The money was raised during an end of term ‘Santa Run’ - an event which saw more than 700 students each donate a minimum of £1 to run or walk a mile-long lap of the school field in aid of Dove House Hospice.

The final donation figure matches the total raised through similar events held at the school in both 2022 and 2023 – the successes of which paved the way for the most recent run and for the event to become an annual activity.

Visiting the school last week to accept the donation on behalf of Dove House Hospice were Tiff Brodie and Dan Clipson, senior fundraiser.

“We are incredibly grateful to the staff and students of Withernsea High School” said Dan. “They are fantastic supporters of the hospice and work tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for our cause. Each December they are excited to support our seasonal fun runs, with this year’s theme being our Santa Run.

“62 nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools chose to support us over the festive season, with more than 10,000 staff and children donning Santa hats and beards in the name of local hospice care. We anticipate that this year’s Santa Run will raise over £47,000 for Dove House Hospice. A huge thank you to the staff and students of Withernsea High School for their kind and continued support”.

Head of humanities and Santa Run organiser, Sarah Harris, said: “Our Santa Runs are meaningful in a number of contexts, from raising money for a very worthy cause, to keeping students active while promoting physical and mental well-being. It was a genuine pleasure to see the enjoyment that the Santa Run brought, with students enjoying the time to run or walk with their friends.

“We are very pleased to finally hand over the donation which the school community put lots of effort into raising back in December. I would like to thank everyone who helped make the event possible and also thank those who donated towards such a worthy cause. I’m extremely proud of our students’ dedication and enthusiasm.”

Dan Clipson added: “Santa Runs are a fantastic way for secondary schools across Hull and East Yorkshire to celebrate Christmas while raising funds for the hospice. Everything we do is free for all of our patients and we wouldn’t be able to offer that if it wasn’t for the kindness, generosity and support of local communities. Every penny raised really has such a big impact on what we can do to support local families at really difficult times in their lives.”

For almost 40 years, Dove House has been caring for people in Hull and East Yorkshire. The hospice is a core part of the health provision in the region, providing a range of services and support including end of life care, therapies to help people with life-limiting illnesses improve their quality of life, and support for bereaved families.

ABOVE: Dove House fundraisers Tiff Brodie (extreme left) and Dan Clipson (back right) with staff and student members of the school’s running club.