“Aim high – shine bright!”

Who are we?
We are a registered charity established to support the children of St Francis of Assisi school in west London. Positioned at the juncture of poverty and prosperity, right at the foot of Grenfell tower, our school stands as a beacon of hope amidst the challenges our community faces. The charity started 18 months ago with a small donation around £2.5k.
We now have a dedicated fundraiser and a network of supporters and providers to help us help children to thrive beyond the classroom.

The impetus behind this initiative stems from the exponential increase in demand for support within our community during and since the cost-of-living crisis. What was once around 35% of families reliant on free school meals has surged to almost 50%, underscoring the urgency of our fundraising. We have 22% of children who have SEND, way above the national average of c.15%. We exist to help children thrive beyond the classroom; every penny we raise is for non-statutory support to help our children to flourish and reach their full potential.

Where are we?
The school is based in the heart of Notting Dale which is within 10% of the most deprived areas in England where a quarter of the children officially live in poverty. And yet the next ward over, a mere 5 minutes’ walk away is Holland Park where the life expectancy is over 20 years higher. The disparity is just so stark. For children growing up in poverty in Kensington, access to necessities is often precarious.

Despite the borough’s reputation, there exists a significant portion of families grappling with financial insecurity, inadequate housing, and limited access to essential services. High living costs coupled with low wages contribute to housing instability, overcrowded living conditions, and difficulties in affording nutritious food and healthcare. These circumstances can have profound effects on children’s physical health, cognitive development, and overall well-being.

Who do we support?
There are extraordinary levels of deprivation amongst our families (almost half on free school meals and many others “working poor”) and the purpose of the organisation is to help children thrive by supporting them beyond the classroom and outside of statutory provision. Temporary housing, refugee status, domestic abuse, and the strain around the cost of living are all issues which affect not only parents, but vicariously the children too.

Educational disparities further compound the challenges faced by children living in poverty in our neighbourhood. Limited access to educational resources, extracurricular activities, and educational support services can hinder academic achievement and perpetuate cycles of disadvantage. Additionally, the stressors associated with poverty, such as food insecurity and unstable living conditions, can impede children’s ability to focus on school and engage
in learning effectively.

Our children are incredibly gifted; we have been amazed at how they have responded to opportunities, especially creative ones. We are determined to offer more of these life-changing initiatives to our children fully funded, so that they can attend regardless of their family’s finances.

What do we do?
Previously, our efforts predominantly centred on facilitating school trips, contributing to uniform expenses, and offering sporadic aid to struggling families. However, the evolving landscape necessitates a broader, more comprehensive approach to address the multifaceted needs arising within our community.
We are starting a programme of free after school clubs, a series of trips and a dedicated, part-time member of staff to make much-needed referrals to local charities. We noticed that children were coming to school hungry, and some even fell asleep in class. To this end we have just last month installed Magic Breakfast at our school which is universal and free, meaning there is no stigma, and children can readily eat from baskets of toasted bagels delivered to each classroom.

What do we hope to achieve?
We want to broaden children’s horizons and ambitions. We want them to feel that regardless of their circumstances and financial constraints that they too can express themselves creatively and confidently. We want them to feel proud and accomplished by working with expert providers in informal learning (such as the wonderful Little House of Science, and our very engaging drama club).

We want to light a spark within those children who might have a calling to be on the stage or to work in STEM, or least to grow their confidence and self-belief whilst they have fun with a wider range of peers than just their own class during a longer school day.

We want to alleviate the financial burden that almost all our parents endure, and we want to offer their children the kind of opportunities that lots of children their age can access. We have the space at school to run the club. We have all the AV and tech equipment. The school office staff is happy to coordinate with parents and teachers are willing to support in any way. We just need the kind support of donors to bridge the gap.

How can you help?
We are so grateful for donations of time, talent and money. Volunteering to read with our children is a very welcome gift to give, helping us to sort out and maintain our garden and grounds is also incredibly valuable. We appreciate the expertise of many professions inhelping us with the “business” of the charity and school (recently we had professional garden designers advising us on the space, giving their time for free. And any financial gift, big or small would be so greatly appreciated. The school provides all our admin, our premises, our overheads; every penny raised goes straight to the children.