Season of goodwill celebrated in abundance at King’s Ely

Pupils, families and staff members at King’s Ely are renowned for showing community spirit all year round, but never more so than at Christmas.

From raising funds for charities which support people less fortunate than themselves, to making and donating food for some of the Ely area’s most vulnerable people, King’s Ely is delighted to have supported many community initiatives this festive season.

One project the school was pleased to support again this year was the Ely Community Meals Christmas Lunch. Sous Chef at King’s Ely, Chris Woodfin, and other members of the Catering Team made and delivered more than two hundred servings of soup to volunteers who run the community lunch, ready for them to be served on Christmas Day. Ely Cathedral and a group of volunteers have been providing a Christmas Day lunch for twelve years now. This year's lunch was served in a slightly different format due to Covid, but the team were determined to still bring festive food and cheer to those in need.

Girls in Withburga House, one of the day houses at King’s Ely Senior, with support from their Housemistress, Sue-Ellen Godde, decided they wanted to pack as many Christmas bags as they could with gifts and goodies for Ely Foodbank to then distribute during the festive season. The girls were proud to donate thirty five gift bags in total, which volunteers at the Foodbank described as “wonderful”.

Students, staff and families at King’s Ely Junior also supported the Foodbank by collecting a haul of food and drink items during the last few weeks of term. Boxes filled with everything from Christmas cakes to chutneys to tinned ham were donated to the Foodbank in time for its volunteers to share out among those in need.

All pupils at King’s Ely Junior (Years 3-8) donned their whackiest Christmas costumes and accessories for Santa Runs around the school astro-turf during the final week of term too. Not only were the Santa Runs a feast of colour and fun, but families’ generosity also resulted in them raising more than £5,000 for King’s Ely Junior’s chosen charity, Shooting Star Children's Hospices, which cares for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families.

Students in Years 12 and 13 also raised much-needed funds for charity by purchasing tickets for a Sixth Form Christmas Charity Dinner in the Monastic Barn. By enjoying a scrumptious formal dinner prepared by the school’s Catering Team, students raised more than £1,800 for Asthma UK.