St Mary's supports Croydon Care4Calais' Christmas Appeal

St Mary’s has a proud tradition going back many years of supporting the most vulnerable and needy in our local community, especially during the season of Advent. This year, students and staff donated items in support of Croydon Care4Calais Community Group’s Christmas Appeal in order to offer emergency aid to refugees and asylum seekers in our local area. They help to provide dignity and comfort in an otherwise overwhelming situation. They aim this Christmas to give as many children a ‘box of joy’, and adults a ‘bag of hope’.

Following a number of assemblies, students were asked to donate various items which would contribute to the boxes and bags that Care4Calais aimed to provide. Each House group was asked to donate specific items:

Bernadette House – Childrens’ socks, gloves, hats, scarfs, toiletries.

John Bosco House – Adults’ socks, gloves, hats, scarfs, toiletries.

Peter House – Childrens’ colouring books, pencils, paints, toys/games, balls.

Theresa House – Adults’ Notebooks, pens, hairbrushes, toiletries.

We were delighted that students and staff donated several box loads of donations to the Care4Calais appeal which were collected on the last day of term, as the school broke up for the Christmas holiday.