Buxton students raise £400 for Blythe House Hospice following teacher’s cancer diagnosis

Kelly Collinge, Head of Humanities and History teacher at St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy, was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2023 and accessed a range of services and support at Blythe House hospice in Chapel-en-le-Frith.

Now the students have raised money for the hospice by wearing blue clothes in exchange for a donation.

Kerry said: “Everyone at St Thomas More School has been incredibly supportive, and rallied around me when I got sick, as we really are all part of the Tommy’s Family.

“I saw the opportunity to raise some funds for Blythe House, and when I mentioned it to the Headteacher, David Redfern, he, without any hesitation whatsoever, said that we would 100 per cent get on board with their Go Blue for Blythe campaign.”

Amy Shaw the Head of English and her husband donated sweets for a sweet sale at breaktime to raise even more money which proved so popular it had sold out within five minutes.

Kerry said Blythe House had been an amazing support to her and her family since her diagnosis.

She said: “They provide all sorts of services, completely free of charge, such as counselling, physiotherapy, complimentary therapies, support groups, and practical help. We are so lucky to have this service in the High Peak, and not have to travel into Manchester. Fortunately, I am on the mend, and have returned to work.

“The amount of pupils and staff in blue made me feel quite emotional, as we all, as a whole community, stand together in our fight against cancer.”

Headteacher David Refern added: “I’m delighted that St Thomas More has raised money for such a special local charity.

“Blythe House provided invaluable support to Mrs Collinge throughout her cancer journey, and numerous families in our community have also benefitted from their care.

“I extend a heartfelt thank you to Blythe House for their exceptional care of Mrs Collinge, and I am confident that the funds raised will help them in their mission to support others facing cancer in the High Peak area.”