Calday Grange £3.75million charity appeal off to flying start

Dec 9 2009 Birkenhead News

Flying start for appeal

AN AMBITIOUS bid by a WIrral school to raise £3.75m for charity is off to a flying start.

Calday Grange Grammar School, in West Kirby, launched the massive fundraising drive for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital after pupil Matthew Cullen, 14, was diagnosed with leukaemia.

His father David, a former RAF fighter pilot, is a pilot for Thomson Airways and came up with the idea of chartering a plane to fly to Germany for the day, with all proceeds going to the appeal.

On Saturday, Matthew and brother Liam, 12, were among 217 people on board a Boeing 757 for the trip to Cologne’s Christmas markets.

Landing and catering charges for the flight were waived and 10 crew members gave up their time for free to help out.

Mr Cullen’s former RAF instructor, Captain Richard Keech, gave an in-flight commentary on the first flight of the day.

The flight and an on-board raffle with prizes donated by local businesses raised over £25,000.

Father-of-three Mr Cullen, 45, from West Kirby, said: “I feel proud, inspired and delighted. It was a great day and the crew have worked their socks off.

“I spoke to everyone who booked personally and I felt I knew everybody on board. Some people couldn’t come on the day, but they still gave donations.

“I’d like to thank Thomson, Susanne Kennedy – who volunteered to be project manager – and everyone who gave their time to make it such a success.”

The school is also planning a 1,000-mile sponsored relay run from Land’s End to John O’Groats – dubbed “LeJoG” – to raise money, with each pupil being encouraged to raise £375 each. It hopes to reach its fundraising target by 2011 – the school’s 375th anniversary.

The Imagine Appeal was chosen after Matthew was diagnosed with leukaemia during a family holiday to Florida last year and began receiving treatment at Alder Hey.

Among those on board the flight was Jo Rigg, a paediatric Macmillan nurse who has been helping Matthew during his treatment.

She said: “Hopefully the money raised from the appeal will be used for research which could influence the treatment and care that the children receive in the future.”

Tim Sinnott, assistant headteacher at Calday, said: “We want to inspire people to do something for this appeal, whether it’s chartering a plane or something smaller like baking a cake.

“Matthew is just a normal kid and he has inspired a lot of people in school with the way he has reacted to things.”

To find out more about the Calday Grange LeJoG appeal, visit http://www.calday-lejog.org or e-mail lejog@calday.wirral.sch.uk