Students Lead the Way in Successful Lourdes Fundraising Fortnight

In a decades-old tradition, the St Mary’s community came together this term for two fantastic weeks of fundraising in support of Lourdes.

The secret to putting the ‘fun’ into fundraising lay in letting the students take the initiative. They worked collaboratively to plan the fortnight, sharing ideas and then voting for the activities they were most excited to either run or take part in, giving everyone a sense of ownership and shared enthusiasm.

The result: a fun-filled programme of activities guaranteed to bring excitement and friendly competition across the school. The students ran carnival stalls, included tin can alley, spin-the-wheel, bobbing for donuts, splat-the-rat and face painting, while cake sales and an ice cream stall provided additional opportunities to enjoy sweet treats. Guess What's in the Mystery Box was a tactile mix of suspense and apprehension, with contents like cold spaghetti, jelly stock cubes and Orbeez creating perfect squeamish reactions.

The hugely popular annual dog show brought the two weeks to a close, in a sea of furry family members brought in specially by parents to join in the fun. The show was enjoyed by everyone, as the dogs tackled obstacle courses and obedience tests, and were judged for ‘Best in Show’.

Throughout all the fun, the underlying objective remained clear – to raise funds for the Glanfield Children's Group, which runs a holiday-pilgrimage to the French town of Lourdes every August in conjunction with The Catholic Association. St Mary’s Sixth form students, staff and alumnae also volunteer each year at Lourdes, offering their service to support sick and elderly pilgrims.

We are incredibly proud of the initiative and dedication showed by all involved, including Aria M. in Year 8 who contacted her local Tesco store and came away with a very generous donation of doughnuts to help with her Form's fundraising initiatives. Thank you to everyone who supported the events and helped make the Lourdes fundraising fortnight such a memorable success.

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March 2026