Twin charities cash in on Liphook school's Christmas fair

The popular annual fundraiser at Highfield and Brookham School, complete with snow machine, fun games, craft stalls, hilarious racing pigs – not real ones! – and warming food and drink, netted a cool £2,400.

The cash will be divided between two charities, with Liphook Food bank receiving a donation of £1,400 and £1,000 going to Highreach, which provides week-long summer holidays for disabled children.

Run by the Highfield Parents’ Association, the fair this year featured a ‘gift tree’ containing pre-labelled tags for boys and girls of various ages. Visitors take tags and buy appropriate gifts which are handed over to Liphook Food Bank before being donated to families who are struggling financially. Eighty-nine presents have been donated so far.

Liphook Food Bank chair of trustees Glynis Blake praised the school for its “incredible generosity” at what can be a difficult time for families.

“Christmas will be that much brighter for the children who will now have a toy,” she added.

“The money you have raised will mean we can buy more food, so the children will have fuller plates as well as a toy this Christmas - all thanks to you.”

Highfield Highreach Holidays is hosted at Highfield and Brookham and is committed to supporting local families. It runs for one week every August and the charity covers half of the cost of the residential holiday, making it one of few affordable residential respite holidays around.

The cost of these holidays is met by ongoing fundraising initiatives within the school community and a healthy group of volunteers, many of whom return year on year, including former pupils of Highfield and Brookham School.

Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham, said she was delighted that the school could help make a difference to people’s lives.

“Liphook is a tight-knit community and we are very proud to be part of it,” she said.

“Our children never pass up a chance to give back to the community or help people who are perhaps finding things challenging.”

And she added: "We're delighted that the money has gone to two such wonderful causes which do so much amazing work for so many people."