Portsmouth High School GDST girls take part in World Wide Walk for PlanUK

Over 400 girls from Portsmouth High School took part in PlanUK’s 10km World Wide Walk on Wednesday 29 March 2017

The World Wide Walk is a moment for girls across the UK to walk together in solidarity and raise vital funds to support PlanUK’s work, supporting girls to achieve their full potential and lift themselves out of poverty. For 80 years, Plan International has been promoting the rights of children, specifically girls, through its work in education, health, child protection, economic security and sanitation. PlanUK believes that through education, access to better healthcare, and economic empowerment, girls can achieve more and break away from traditional domestic roles.

Currently there are 66 million girls out of education globally. Girls across the UK will join together to walk ‘around the world’ (40,075km) and raise money to support girls in some of the world’s poorest countries. This year the campaign is focusing on assisting girls living in the world’s poorest communities who are denied the chance to go to school due to poverty, violence and discrimination. 47% of girls said they do not feel safe on their way to school because of the threat or fear of physical, verbal or sexual abuse on the journey.

Portsmouth High School girls walked across Southsea Common and along the seafront, completing 10km each, joining other GDST (Girls’ Day School Trust) schools in supporting the campaign.

The walk was officially started by the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor David Fuller.

‘I am delighted to be starting this walk today and honoured to be here. It is so important to bring to everyone’s attention how many girls across the world don’t have access to education and I am so pleased that an event like this raises awareness for such a good cause.’

Deputy Headmistress, Mrs Heather Trim, said: ‘We are walking today because we believe that all girls, wherever they live, deserve the opportunity to go to school. We are joining forces with other girls across the world to raise awareness of the importance of an education for each and every girl wherever they may live. The girls at Portsmouth High School appreciate their education and have a very strong sense of social responsibility.’

Georgie Howard, 18, House Captain for Gaskell House, who helped arrange the walk, said:

‘We are walking together to support girls around the world to go to school and be safe in their communities. We hope that we would never take our own education for granted and a day like today brings that into sharp perspective.’

There is more information about PlanUK’s Because I’m a Girl campaign here