YEOVIL NEWS: School in a Bag takes off with AWASA to the tune of £31,055

THE Yeovil-based AgustaWestland Apprentice and Student Association has received 31,055 massive thank-yous from the School in a Bag charity for its support over the past 12 months.

The group – more commonly known as AWASA – presented the charity, based at Chilthorne Domer near Yeovil, with a cheque for £31,055 as a result of its fundraising during a special dinner on Friday (September 22, 2017) at its annual awards night.

And the charity was bowled over by the news that AWASA, which is made up of staff at the now called Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil, has decided to continue its support of SIAB for a second year.

Luke Simon, chief executive of SIAB, said: “We were delighted to have been invited to the AWASA awards ceremony and were absolutely blown away when we were presented with the truly awesome amount of £31,055.

“Thank you to the whole AWASA committee who held event after event to raise money for us and we feel truly honoured that we will be receiving their support for a second year.”

It was announced that AWASA wants to raise money to build a school in Nepal in conjunction with School in a Bag, the Mondo Challenge Foundation and the Helambu Education and Livelihood Partnership.

“This is such wonderful news and we feel truly honoured to have the support of AWASA,” added Luke.

School in a Bag was launched as part of the Piers Simon Appeal which was first formed not long after the Boxing Day Asian Tsunami of 2004 which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people including that of former Yeovil College student Piers Simon.

The initiative sees the SIAB team deliver rucksacks full of stationery, learning resources and eating utensils to poor, vulnerable and disaster-affected children around the globe.

Luke Simon was joined at the awards night at the Westlands Yeovil conference and leisure complex on Friday with SIAB colleagues Charlotte Pike, Zoe Fox and Lis Foy.

AWASA held lots of fundraising events over the year to amass such a fantastic total to present to the charity including various bucket collections, sponsored walks, a beer and cider festival and other money-spinning activities.

PHOTO – TOP: There is no doubting the delight of the School in a Bag team with (from left) Charlotte Pike, Luke Simon, Zoe Fox and Lis Foy.

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