Last year the girls in Riding’s House at Aldenham raised £5,000 for the charity ‘We Can’t Wait’. In appreciation, the founder of the charity Mr Mark Balla called in on a trip from Australia to thank them. He told staff and students about how the charity is working hard to improve sanitation by providing toilets and developing an educational programme to rural areas in India. 'We Can't Wait' has already provided over 200 toilets across India, but more are still needed.

The Housemistress of one of the girls’ Houses at Aldenham, Miss Jones, has worked closely with Mark and the charity, encouraging her students to get involved. Lots of fundraising projects by the girls, including cake sales, a stall at the ASPA Fireworks, donations and sponsorship for Miss Jones who ran the London Marathon, saw them hit this year’s target of £5,000. During his visit Mark thanked the girls and explained the impact that this amazing donation will make to the charity. He described how this initial sum has been used as leverage to encourage a Rotary Club in Canada to double this sum which in turn inspired one in Chicago to increase the amount to a total of £25,000. Altogether Mark has so far raised £170,000 for this particular project which is ready to roll out.

Later at a whole school assembly Mark was able to address staff and students from across the Senior School explaining the positive impact toilets and good sanitation has had on girls’ education which has resulted in vastly reduced dropout rates from schools.

It was certainly a powerful message which everyone took away with them.

Anyone wishing to get involved and make a donation to help the girls raise yet another £5,000 can do so at https://bit.ly/2WOjcD3