Many of us will have experienced the disappointment of having our school residentials cancelled and our holidays plans put on hold. However, for some children, these cancellations will have been devastating.
It is for this reason that we decided to hold the Great Cranleigh Prep Sleep Out in aid of Farms for City Children.
Children’s author Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare founded Farms for City Children in 1976. Since opening, they have given over 100,000 urban children from all over the country a unique opportunity to live and work together on a real farm in the heart of the countryside. It is an intense, ‘learning through doing’ experience of a different life — for children who may not know where their food comes from and have limited opportunities to explore the outside world.
To support them until they are able to reopen, Cranleigh Prep families pitched tents, opened up the summer houses, parked the campers, unhitched the caravans and built indoor dens to Sleep Out for the night. Making the event even more special, Michael Morpurgo sent a video, recorded especially for Cranleigh Prep pupils, of him reading his latest story and Mrs Groocock, Head of Science, recorded a message explaining what to look out for in the night sky.
Families were invited to donate to Farms for City Children using the Just Giving link. The total amount raised currently stands at £1610.