Hair-raising school day supports Chai

Zach Spevock (JFS) and Zac Dryer (Sacks Morasha)

V NURSERY, PRIMARY and secondary pupils from Jewish schools in London, Manchester and Leeds responded in numbers to Chai’s Mad Hair Day, paying £1 to participate and raising awareness and funds for the cancer charity.

At Sinai Primary in Kenton, headteacher Juliette Lipshaw said: “Events such as Mad Hair Day are a creative and hands-on way for the children to support such a worthwhile cause.

“Chai continues to support Sinai families and we value the partnership we have fostered.”

In recent years, Chai has experienced a dramatic rise in the number of young parents with cancer approaching it for assistance.

With this in mind, the Chai in Schools programme was devised to give teaching staff the strategies to help children dealing with a cancer diagnosis in their family. It works closely with teaching staff across the UK.

Through the programme’s expansion, Chai sends therapists and counsellors to school premises to work directly with children affected.

V VOLUNTEERS AT Camp Simcha’s toy drive packing day went bananas over a new helper for the annual collection of gifts delivered to hospital wards, nursing community teams and hospices in London, Essex and Hertfordshire.

Simi the Monkey, the charity’s mascot, joined more than 100 volunteers at Yavneh College sports hall on Sunday, where they sorted and packed 10,000 new toys donated for distribution to seriously ill children of all denominations spending the festive period in hospital.

The gifts were donated through nurseries, schools, cheders, synagogues and community groups.

With the help of Gift, a few hundred toys will also go to families who would otherwise be unable to give their children presents this Chanukah.

Camp Simcha head of services Daniel Gillis thanked those who had given “so generously to help us reach as many children in hospital as possible this December.

“Simi the Monkey is a welcome addition to the team and will be joining us at Camp Simcha events, hopefully bringing plenty of smiles.”