On Friday 11th December students arrived at school with huge smiles and a festive buzz of excitement. As they walked to their first lessons students showed off their Christmas themed non-uniform with pride. It was great to see the wonderful outfits that our students had fashioned to support Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). The hospice holds a special place in the hearts of all HDS staff and it was brilliant to see how many of our students got involved.

During our last lesson, Year 7 students gathered on our astro pitch to complete a 2.5K run to show their support for this year’s ‘Santas on the Run – Goes Freestyle!’ The charity’s festive fundraiser usually sees hundreds of Santa’s running around Eden to raise vital funds for CHSW and its local children’s hospice Little Harbour. This year, due to the pandemic, the event took place virtually. Over the weekend of December 11-13 supporters were encouraged to choose their own route, distance and festive attire making ‘Santas on the Run - Goes Freestyle’ something everyone could get involved in.

It was quite the spectacle seeing our lovely Year 7’s running around the school grounds in their Christmas dress and it is safe to say that so much fun was had by everyone involved. The weather may have tried to put a dampener on things but there was no way this was going to stop our students from getting involved! The rain was met with a wonderful rainbow which spurred our students on.

An incredible £1180 was raised through the donations and sponsorship money collected! Thank you everyone for your generosity, we know these funds will make a difference to many families around the South West.