Fundraising fun at Academy

The 15-year-old has been told the rare cancer he has been battling for two years is now terminal and he wants to visit Italy while he can.

Staff and pupils have been organising a variety of events to support The Italian Job, raising more than £5,000 for Charlie’s trip.

Drop Everything and Read day on October 2 saw staff and students dress as book characters, such as Harry Potter, Bond, The Queen of Hearts and the Demon Headmaster.

The next day, a mass of red, white and green flowed into the academy, as students and staff dressed in the colours of the Italian flag.

Head boys and girls toured the school with collection buckets and a cake sale held during break sold out in minutes. Lunch was pizza and pasta, in keeping with the Italian theme, and students in years seven and eight formed a giant Italian flag to wish Charlie a fantastic trip.

As well as donations from staff, parents and pupils, there were many offers of support for Charlie and his family and in addition to the money raised by Shoreham Academy, the Kevin Ogle Sarcoma Cancer Trust donated £2,500 to Charlie’s appeal.

Acting principal Jim Coupe and other members of staff also joined Charlie’s family and friends on the Walk for Charlie.

There was a final surprise last Monday, when classmates from Shoreham Academy’s Doyle School bought and wore yellow ribbons, to give Charlie some spending money for his trip.