Fundraising festival for once in a lifetime trip

New Horizon students and staff

Timeware UK Ltd, from Rochdale, donated £1,300 to top up the £400 Bury College staff and students raised at their first fundraising festival, B-Fest.

The event was created to raise funds for a once-in-a-lifetime residential trip for a group of Foundation Studies students.

Supporting schools that attended on the day included Redwood School in Rochdale, Elmsbank Specials Arts College in Bury and Firwood High School in Bolton.

The students were delighted to raise £400 via paid entry and raffle fees alone, however the key donation came from Timeware.

Simon Birchall from Timeware said: “This was a fantastic event by Bury College and we are very glad to be able to help out and be associated with such a worthy cause.”

Adam Grundy, Bury College New Horizons tutor and lead organiser of B-Fest, said: “We can’t thank everyone enough for their generosity at our event. Raising this money gives both the students and their families a chance to have a break away from their usual day-to-day lives, and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them which will create memories that will be cherished forever.”

The New Horizons students are now looking forward to their trip next year where they will be visiting Madame Tussauds, the Sealife Centre and the Circus.

Thanks to the generous efforts and wonderful support of tutors and the local community, students studying the New Horizon course who have profound learning difficulties and disabilities, many of whom have never been away before, are now able to go on a life-affirming residential trip to Blackpool.

The event welcomed a variety of interactive stalls and activities including various arts and crafts, power chair football, face paints and fake tattoos, food and drink and a small petting zoo. Bury College music students performed throughout the day where they entertained the near 100 visitors that came. To support the fundraising all visitors were charged £2 entry and the college’s Student Action Group organised the raffle on the day.

As well as staff and students, B-Fest brought together a number of local organisations who all supported the cause. These included; Bury Football Club, Slattery Patisserie and Chocolatiers, East Lancashire Railway, The Body Shop, My Sensibility, Arcade Club and Bury Athletics club, all of which donated their time or raffle prizes.