The French Connection

Nottingham Girls’ High School is well known for its academic success, but equally for its record of charity and volunteering work, amassing thousands of pounds each year for local, national and global charities.

This summer, a team of girls, alumnae and staff set off on an epic quest to cycle from London to Paris. The brainchild of Jen Lynn, Head of Outdoor Learning, this trip was advertised around the school and to those alumnae who had previously been involved in similar outdoor ventures, who promptly responded.

Sixth Form girls Hannah Fielding and Harriet Lucas had been motivated by first-hand experiences of loss of loved ones to Alzheimer’s disease and cancer respectively, opting for The Alzheimer’s Society and Macmillan Cancer Support as their chosen charities.

The Alzheimer’s Society is the leading charity in the fight against dementia, funding research into the disease and providing training and resources for health care professionals and carers. Macmillan Cancer Support provides invaluable help to those facing cancer, their families and carers, ensuring that nobody has to face this disease alone. The impact of both of these charities is immeasurable and any money raised is a huge help.

Sacrificing their holiday time, and just a couple of days after A Level results day for some of the girls, this was an incredible and selfless gesture by the team. Cycling over 300 miles in the August heat, taking four days to complete the journey, rising at the crack of dawn and setting up camp late at night, this was an incredibly hard slog. Arriving in Paris was an amazing feeling and the girls were jubilant, especially as they had raised over £2,000 for their combined charities.

Full of praise for the girls, Miss Lynn said: “I am extremely proud of each of the girls who took part in this event. They have all shown extraordinary perseverance and determination to complete this challenge, and the effort that they have put in to raising such a huge amount of money is inspiring.”

After a well-deserved look around some of the iconic sights of Paris, the team set off for home. This was another example of how girls at Nottingham Girls’ High School, past and present, are always committed and ready to embrace a challenge, especially if it’s for a good cause.

Head, Julie Keller commented: “Everybody should be very proud of themselves for this achievement. I think it just goes to show how our girls and staff really do go the extra mile to help others, even in their own time. I’d like to thank Jen for organising the whole thing, inspiring and motivating the girls all the way, resulting in a fantastic amount of money for charity. Well done all of you.”