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Almost £6,000 was raised in one weekend through
separate fundraising events commemorating the lives of two members
of the school community – one, teacher Lesley Spofforth; the
other, PGS mum Lynda Goldman, who each lost their fight against
cancer last year.
A senior school auction in the David Russell Theatre on Friday
13 June commemorating Mrs. Spofforth raised £3,200 and donations
still coming in are expected to take the total to near £4,000
for Winston’s Wish. The following night, the venue was transformed
by the Junior School Association into a stylish ‘Casino Royale’
and cocktail bar for a James Bond party in memory of Mrs. Goldman
and more than £2,000 was raised for the John Pounds Church…….
LOTS OF SPOFF HOTLY CONTESTED FOR CHARITY
A helicopter ride, vintage wine, signed memorabilia, tickets to
top sporting events, a family portrait photo shoot, an early lunch
ticket for two…. these were just a few of many lots which
went under the hammer at the SPOFF charity auction in memory of
maths teacher Mrs. Lesley Spofforth, affectionately known as Spoff.
The auction was held to help commemorate Lesley’s life and
raise money in her name for Winston’s Wish, a charity which
helps youngsters with a parent suffering from cancer to deal with
their impending loss.
Lots of lots came under the scrutiny of resident experts Head of
English, Mrs. Claire Jepson and Common Room President Mrs. Emma
Bell and with his customary wit and aplomb, Coordinator of Languages,
Mr. David Doyle was the auctioneer in charge of the gavel-waving.
The most hotly contested item turned out to be the chance to have
a song or poem personalised by Headmaster James Priory. A bidding
war broke out between Registrar and Senior Teacher Mrs. Mary Mitchell
and a group of Sixth Formers. Mrs. Mitchell, a good friend of Lesley,
won with a bid of £125 and immediately gifted the coveted
prize back to the pupils.
“I knew I was going to give the lot back to the Sixth Formers
because I could see on their faces that they wanted it so much.
They are brilliant pupils and were there to support Lesley's memory.
It just seemed the right thing to do. Lesley was an excellent colleague
and friend. She was a hard working professional who cared, very
much, about the pupils' welfare. She gave objective viewpoints when
asked to advise, and she could always be relied upon to 'tell it
as it was'. Lesley had no side or pretensions; she was down to earth
and honest. Moreover, she was a friend who was not sentimental,
but who showed her affection in less obvious ways. She would willingly
share around her favourite chocolates, she would offer open invites
to her house when she knew I was on my own, she was a skilled listener
who always remembered to ask about events in my life, and when she
knew she was dying, and I became upset, she told me that everything
would be okay and I was not to worry. Lesley was one in a million
and I miss her every day.”
Lesley’s husband Mark, who attended the event, said: “The
evening was great. It went very, very well. Everyone involved worked
hard to make it such a success. Lesley would have been really impressed
with the organisation and with the outcome. There were several links
to the charity Winston’s Wish as we had seen programmes about
it on television while Lesley was in hospital and PGS parent Jenny
Dunlop helps run the organisation in West Sussex. It seemed the
right choice.”
One of the lots which raised the highest amount was a helicopter
ride, which fetched more than £200, but the item which raised
the biggest cheer was a British Swimming Team outfit donated by
Lesley’s daughter Gemma.
Gemma, who is majoring in physics at the University of Florida,
is off to Beijing to swim the 100m, 200m and hopefully medley relay
in the Olympics.
She says she is inspired to push through tough races by Lesley
and her brave fight against cancer. Dad Mark and PGS alumni brother
Peter will be pool side in China to watch her compete.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED FOR LYNDA’S JAMES BOND PARTY
Family and friends of Lynda Goldman raised more than £2,000
and money is still coming in for the John Pounds Church through
an elegant James Bond cocktail party organised by the Junior School
Association.
Lynda’s husband Paul, her parents David and Rosemarie, Headmistress
Philippa Foster and members of staff, John Pounds Church Minister
Val Worthington and many of Lynda’s friends were among 200
who attended the event. Lynda and Paul’s son Louis, who is
in Year 5 sneaked in at the start of the evening to enjoy playing
on the props before being sent home to join sister Tilly, a Year
1 pupil.
On arrival, guests were given the chance to have their photographs
taken alongside an Aston Martin DB8 and a stylish speedboat. A complimentary
cocktail and Casino chips gave a great start to the evening at the
casino tables, manned by JS parents as croupiers for the night.
Paul said: “The Senior School’s swing band played a
number of James Bond style tunes with great aplomb and gusto; a
credit to the school’s music department and justification
of the years of tuition, to produce such fine musicians. This got
the evening off to a great start and was followed by a buffet, raffle
and disco. Lynda would have been honoured to be remembered by so
many in such a stylish way. She was proud to take her children to
this school and it was appropriate that we gathered there in her
memory. It was a fun, glamorous and entertaining evening that was
very much in keeping with Lynda’s love of life and she would
have approved.”
Valarie went on to pay tribute to Lynda and thank all those who
helped make the evening such a success. “Lynda was a very
special girl who touched the lives of many people and left many
lasting impressions. She lived her life full to the brim and inspired
others to do likewise. She will be sadly missed by all who knew
her but because of who she was will never be forgotten.”
Mrs. Foster also paid tribute, saying: “She certainly became
a much valued friend of the Junior School, offering support in a
multitude of ways. There can not have been a more appropriate way
to celebrate Lynda’s life than by holding a dance; she loved
dancing and having a good time with friends. There is no doubt that
Lynda was there in spirit if not in person, enabling us all to have
a really good time and to celebrate her life in style!”
It was decided to raise money for the John Pounds Church because
of its connections and locality to the school and because when the
Goldman family needed solace, Paul said they had never been made
to feel so welcome. The church will spend the £2,136 raised
on wedding chairs.
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