Last year, Team Margot Foundation was selected by Old Vicarage School as its charity for the 2018 /2019 academic year. Earlier today, I went into the school to thank the girls and their teachers for their incredible donation to Team Margot Foundation that totals a whopping £14,460.26!

The girls raised this fantastic amount throughout the year by taking part in all sorts of activities. There were cake sales, an auction of their artwork, and the whole school did a sponsored walk from Pembroke Lodge to either Ham Gate junction or Kingston Gate in Richmond Park which raised over £8,000.  

In addition to this the girls undertook an entrepreneurial challenge that involved ‘borrowing’ £5 from their parents and turning it into as much money as they could. There were more sales of homemade cakes, biscuits, popcorn, bracelets, scrunchies and slime! This challenge raised an additional £3,421.19

Every penny of this fantastic donation will go to families caring for child cancer patients. Team Margot currently works with nine hospitals through out the UK. These are Great Ormond Street Hospital, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and via a local charity called Momentum, the charity is also able to offer grants to families at Kingston, St Georges, East Surrey, St Peter’s and Epsom hospitals.
 
Every family that has received a grant from Team Margot Foundation is caring for a child suffering from cancer and this money is granted to the family to use in any way they wish.  The idea of the charity making such grants came about after Margot’s parents saw first hand how families struggled to make ends meet, whilst caring for their sick children.  

We hear some heart-breaking stories of how families suffer financial difficulties as a result of dealing with an already tragic situation of having a child with cancer. In some cases, one parent has to stop working to be at the hospital with their child, which results in a considerable loss of household income. In addition if they have other children, childcare becomes more expensive and necessary. In other situations, the loss of income means rent becomes difficult or if housing is linked to the parent’s employment, their constant absence to be with their child results in the loss of their home. Other times, it’s the basic costs like travel, parking, food, laundry, childcare and bills that become difficult.

The funds donated by Old Vicarage School will provide one-off £1,000 grants to 14 families, in addition to the 159 such grants that have been made to date by Team Margot Foundation. The short video below from Great Ormond Street employees and CLIC Sargent workers underscores the importance of these grants.

We would not be able to offer these grants without the wonderful people who support Team Margot Foundation, like you and the pupils, parents and staff at Old Vicarage School.

Thank you so much again to everyone involved!