On Thursday 23 February, Year 8 students Eden, James, Finley and Tyler (pictured) sold more than 100 cakes, biscuits and sweet treats to their classmates and teachers during break time, raising £80 towards Cool Earth’s community work in Malaysia.
The cake sale was part of an ongoing ‘Green Teen’ philanthropy project that the students have been taking part in, supported by Helston-based specialist holiday lettings company Classic Cottages.
The students have been learning about the importance of conservation and philanthropy, taking part in a Dragon’s Den style pitch to secure a £1,800 donation from Classic Cottages to be split between three Cool Earth projects.
The three groups of students taking part were then given a further £70 each to kick-start their own fundraising activities for the charity.
Chairman of Classic Cottages, Simon Tregoning, said: “Each group of students was challenged with taking the £70 and using their entrepreneurial skills to try and increase it. They all threw themselves into the project with huge enthusiasm, and with a little support and guidance, they were able to put their ideas into action.
“As a company, we have supported Cool Earth for several years, sponsoring 35 acres of rainforest in Ecuador and Peru, and the ‘Green Teen’ philanthropy project is a great way to continue our support, teaching the next generation of entrepreneurs about how they can make a real difference.”
Once all the groups have finished their fundraising efforts, a presentation will be held to announce the total amount of money raised for Cool Earth and a cheque will be presented to the charity, which is based in Penryn.
Falmouth School teacher Imogen Dyckhoff, who coordinated the project said: “After learning about the work carried out by Cool Earth, the students were really inspired and they couldn’t wait to get stuck into their own fundraising projects. So far, more than £160 has been raised, and there is still one event to go before we reveal the grand total – if we can reach £200 I think the students should be very proud.”
The ‘Green Teen’ philanthropy project has been launched by the charity Cool Earth to help schools raise funds with the support of local businesses interested in protecting the environment. Following the success of the pilot project in Falmouth, the charity now intends to take it nationwide, with sponsorship from local businesses in each area.
Jemma Woodman, head of communications and fundraising at Cool Earth, added: “This is the first time that we’ve tried running a project like this and so far we have been really pleased with how it has gone. It’s great to have a local business like Classic Cottages supporting and funding it, and now we hope to roll it out across the country, introducing more teenagers to the idea of philanthropy and protecting the rainforest.”
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