The money was raised in December during an end of term Santa Run – an event which saw over 600 staff and students complete a two-mile course around the school fields, with each participant donating a minimum of £1 for the privilege of taking part. 

The final figure matches the total raised by the school in 2022 through a similar event – the success of which paved the way for the most recent run.

Visiting the school to accept the donation on behalf of Dove House Hospice, Hannah Gamble, Fundraising Assistant, said: “The support from schools and communities such as Withernsea, who have so amazingly raised £1,000 for Dove House Hospice, is vital. Everything we do is free for all of our patients and we wouldn’t be able to offer that if it wasn’t for the kindness, generosity and support of local communities. Every penny raised really has such a big impact on what we can do to support local families at really difficult times in their lives.”   

Dan Clipson, Senior Fundraiser at Dove House Hospice added: “Thanks to the support of four local high schools, including Withernsea, we estimate that their combined efforts have raised £2,500 towards the hospice and the care that it provides free of charge within the local community. We are incredibly grateful to the students and staff of Withernsea High School for their fantastic efforts in raising £1,000 to support this year’s festive fundraising appeal.”

Across Hull and East Yorkshire, 62 primary schools held similar events in 2023 - with the overall figure raised by educational settings last year currently standing at £53,510.

School Sports Coordinator and event organiser, Nick Richmond, said: “Following the success of our first Santa Run in December 2022, we were delighted to see an uptake in participation last year – with greater numbers of the school community taking part. The event is meaningful in a number of contexts, from raising money for a very worthy cause, to keeping students active while promoting physical and mental well-being. It was a genuine pleasure to see the enjoyment that the Santa Run brought, with students enjoying the time to run or walk with their friends.

“We are very pleased to finally hand over the donation which the school community put lots of effort into raising back in December. I would like to thank everyone who helped make the event possible and also thank those who donated towards such a worthy cause. I’m extremely proud of our students’ dedication and enthusiasm.”

For almost 40 years, Dove House has been caring for people in Hull and East Yorkshire. The hospice is a core part of the health provision in the region, providing a range of services and support including end of life care, therapies to help people with life-limiting illnesses improve their quality of life, and support for bereaved families.

ABOVE: Hannah Gamble, Fundraising Assistant at Dove House Hospice (left) with Santa Run participants, and members of the school’s weekly running club, Summer Reid, Ava Shaw, Annabel Hayton, Crystal Hayton. FRONT ROW (left to right): Levi-Jai Fisk, Curtis Rogers, Charles Graham and Jack Johnson. At the back are Sarah Harris-Smith (Head of Humanities) and Nick Richmond (Schools Sports Coordinator and Teacher of PE) who lead the running club and who helped to organise the Santa Run. 

ABOVE: Over 600 staff and students took part in the Santa Run. Staggered start times saw each of the school’s five year groups take turns in completing the course. Here, Year 7 students are pictured at the start of their circuit – wearing Santa hats kindly donated by Dove House for the event.