This undeveloped idea was then overtaken by tragic events in the second half of the Autumn term. First, a much-loved colleague and English teacher, Pilar Gaughan was killed in a car accident. Pilar was Head of Yellow House in School, which had always supported charitable work in Africa, the building of medical centres and orphanages in Malawi. Then our Head Girl, Tallulah Beard, was diagnosed with an unusual and aggressive cancer and died within a number of weeks while still only 17 years old. These two sudden deaths rocked our school community, but out of the shock and grief there emerged a determination to do something special in memory of both Pilar and Tallulah.
In the summer before she died, Tallulah had volunteered, together with Oscar Hart, a friend from school, at an orphanage in Kenya called Makimei. Oscar was able to tell us how much the experience had meant to Tallulah and how she wanted others to hear the story of the orphanage, which was facing losing its building, so that it could receive financial aid to purchase and develop a new premises, and also ongoing support both financial and also possibly in the form of future volunteers from the LES Sixth Form.
So, all the elements crystallised into one big idea. A whole school charity event to raise a substantial amount of money for the Makimei orphanage in memory of Tallulah and Pilar, and at the same time celebrate the move to our new Secondary School. Looking at dates, we realised that an ideal date fell during the UK Sports Relief Week, whose motto “Whatever moves you… Get active. Raise Money. Change lives.” seemed to fit very well with what we were trying to do.
The walk is challenging but we feel that our pupils will rise to the challenge. It runs for 20km along paths and minor roads from the vineyards of Lliber, through the village of Senija, skirting the town of Teulada to Benitachell, before the steep climb up the Cumbre del Sol. We will walk past the fast- growing new Secondary School before arriving at the recently completed new block of the Primary School which will give pupils a taste of the design of their new Secondary facility.
Sponsored walks are not uncommon, but to mobilise a whole school in a symbolic ‘moving on’ to a new building, in memory of a much-loved teacher and pupil and in support of such a good cause, is something special. The school community is embracing the idea and excitement about the forthcoming walk is growing.
Tallulah’s father, Peter Beard, works in Africa and facilitated Tallulah and Oscar’s volunteering at the Makimei Orphanage. He has agreed to help ensure that every cent we raise is delivered where it is needed, and also to facilitate future contact and volunteering links between the orphanage and LES. He will be present at the walk on Friday 23rd March.
Our aim is to raise in excess of 10,000 euros on the day, mainly through sponsorship of the pupils, staff and parents who take part in the walk. This would be a tremendous achievement, something of which all our pupils and staff could be immensely proud. It will take ambition, preparation, effort, determination and teamwork to make the event a success – these are all core educational values at LES.
And so we look forward to our School getting “On the Move!"
Philip Baldwin
6th February
2018
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