A little really can go a long, long way
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By Euan Duguid
IT’S official! Good things really do come in small packages and a fund-raiser for our Hospice Appeal by Cambusnethan Primary School in Wishaw just goes to prove it.
 One hundred P4 to P7 bright sparks were challenged to see how many items they could pack into a matchbox and, unlike the space they had to work with, they raised a massive £1715 for CHAS!
However, it wasn’t all about nimble finger work. The 272 pupils in P1 to P3 also helped by participating in sponsored keep-fit exercises.
Head teacher June Craig explained the idea behind the tasks. “At assembly, we were explaining to the children that the little things in life can mean a lot,” she said.
“We wanted to illustrate that, no matter how small you are or however little your contribution to something worthwhile, it can go a long way towards having a real effect on the world.”
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Some of Cambusnethan’s matchbox
champion fund-raisers.
Back — Derri Brown (left) and Stuart Cook.
Front, from left — Melissa Thomson, over-all
winner Ross McPake and Hayley McArthur.
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With the help of Senga Murdoch, the school’s clerical assistant and organiser of the matchbox task, the pupils got their packing and keep-fit campaign under way, inspired by the assembly talk.
Enthusiasm
Senga explained it wasn’t just the children who expressed enthusiasm for the tasks, “Although we had agreed on a penny for every item the children managed to pack into the matchboxes, everyone who sponsored the children showed great generosity.
“All the teachers offered their full encouragement, because when you are working with kids who are healthy it is all the more troubling when you read in The Sunday Post about children who are ill.”
The drive and support of parents and teachers — combined with the flair of the children — was soon to pay off as Senga found out . . . she had the job of counting the items in the boxes!
Senga said, “The children really loved taking part. I could tell they’d taken great pride in their efforts because some of the boxes had been beautifully decorated.
“A lot of the boxes were deftly packed, with everything from paper clips and dried peas to golf tees and doll’s house items.”
Senga also explained how the exercise was a great tool for stimulating the resourcefulness of the children — it even brought out the cunning side in one cheeky wee devil! “Funniest moment was when I opened one young chap’s matchbox and it was brimming with an astounding 320 items. The only thing was — they were grains of rice! We couldn’t accept his entry as we did state it had to be different items — obviously the lad had chanced his luck.”
Brightest spark
However, eight-year-old Ross McPake proved to be the brightest spark of all as he followed the rules to the letter and managed to pack an impressive 82 items into his matchbox, the largest number in the school.
June expressed her pride to be part of our campaign. She stressed, “What The Sunday Post is doing is vital. I think the attitude of teachers and parents towards our event emphasises our support. You never know when your own family may need a facility like Rachel House.
“We wanted to find something every child could do. I hope they’ve learned that, no matter how little they are, they can make a big difference to the world.” |
You can e-mail us at:
hospice@sundaypost.com
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