Boys, staff and supporters at Eton College have raised more than £40,000 for charities through their community fair and a marathon fives and rackets game.
Visitors to the annual fair were able to take part in a huge variety of events hosted by Eton’s pupils and masters – including table-tennis and horse racing, a football competition (with a doughnut on offer for goal scorers), an auction of promises, face-painting, a bouncy castle and even water-bomb alley. Thousands of items from toys to clothes were on sale in the giant jumble sale held in School Hall, which in itself raised £5,400.
A further £9,000 was raised by the boys of Ralph Oliphant-Callum’s house, who undertook a 24-hour simultaneous rackets and fives marathon on the weekend before the fair.
The charities to benefit from the fundraising efforts are Coming Home, Ace Africa, ChildHope UK, Coram, Thames Hospice and the NSPCC.
Common Lane was closed throughout the day to allow dozens of individual charities to host their own stalls and they were able to raise additional funds for their own worthy causes.
Eton College’s thanks go to all the volunteers who helped with the event, as well as to those who donated prizes, or goods to sell on the stalls.
