visit schools in Tower Hamlets – the borough we are based in – as they are our neighbours.”
The pupil parliament meets once per term to discuss their ideas and progress. Every year the parliament focuses on campaigning and awareness raising of issues the pupils feel are important in the local community. This year was the first time fundraising activities were also included.
Fundraising events that have been occurring throughout the school year – and will continue to feature in the schools’ curriculums until the end of the summer term – include designing and selling stickers, penalty shootouts, bake sales, fun runs and sharing assemblies.
St Luke’s school council organised a fun run in Millwall Park, to which over 200 people attended, as well as a wear-red-to-school day. Through their online fundraising page and cash donations, the school has so far raised over £300.
The St Luke’s pupils said:
“We wanted to be school councillors to help to change our school for the better. The council wanted to help buy the new helicopters, to be a part in saving people’s lives.”
Jane Woolley, Teacher at Cubitt Town Primary, said: “The pupil parliament offers up huge benefits to the children. It is brilliant to allow the pupils to have their say about issues that they feel are important in the local area. It’s also a great way to encourage mixing with pupils from other schools.”
We’re so thankful to the Tower Hamlets Pupil Parliament for all of their incredible fundraising efforts.