Raising funds for international education charity

07/03/2019
Bedales Prep, Bedales Senior

Runners at Bedales Prep School, Dunhurst who took part in the Great South Run last October presented Cecily’s Fund with a cheque for £2,171 on 7 March, when the charity’s founder, Basil Eastwood, joined pupils for assembly.

After talking to pupils about the work of Cecily’s Fund, Basil was presented with the cheque by Dunhurst pupils Benny McNeill, Madeleine McNeill, Annabel Rowell and Dare Cross – as well as Bedales staff, Rob Reynolds and Karen Wood – who were among a team of 32 runners from Bedales who took part in the Great South Run.

The Bedales team raised £4,342 to be split between two charities: Cecily’s Fund, which helps Zambian orphans access an education to give them a better future in adulthood, and the John Badley Foundation, which provides transformational opportunities for young people to benefit from a Bedales education through fully funded bursaries.

Cecily’s Fund was established 21 years ago by Basil and his wife, Alison, after their daughter Cecily – who attended Bedales from 1991-1996 – was tragically killed in a road accident while working with orphans in Zambia in 1997.

Basil said: “This was a wonderful effort by the Bedales community, supporting two charities which in their different ways are totally dedicated to the proposition that, especially for the disadvantaged, education changes lives. Cecily was working in Zambia when she died, and with this support, Cecily's Fund will be able to give hope and education to over 40 orphans.”

Director of External Relations, Rob Reynolds, said: “We are very grateful to Basil Eastwood for coming to Dunhurst to talk about the life-changing work of Cecily’s Fund. We were all inspired to hear how the charity is making such a difference by enabling so many vulnerable children to attend school in Zambia. Having chosen two education causes to support, we are also delighted that fundraising for the John Badley Foundation has enabled children facing significant challenges to attend Dunhurst and Bedales who would not otherwise have been able to consider an independent school education.”

The Bedales Great South Run team is grateful to the support of The County House Company and the Pledgit online fundraising platform which enabled more funds to be raised for the two education charities: Cecily's Fund and the John Badley Foundation.  

More information about the Bedales team at the Great South Run is available here.

Cecily's Fund | John Badley Foundation | Great South Run | The Country House Company | Pledgit