Buxton school staff plan 12-hour fundraising walk for pupils' trip to zoo

Assistant headteacher Frankie Dodd and office manager Faye Minshull, from St Anne’s Academy, on Lightwood Road, will be walking laps of the playground from 7.30am to 7.30pm on Friday, June 23, joined by each class for 30 minute shifts throughout the day.

Having secured free tickets for the entire school to visit Chester Zoo in December, they now need to raise £2,500 to pay for the coaches to get there.

Frankie, who will be leaving at the end of this term for a headteacher’s post in Glossop, said: “I’d like to set this up now so that all the pupils have something to look forward to.

“A lot of the trips we do now have to be tied into a particular topic they’re studying, but this is something all 220 children will do together, making lifelong memories and seeing things they’d never see normally.”

She added: “Lots of children in Buxton might never get the opportunity to visit the zoo and develop that cultural capital. It’s one of the best in the UK with jaguars, lions and tigers.

“It’s going over and above what we normally offer in the curriculum, so there’s not much scope for it in the school budget, but we also know a lot of parents are facing financial difficulties with the cost of living – that’s why we want to get the whole community involved.”

The St Anne’s Stomp – SAS – will be a test of endurance and survival, but Frankie believes the two women believe are up to the task.

Frankie said: “Faye’s a bit of a gym bunny, and if anyone in school ever needs a bit of motivation and inspiration, she’s the one to go to. She’s very much up for it.

“I’m prepping by wearing comfy shoes around the house to make sure I don’t get blisters.”

The pair expect to refuel at the finish line with the school’s summer barbecue, when staff, parents and children will be on site together to celebrate another year’s end.

To make a donation to the appeal, go to https://tinyurl.com/y6rjfprs.

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