Members of CASPA (Children on the Autistic Spectrum Parents Association) took a break from rehearsals for their club activities to recieve a cheque for £155.00. The money was raised by members of the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy in Bromley & West Kent during their 10th Birthday Celebrations in July 2008. The donation will be put towards their Christmas Show which takes place in December.
The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, renowned for helping children develop confidence, self esteem and verbal communication skills, has made a huge effort throughout the UK and raised the fantastic sum of £20,000 for Children In Need.
All over the country, children attending drama classes devised ways to raise thousands of pounds to present to the charity. These included:
• Big Bag Packs at ASDA Supermarkets around the country. This year, Children In Need is ASDA’s chosen charity so many Principals had a special visit from Pudsey Bear himself.
• Special edition Academy T-Shirts on sale, which children proudly wore at their school’s non-uniform days, with all proceeds going to the charity.
• Bad hair days, with prizes for the best hairstyle.
• Bring a parent day, giving mums and dads chance to experience the exciting drama classes children attend each week. Obviously parents made a contribution for this pleasure.
• Bear-themed lessons, when children and parents dressed as, or brought a bear to class. All activities were based around teddy bears.
• Sponsored talking – children raised money by continuously performing one drama activity for up to 15 minutes.
• ‘Celebrity Scissorhands’ – one Principal and her teacher volunteered as models and were accepted on the television show during the run up to Children In Need
Our Bromley and West Kent Classes have raised over £550 towards the grand total. This was through the bag pack at ASDA Gravesend and our ‘design a Pudsey costume’ competition. We have been thrilled to be a part of such a worthwhile cause and are very proud of everyone who helped in raising such an amazing amount of money.
The Academy has been operating worldwide since 1979 and in the UK since 1994 and we are proud our students had the confidence to join in all these activities and raise money for children less fortunate than themselves.
With forty eight branches of the Academy around the UK, and approximately 13,000 children attending classes each week, the target was set high and Principals and their teachers worked hard to raise a total of £20,000.
