Rushcliffe Spencer celebrate tenth year of Esperanza Festival
Rushcliffe Spencer Academy celebrated the 10th anniversary of its ‘Esperanza’ festival in the summer term, raising money for the School of Hope in Jocotenango, Guatemala. Thanks to the fantastic effort of students, staff and the wider community, the academy raised £3,900 this year - a new record! This brings the total over the past 10 years to over a whopping £20,000!
This phenomenal amount enables the School of Hope to support the 650 children, aged 4-18 years, who attend the school for free, and their families. As well as free education, the school also provides nutritious meals twice a day, psychological support, healthcare and career guidance.
The afternoon at Rushcliffe was a fantastic success, with students and staff enjoying a myriad of festival delights from varied music performances and inflatable fun, to ‘splat the teacher’ and an amazing array of craft and food stalls. The event is a highlight in the school calendar and this year did not disappoint.
Sarah Sismey, Head of School said: “Esperanza is such an important part of Rushcliffe. It’s a whole-school event which everyone loves getting involved in, but it’s also much more than that. Every year we support the School of Hope charity, working to provide education and support in Guatemala. It’s a really important global connection for us, and really demonstrates Rushcliffe’s values of “We care for our world” and “We support others”. It’s one of the events at Rushcliffe that makes me the most proud, and it’s something that creates lasting memories across the whole school community.”
Rushcliffe has supported Education for the Children, the West Bridgford based charity, which funds the School of Hope and its further education programmes, since 2014. The annual summer festival has helped hundreds of children continue to learn, thrive and succeed. You can find out more about Education for the Children foundation who founded and run The School of Hope at: https://www.eftc.org.uk/
