A Rotherhithe boy has raised £1,700 so his Year Six classmates can afford this year’s end-of-school trip.
Hal, aged ten, was gutted to discover the minibreak to an outdoor centre might be too pricey for some friends at Rotherhithe Primary School.
So, since October, he’s cycled, ran and walked 150 laps of Southwark Park, equivalent to 375km, as part of a massive fundraising drive.
Hal said: “Year Six is the last year we’re gonna be in primary school and the residential is something to remember it by so I think it’s important that you can go on it!”
The 2024 trip to Hindleap Warren Outdoor Centre in Sussex is a chance for city kids to try their hand at abseiling, rock climbing and survival skills.
But excursions like these, where children create lifelong memories, are becoming harder for families and schools to afford.
According to the Sutton Trust, 50 per cent of schools from the most disadvantaged communities were being forced to cut back on trips and outings in 2023.
Donna Powell, the school’s Residential Organiser, said there were fewer government subsidies for school outings than before, meaning a financial knock-on for parents.
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Ms Powell said: “It’s so expensive and from the point of next year we won’t be able to do residentials anymore. It’s just gone up and up.”
She said the cost was £410 per child this year, plus the coach, coming to an eye-watering £15,000 for the 35 pupils.
Ms Powell said it was “not fair” to expect struggling parents to shell out so much.
375km is a serious distance for a ten-year-old so Hal tackled it in bitesize chucks.
“It was hard but since I was only doing one lap every day it wasn’t too hard. I just got on with it!” he said.
£1,700 of the £15,000 target has been raised so far.
People can still donate to the fundraiser here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/year-6-residential-trip-2024