Students scale mountains to raise thousands for St Barnabas House

Students taking part in the town collection raised Â£191 for the charity fund

The main way that Chatsmore Catholic High School, Goring, is raising money is by taking on the Three Peaks Challenge.

Ten students will be climbing Great Britain’s three highest peaks within 24 hours, along with a small team of staff. Each participant has pledged to raised £200 sponsorship money ahead of climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in June.

The total distance the team will walk during the challenge is estimated to be 26 miles with a total ascent of 9,800 feet.

To add to the money being raised, 43 students from year seven took part in a school sleepover, supported by the Three Peaks staff team.

During the course of the evening students took part in team games, followed by a movie night with popcorn and finally an evening prayer before settling down to sleep in the school hall.

Students were asked to make a voluntary donation to take part, raising £500.

A collection in the town centre raised a further £191 and teachers said the general public were really supportive and interested to know more about how the school is raising money for St Barnabas House, with more than 400 leaflets handed out.

The school also took part in a sponsored sleep-out, where 33 students from years ten and 11, and four staff, slept in the school grounds with their sleeping bags and cardboard structures.

The evening, led by head teacher Peter Byrne, included a talk from Sophie Moore from Worthing Churches Homeless Projects, outlining the growing problem of homelessness in Worthing.

Teachers said that by midnight the temperature really dropped as the group bedded down for the night under the stars.

It was said to have started raining at 1.30am, which forced the entire group to huddle under archways and doorways, struggling to sleep.

The sponsorship for this event was split between St Barnabas House hospice and Worthing Churches Homeless Projects.

To donate to the school’s Three Peaks Challenge in aid of St Barnabas House, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cchs-fundraising.