School Takes Part in Charity Advent Challenge in Loving Memory of Pupil

All Hallows Catholic High School in Penwortham has taken part in a special ‘Advent Challenge’ to raise money for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, in memory of Year 11 pupil, Dylan Crossey.

Dylan was aged just 15 years old when he sadly passed away at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital following a car collision. His school wanted to do something positive in Dylan’s memory, so decided to organise fundraising challenges for the whole school to take part in. School Chaplain, Dan Antonio read that the average amount spent by parents on a child for Christmas is £312, so came up with the idea of tasking each year group to raise £312 towards Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

Each form group across the school has enthusiastically got behind the challenge, organising a whole range of fundraising initiatives, from bakes sales and car washes to football tournaments. The school will also be raising money at its Christmas Carols Concert and Christmas Fayre, when pupils will be selling arts and crafts made in the school’s art department. In total the school aims to raise £1,500 to support the Children’s Hospital.

All Hallows Catholic High School Chaplain, Dan Antonio comments: “This Advent is tinged with sadness for us here at All Hallows. However, to be able to support RMHC is a great privilege. We are doing so at the request of Dylan’s family who were so impressed with the hospital’s care for Dylan at the end of his life that it was without hesitation that they agreed to our fundraising going to the charity. Advent is a time of hope and it is our hope that the money we raise will go some way to bring a little bit of comfort to children and families when they need it the most”

All money raised by the Advent Challenge will go towards Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital’s ‘One Big Toy’ Appeal which is aiming to build and equip a multi-sensory room next to the children’s cardiology and respiratory ward so that families with very poorly children can enjoy some much-needed space away from the clinical ward environment. Multi-sensory rooms are specially designed environments to give young patients a place to completely relax or access a wide range of sensory experiences for therapy, learning or fun.

Philippa Boyd, School Fundraising Officer at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital comments: “It’s lovely that the school has chosen to fundraise in memory of Dylan over the Christmas period. It shows by their passion and enthusiasm just how popular Dylan was, and how much he will be missed. The pupils should be proud that their fundraising will help make a real difference to the poorly patients at our Children’s Hospital. The money will make a valuable contribution towards our appeal to build a multi-sensory room, so that every child in the hospital, regardless of their condition, can have a place where they can relax and feel calm away from the clinical ward environment."