THREE charities have been awarded more than £1,400 worth of funding from students at St John’s in Marlborough who completed a sponsored walk in a ‘living without luxury week.’

Cancer Research UK, the Futuresense Foundation and Swift Medics each received a donation of £1,495 from principal Nicky Edmondson when members of the charities visited the school to receive the donations.

The sponsored walk in July was organised by assistant vice principal Tom Nicholls and involved students in Years 7-10 walking nine miles from St John’s to Savernake Forest in a group, with the additional challenge of carrying two large, full water containers.

The charities spoke to the students this week about how their donations will be used, including for a chest compression system to be used by Swifts Medics.

Mrs Edmondson said: “St John’s students are regularly involved in fundraising activities at the academy including bake sales, non-uniform days and performance events, and teaching staff aim to ensure that students always have a clear understanding of the work done by the beneficiary charities and why it is so important to support them.”