Andy Oakley

Taken from the Madagascar Team 1 Journal, originally by Catherine After this we established a planning and a fund-raising committee for our team. Various fund-raising ideas were put forward but the only one whichcame to fruition was to gain sponsorship from Barclay's bank (who paid for team T-shirts to be printed). In this we were put to shame by group 2 who organised weekly cake sales and, in doing, raised substantial amounts. The planning committee felt limited by a lack of knowledge of what we could do and about Madagascar. After reading th World Challenge information and leaflets which Pip had sent for, taking into account limited finance, we proposed a rough plan - subject to change after the recce team from World Challenge returned from Madagascar with information on what we could feasibly achieve. The first team fund-raising event was a car wash at the Summer Fair and, for a donation from the parents association, to help set the air up (moving tables and chairs). Unfortunately few people from the group actually came although those who did were tireless. Hannah noticeable was excellent at getting money out of people (charging extra to dry the car!). Individual fund-raising was in various stges with some people having taken up weekend work and others depending on parental support (personally I was paying off a debt for the school skiing holiday I was going on). In the Autumn term both teams along with the boys hockey and rugby and cross-country teams had a bleep test on the tennis courts in full view of a large audience, most people proved to be relatively fit (but others, including myself, had cause to be embarrassed). About a week after this we were issued with a fitness program. For someone who cannot run upstairs, running three miles thrice weekly in a non street lit area was going to be a problem. This term also saw the introduction of weekly shoe cleaning sessions. They were discontinued after Christmas being deemed not worth the effort. A series of car boot sales occurred and the initial planning of a Boxercise and a wine tasting evening were set up. Early that term a magazine committee had been set up. We hoped to publish a magazine to inform the rest of the school of our magazine and maybe, attract sponsorship. To cover the cost of printing we contacted various companies about advertising. The response was very limited and ultimately the project was abandoned. A second venture, A Madagascan evening with Keith Floyd, was also abandoned due to the cost of setting it up. It was during this term that a member of the recce team from World Challenge came to talk to us and, later on in the evening, to our parents. She showed us where she had been and of three community projects with which we could probably help. She outlined feasible areas to cover and then the two teams planned their itineraries. After much discussion (admittedly between few people) we decided upon a firm itinerary. Later she showed us slides of her travels and told of her experiences. It sounded wonderful. The teams by now had lost/gained some members. Ours now consisted of 16 pupils and Martin George. One Sunday morning in January 1997 we had another team meeting. Here the planning of the Boxercise (which will consist of 24 hours of circuit training) and the wine tasting evening (to which hopefully Keith Floyd will be able to come) was continued. These will be run by the Lower VI so Helena and I though of further events we could run and are, at present, researching them (ie trying to get donations of raffle prizes, and looking into a coach trip). That week saw our first raffle. This was at the third year boys parents evening and raised .45. The prizes were items of pottery which had been donated to us. Hopefully this success will be repeated at future events.