Sharing The Gift of Love
Dominican College Charity Update November 2023
Sponsored Walk Update
Over the past twenty years we in Dominican College, Portstewart have raised in excess of £185,000 for our sponsored charities as a consequence of our Beach Walk.
Our challenge in 2023 was to maintain this proud tradition and that every member of our Dominican community does their best to raise as much money as we can to help those in need within our community and beyond our school walls.
Thanks to the amazing efforts of all our pupils, we have currently raised in the region of £7000 for this year’s designated charities and will invite a representative from each charity to the school over the coming months to present them with money raised by our pupils as part of their 2023 Dominican Beach Walk.
This year we have identified four key charities that we wish to help:
Young Lives V Cancer (YLVC)
Young Lives V Cancer (formerly Clic Sargent) is UK wide charity that supports children and young people diagnosed with cancer and their families.
Aware NI.
Aware NI, is the depression charity for Northern Ireland. It runs support groups all over the country, and delivers mental health and well-being programmes into communities, schools and workplaces.
Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC)
This is the only hospital in NI dedicated specifically to the care of sick children.
The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC) is dedicated specifically to the care of children and provides general hospital care for children living in Belfast, as well as providing most of the paediatric regional specialities (including palliative care) for all children throughout Northern Ireland.
Dominican College Myanmar.
In 2018, as a way of recognising the 50th anniversary of boys joining our school community in 1968, it was decided to support a Dominican School in Myanmar as part of our school charity work over the past five years. We are delighted to continue to be able to help our sister school at this turbulent time.
Our 2023 Christmas “Gifts of Love” Appeal
Normally every Christmas, each form class in the whole school aims to help those less fortunate within and beyond our local community. This has become a very important Dominican tradition over the years and we encourage all pupils to do all they can to help those other than ourselves within and beyond our local community.
Each form class in the school has given the challenge to raise as much money as they possibly can. Pupils will be encouraged to believe that small individual actions and sacrifices can collectively make a massive impact.
Key Stage 3 Fundraising
For Key Stage 3 pupils (Year 8 – 10), our 2023 focus is on raising money for Trocaire’s ‘Gifts of Love’ and helping those beyond our school community.
Then, with their money, the form class with the guidance of their form teacher, will be able to choose which of the ‘gifts of love’ they would like to purchase as a class. Choices this year will include chicks, goats, clean water supply, school lunches and school kits.
Key Stage 4 Fundraising
Our Year 11 and 12 pupils have been collecting for those in need within our local community. By each making a small contribution, pupils will ensure that we can provide vouchers for our local St Vincent De Paul Society to help families who are in real need within our local community.
Each form class will be asked to bring in a minimum of £1 donation that would be great and they can always donate more if possible. SVP vouchers will be bought on the pupils’ behalf and donated to SVP for local families who are in need this Christmas
AS and A2 Fundraising
Our Year 13 and 14 pupils will focus on bringing the gifts of love to the elderly in our local community. Each pupil will help to contribute to food and toiletry hampers which will soon be distributed to our local Care Home, Madelayne Court. Our seniors will also be asked to contribute £1.00 each to our SVP appeal.
Dominican Staff will also contribute by donating small gifts or toiletries and by adding to the money raised earlier this year for Trocaire as part of the “gifts of love” appeal.
Christmas Carol Service 2023
We are delighted to be able to welcome our local community and our local Parish to our annual Carol Service at 7.30 PM on Monday 18th December. Our pupils will attend their annual Carol Service on the morning of Tuesday 19th December.
Christmas Jumpers Day
Later December (date to be confirmed) we will raise additional money for charity in the form of a Christmas jumper day. Pupils are asked to contribute £1.00 on the day.
