Following our work in R.E. about the plight of refugees, both in Biblical times and in the modern world, the children decided to collect money to support the Cornish charity Shelterbox. Shelterbox send boxes of essential items to people made homeless by natural disaster or war. The children were very excited to bring in their bags of copper coins and our buckets soon filled up. We started to fill a washing up bowl and soon were unable to move it, as it was so heavy! We did some interesting work in Maths, first weighing the coins, as about 360g of copper coins is £1. We bagged them up and then counted them to check we had exactly £1. We were pretty close with our weighing, which was very impressive, considering the basic balances we used! Finally, we enjoyed cleaning a coin with vinegar and salt to make it shiny  and finding out how old our coins were. The oldest was 46 years old, minted in 1971!

We had a very enjoyable visit to Shelterbox during the last week of school. Firstly, we visited HSBC bank where we paid our copper coins into the machine. We had to show patience, as the machine filled up and needed to be emptied. The bank staff were so impressed with our behaviour that they gave us all lollipops! Altogether, we had collected £111.22- 4976 1p pieces and 2768 2p pieces, as well as a few silver coins. We then walked to Shelterbox, where we were treated to a very interesting tour and enjoyed our packed lunch in their roof top seating area. At the end, we proudly presented our cheque and were pleased to learn that our money could pay for three Shelterkits, which allow families to repair their damaged homes. A huge thank you to all parents and grandparents who contributed money to our fundraising venture!