A charity walk with a difference for Cundall pupils

Over 300 pupils and parents from our school went the extra mile to benefit fellow pupils over 7000 miles away in Cambodia.

The pupils took part in the annual event that saw them complete the 5km walk around the school’s idyllic surrounds.

Children as young as 6 completed the walk with donations being requested in support of a wider initiative being run by the Independent Schools Association (ISA) and United World Schools.

The School has pledged any funds raised from the walk to the ISA who are working together with United World Schools to establish a new school for a remote part of Cambodia – Pong Tek.

Another 423 ISA Member Schools have been asked to pledge to raise funds that will not only help build a new school for the local people, but also provide teacher-training and equipment for the community in this remote part of Cambodia.

The new ISA-UWS School will have four distinct classrooms, a library, and solar lights, as well as the first toilet and water-well in the village.

Joint Head at Cundall Manor School, Amanda Kirby, said: “We are proud that we can contribute to such a great initiative. The annual walk is a superb opportunity to help raise funds for a worthy charity.”

Everyone in the village of Pong Tek is currently involved in subsistence agriculture with very few other opportunities available without a basic education. There are over 1000 people living in the village and only around 5% can currently read or write. The ISA-UWS School will be a first for the community and will instantly provide a life changing opportunity for over 230 out-of-school children.

Neil Roskilly, Chief Executive of the Independent Schools Association, says that “this is a wonderful opportunity for schools to be involved in this great project, helping to provide an education for a whole community as well as setting up educational links to benefit pupils both here in the UK and in Cambodia.”