THE CHARITIES

The Young Carers

Young Carers is a charity close to heart and is accessed by many of our pupils here at St. John’s. The Young Carers and Families Team work with children who provide care for a family member who is ill, has a disability or experiences mental health, drug or alcohol issues. The Young Carers Team support children by providing them with information, offering one-to-one emotional support at difficult times, arranging rest bite for them in the form of fun trips and weekends away. They also run a Young Carers Youth club fortnightly, which is attended by 40 Young Carers across the Harrogate District. This provides Young Carers with a safe space to come to regularly, where they can make friends and share experiences and be children again!

To find more about the The Young Carers, please visit https://youngcarersresource.org/.

Knaresborough St John's C of E Sensory Room

The second cause for our fundraising is for our school sensory space which we feel will promote both the social and emotional needs of those children on our Special Educational Needs register as well as encourage creative writing and speech and language opportunities right across school. As Mental Health and indeed the awareness of it within children and young people is becoming increasingly important, we really want to create a space in school where children feel safe and secure; a place they can visit when they feel the world is on top of them. We truly believe that having our St. John’s Sensory Space will both enrich and enhance the ever changing and incredibly difficult curriculum and every day lives for all our children and thank you in advance for any support you feel you may be able to offer our Bed Race Team

THE GREAT KNARESBOROUGH BED RACE

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race has been held every year since 1966, always on the second Saturday in June. It is a mighty pageant of decorated beds, passengers and runners, combined with a gruelling athletic contest around a course of 2.4 miles. It is organised by volunteers from the Knaresborough Lions to raise funds to meet local charitable and community needs.

This takes the teams – usually 90 squads in the maximum race field - through parkland, through the Nidd Gorge, up the steep Castle Ings to the town centre. They then hurtle down High Street and Bond End, cross High Bridge and dash to the climax of the event: the 30-yard swim through the ever-icy waters of the River Nidd, beds racers and all. For the teams, it is an unforgettable experience, and for spectators unmissable. Bed racing, begun in Knaresborough, has spread across the globe, helping to entertain folk and raising cash for worthwhile causes.

To find out more about the Bed Race, please visit https://www.bedrace.co.uk/.

OUR TEAMS

The Teachers

This year we are running with a staff bed which is very exciting. This Bed Race Team consists of Mr Hope, Mrs Ross, Mrs Richardson, Mr Bedford, Miss Bamber and Mr Wilson who are all really enjoying their training so far!!! As a staff team, we have all been inspired to take part in the local community and raise money and awareness for two incredible charities.

The Parents

St Johns PTA has run a parents bed for several years now. The team this year is made up of Amanda Glennon, Dave Cooper, James Munday, Jon Booth, Jonathan Helm & Lucy Crosbie. There are several first timers in the team, and we are all looking forward to the big day, and raising some money to support our charities.

I'm sure that kids will enjoy seeing the school beds competing on the big day, and make sure to give us all a big cheer when you see us. We'll need all the help we can get!

And finally a couple of photo's from the PTA teams competing in last years event.