Epic Chester school Zumbathon raises more than £1,200 for British Red Cross

The Zumbathon began at 8.30am. Acresfield's before and after school club, Fledglings, started zumbering in the hall. Then the three and four-year-olds in nursery started zumbering whilst the rest of the school had a whole school assembly with Charis Priestley Bird, a community fundraiser for The British Red Cross.

We zumbered all morning taking turns class by class. At lunchtime there were over 60 volunteers who danced through their lunch. The fun continued in the afternoon as each class took turns dancing in classrooms, the hall and outside in the playground.

After school, our school deputy Mrs Carberry and Miss Conroy zumbered with parents, pupils and staff on the field for 50 minutes until the zumbathon finished at 4pm.

The Red Cross slogan is the Power of Kindness which means showing compassion and helping others. They help get the elderly home from hospital. They give shelter and blankets to homeless people in the UK. Around the world Red Cross helps people who have suffered from floods, mudslides, tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes and avalanches. Henry Dunant founded the Red Cross in 1863 and showed the power of kindness.

Charis Priestley Bird, community fundraiser for the Red Cross in Cheshire, said: “The children and staff at Acresfield Primary School exemplify how you can use your kindness to help people in crisis.

“Through the year three (Otters) and Ms Lloyd organising the amazingly active whole school Zumbathon they are helping a family made homeless by a house fire, individuals who need support to and from hospital, someone who needs to borrow a wheelchair to stay independent after an accident, refugees and people seeking asylum who need help settling into their new community, or making contact with loved ones.”