Melrose pupils have welcomed Guernsey Welfare to present money raised from a soft-toy sale, along with Harvest donations, to help islanders in need.
The girls, aged 10 to 11, gave Simon Fairclough, Manager of Guernsey Welfare, £350.50 in donations and non-perishable food. The pupils sold their own soft toys to the rest of the school and the final total is still being counted.
Simon’s visit forms part of Changemakers, one of four strands of the College’s Pathways curriculum, connecting learning with real-world challenges. In this Pathway, girls across Melrose investigate issues they care about, consider different perspectives and lead their own projects to make a positive difference.
Since September, Forms II and III have explored how they can create meaningful change, investigating food poverty in Guernsey and putting their ideas into action to support islanders in need.
Claire Cunningham, Form III teacher, said: “When we first shared the statistics from Guernsey Welfare with the girls, about how many families they support, they didn’t think it could be happening here. When we told them it was Guernsey, they were quite emotional to think that some children, perhaps their own age, are going hungry or going without.
“The project has been run entirely by the girls, from advertising the toy sale to counting the money. It’s about them becoming confident individuals with a voice. Being able to hand over a cheque for something they created themselves has been powerful.”
The Changemakers project concludes a few weeks after half term, but the pupils plan to keep going. They are preparing a reverse advent calendar for December, where pupils will bring in a food item to donate each day.
Imogen, 10, said: “It’s really sad to hear that so many people are coming in each week. I have enjoyed learning more about what is going on in Guernsey and am really happy to give the money from our toy sale to Guernsey Welfare to help.”
Guernsey Welfare is celebrating its 130th year this year and relies on around 80 volunteers. So far in 2026, the charity has supported 716 families, including 66 in the last week alone.
Simon Fairclough, Manager of Guernsey Welfare, said: “Thank you so much to the girls. This time of year is important to us, and Harvest is a brilliant time because it lets us stock up ahead of Christmas.
“Demand on us is growing because more people are struggling. There has always been need in Guernsey, but there has always been generosity too, and we’re very lucky to live in a community that cares for each other.”
