Brondesbury Park students’ sponsored walk raises thousands for Syria refugees and Balkans orphans

Students from Islamia school held banners aloft in support of refugees arriving in Europe from war-torm Syria. (Image: Archant)

More than 200 students from Brondesbury College for Boys in Brondesbury Park, and its sister school Islamia Girls school in Salusbury Road, took excitedly to the streets with banners for the walks from Brondesbury College to Regent’s Park.

The Brondesbury College walk was the latest in a year-long programme of fundraising activities for the Small Kindness charity which raises money for orphaned children in the Balkans while the girls at Islamia School walked in aid of Syrian refugees.

A total of 95 students from Islamia school and 110 from Brondesbury College joined teachers for the afternoon trek to Regent’s Park which ended with a celebration as the students neared their destination.

The schools have so far raised a total of £9,700 for their chosen charities.

Adi Sawalha, head of the students’ school council at Brondesbury College which organised the walks, said: “The best thing about doing the walk was that we did it as a school and it strengthened our brotherly bonds and our care for those living in poverty.”

The fundraisers chose to raise money for the Small Kindness charity, which was established by their school’s founder Yusuf Islam, a former singer who was known as Cat Stevens, because all funds go directly to the causes without administration costs.

A spokesman for Small Kindness thanked the students for their fundraising efforts so far and said: “ Small Kindness is delighted by what the students have managed to raise so far and is so proud of their achievements.

“Their boundless energy and enthusiasm for charitable causes, whether it’s supporting the elderly or homeless here at home or an orphan child on the other side of the world, is nothing short of admirable.”