Pupils, parents and staff from Battle Abbey School are currently working hard to raise funds for the ‘James Haggerty’ Expedition, to Kenya. The schools Fourth Major Charitable Expedition to Kenya in recent years.

The expedition team, made up of 16 pupils from years 9 to 13, and a number of staff and adults, are due to touch down in Kenya on July 12th. Here pupils will take part in a local community project to build the James Haggerty Nursery School from scratch in just under two weeks.

‘Currently the school is based under an Acacia tree in open ground at the village,’ said Zofia Malewicz, expedition team leader. ‘With no building and virtually no resources the local teachers are doing what they can. Pupils have no writing materials and use the sandy ground to draw and learn. The school will be built in memory of James Haggerty and will enhance the lives of hundreds of Kenyan children from the surrounding area.’

To build a school from scratch in just under two weeks is a mammoth task for the team and a unique opportunity for the Battle Abbey School pupils to help other less privileged children.

‘Pupils have been running cake sales, making Battle Abbey bath bombs and soaps as well as holding a raffle.’ said Zof Malewicz. ‘The raffle received tremendous support from the community with prize donations from many local shops. The school also held a Christmas theme mufti day. Next term we hope to be running a tuck shop on site at the school and continuing with our cake sales. All proceeds are going towards the nursery school project. £4,000 is needed to build the nursery school so fundraising for the rest of the year will be extensive.’

If anyone would like to help fundraise for this amazing project please don’t hesitate to contact Zofia Malewicz at Battle Abbey School on malewiczz@battleabbeyschool.com.

Thanks to the following local shops in and around Battle for their kind donations which raised £280 in the raffle.

Jewsons Builders, Farrago, Indigo Hair, Woodrights, Battle Flower Shop, House of Cards, Bittersweet, Martells of Battle, The Abbey Tuck Shop, Battle Deli, Penny Royal, Yesterdays World.