Ballard pupils have again shown their community spirit by taking on numerous fundraising initiatives, projects and performances to lift the spirits of their local communities.
A trio of pupils have been serenading neighbours from their front gardens in an effort to bring a little joy to residents during the lockdown;
Performing arts scholar and Deputy Head Girl, Millie (16), played a selection of songs including The Sound of Music to those near her home in Everton. Watch her performance here.
Bert (11) delighted his neighbours in New Milton with his rendition of Over the Rainbow on his trombone, which he played during the Thursday evening ‘Clap for Carers’.
Ben (11) has been playing his trumpet three times a week in his street in Hordle while fundraising with other children in the neighbourhood.
Whilst Rosie (16) has been entertaining people around the world with her beautiful performances from home. Rosie is an incredibly talented harpist, who graduated as a Licenciate of Trinity Music College, London and is an Associate Member of The Royal School of Music. Rosie normally performs at concerts and weddings and has even performed for Her Royal Highness Princess Anne! During lockdown, she has been playing soothing harp music to help people through the lockdown on social media sites across the world. She has performed a piece every week after the public requested more. She has had nearly one million views and over a thousand shares across the world with two thousand messages to say how it has helped them, from as far as New Zealand. You may watch her perform here.
Victoria Gray, Director of Performing Arts at Ballard School, said: “Music is a huge part of life at Ballard, so I am very proud to see so many pupils continuing their commitment to singing and mastering musical instruments, despite being away from school.
“I was especially pleased to learn of Millie, Bert, Ben and Rosie sharing their talents and spreading a little joy in the process.”
Headmaster, Andrew McCleave, added: “We might not be able to spend time with our friends and neighbours as we normally would right now, but we can still connect with them, and music is a wonderful way of doing that, as these pupils have demonstrated.”
Fundraising initiatives:
Luca (6) has raised an incredible £7,510.00 (at time of writing) by taking on his own running challenge to raise funds for the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust by running 100 miles in a month. This is an incredible achievement – especially remembering that Luca is only 6 years-old and he came up with the idea all by himself.
Harry (13) is fundraising for the residents of Engleburn Care Home in New Milton so that he can give the residents of the home something to look forward to after lockdown. He set up his own sponsorship page on Facebook and, so far, he has raised £455.00.
Sisters, Olivia (11) and Amy (8), are fundraising for the Christchurch Food Bank. Olivia is doing 20 chin-ups a day for 30 days and Amy is hula-hooping for 20 minutes a day for 30 days.
Isabella (13) has taken on the challenge to attempt to bike 100km in 10 days to raise much-needed funding to support the work of the Lymington NHS Heroes. In the first two days of her fundraising efforts, she has already raised well over £500.00, which is an incredible achievement. You may still donate to her fundraising page here.
Harrison (13) has also been fundraising during the half-term holiday. He hosted a pop up takeaway in aid of Diverse Abilities Dorset and raised £348.00.
Max (9) ran a stall from his garden over the half-term, selling herbs that he’d grown himself in order to raise money for the NHS.
Pupils have also been fundraising in aid of Lymington Hospital and Oakhaven Hospice.
We are incredibly proud of our pupils’ compassion and desire to help others. We look forward to receiving more of their inspirational stories.
