02 May 2023
It’s been a busy few weeks at St Columba’s College in St Albans, with staff and pupils alike celebrating some remarkable achievements.
Teachers Barry O’Sullivan, Cedy Pinto, and Damian McGinnity completed a gruelling cycling challenge over the Easter break to raise funds for the Iconhope Foundation, a project that supports homeless children based in the Philippines.
Over the course of two days, the trio cycled over 100 miles from the UK to Amsterdam, raising more than £3,700 for the charity, which will go towards providing compassionate care, a safe and secure environment, and formal schooling to homeless children.
Barry, Cedy, and Damian expressed their gratitude to everyone who supported them in this endeavour, and said they are proud to have made a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
Meanwhile, student Josh Watson has been awarded the Champion Cadet Captain General’s Trophy in the national Champion Cadet Competition, a prestigious annual competition held by the Army Cadet Force, which tests the skills and abilities of cadets from across the UK.
Patrick Burns, the CCF Instructor at St Columba’s, expressed his pride and admiration for Josh’s achievement, adding: “I couldn’t be prouder of Josh’s success!”
Finally, the whole school raised £1,500 for local homeless charity Open Door after holding a sleepout event.
Despite the wind and rain, more than 40 students from Forms 3-5 (Years 9-11) participated in activities and workshops designed to raise awareness of the challenges faced by homeless people. The event was organized by members of the Sixth Form and supported by the College Leadership Team.
The students were given opportunities for reflection and provided with meals for supper and breakfast. They also learned more about the work of Open Door through an information video presented during the event.
Open Door treasurer Lindsey McLeod said the donation will be used to support a range of activities at the Open Door Night Shelter, including the provision of nourishing, home-made meals and a listening service.
The funds will also support a pilot scheme working with Druglink to provide early support for those with addiction issues, and a full-time outreach worker to engage with new and entrenched rough sleepers.
St Columba’s headteacher David Shannon-Little praised the students for their compassionate efforts, adding: “Compassion is one of the three C’s we pride ourselves on at St Columba’s. It is a truly fantastic effort to see so many students putting this into practice for such a worthy cause, even more so when the leadership of the event is being driven by the older students themselves.”
