Hello, and thank you for visiting my JustGiving page.

This year I am organising a number of events to raise money for the Mathieson Music School in Calcutta. This school provides accommodation and a rounded education for extremely deprived children in West Bengal, selected on the basis of need. What makes this school particularly special is that as well as providing tuition in all subjects in the Indian curriculum, all pupils learn at least one musical instrument. Please see the selection of photos above to get a flavour of the school.

My family has been involved with the charity for many years – they have visited the school and hosted pupils when they were on concert tour in the UK. At the end of 2010 I am going to do voluntary work at the school for 3 months, being an extra pair of hands in the classroom and helping out with musical instruction in the cello as part of the MMS cultural exchange programme.

My fundraising began on Christmas Day 2009, when I braved the icy waters of the Lido in Cheltenham, and swam 4 lengths at 1°C, for which I raised £620 for the school. Then, on July 11th my parents organized a barbecue and concert at Poulton House gardens for over 100 guests. The 40-strong Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra all played and Anup Kumar Biswas, founder of the school, also performed with his children. We raised £1,156.

The school desperately needs funds to continue their good work – they rely entirely on our donations to keep them going, and it offers a fantastic opportunity for the children to improve their lives through education, so please give generously. Any amount is welcome.

Thank you very much.

Jess/Pip :) xxx