For this years Grapplethon we are raising money for two separate causes, which have personal connections with two students from Gracie Barra Bristol.

The first charity we will be supporting is the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Comfort Fund, a small Bristol based charity which aims to support individuals with CF and their families in their daily lives. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited, incurable disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them up with sticky mucus, profoundly reducing the quality of life of those affected. In 2015, Shell Partridge – the long-term partner of a valued instructor at our academy – sadly lost her battle with the disease at the age of 26. Her sister Lauren, whom also had CF passed on the following year at the age of only 19. To keep the girls’ memory alive, a team of their close friends and family have pledged to complete 65 fundraising events in their name. The Grapplethon will bring us one step closer to achieving this goal, whilst supporting families affected by CF around the Bristol area.

The second project we are supporting is that of a Pre-School situated in a rural village in Malawi – a very poor country in South-Eastern Africa. One of our students volunteered there in 2013, and maintained contact with the two of the teachers after she left. Sadly, the school has experienced a loss of funding and is now being run on a voluntary basis with very few resources. We plan to direct a portion of the funds raised to send over a collection of educational and recreational resources (e.g. books/balls), and to support the monthly running costs, including the purchase of maize which will promise the children at least one meal a day.