Children on the Edge
  • DONATE
    • The Big Give 2022
  • COUNTRIES
    • Country Overview
    • BANGLADESH >
      • Kutupalong
      • Cox's Bazar & Doharazi
    • INDIA
    • LEBANON
    • MYANMAR
    • UGANDA >
      • Jinja
      • Kyaka II
    • UKRAINE
  • ABOUT US
    • WHO WE ARE
    • Contact Us
    • 2022 Highlights
    • Annual Report
    • Awards
    • Meet the team
    • Our Story
    • Our Values
    • Our Partners
  • OUR WORK
    • OUR WORK Overview
    • Working on 'the Edge'
    • Safe Spaces
    • Child Rights
    • Refugee Education
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Cluster Learning In Uganda
    • Supporting Slum Communities
    • Tackling Caste Discrimination
    • Ending Child Sacrifice
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Get Our Email Updates
    • Autumn Raffle
    • Fundraise For Us
    • Challenge Events >
      • Virtual Challenge
      • Run The London Marathon
    • Schools
    • Trusts & Foundations
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • The Body Shop at Home
    • Volunteer
    • Shop
  • LATEST STORIES
Picture

LATEST STORIES

Click to donate

A Chichester charity that makes a big difference

30/11/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
GET OUR EMAIL UPDATES >>
Children on the Edge is a Chichester based charity that works to support some of the worlds' most marginalised children, living in some of the toughest situations.

The charity was co-founded in 1990 by Bishop Luffa graduate and Chichester resident, Rachel Bentley and the late Dame Anita Roddick. 

After witnessing the appalling conditions in Romanian orphanages first hand, Dame Anita Roddick mobilised her company, The Body Shop International, based in Littlehampton, to help.

The Body Shop, sent supplies and a small group of volunteers, to help three orphanages in the remote village of Halaucesti. Rachel Bentley, a 23-year-old law graduate from Chichester, was one of these volunteers, and together, they sparked the response that created Children on the Edge, which exists to this day to support some of the most marginalised children around the world. 
Picture
Anita Roddick in Romania in 1990
Picture
Anita and Rachel in Indonesia
By 1992, Rachel Bentley and Anita Roddick started the charity, Children on the Edge in an official capacity, together with The Body Shop. By this time, they had developed considerable expertise in working with institutionalised children in Eastern Europe, working through local partners, and coordinating all their work from offices in Chichester.
Over 30 years later, Children on the Edge has worked in more than 18 countries, and currently support over 20,000 children in Bangladesh, India, Lebanon, Myanmar and Uganda. In 2022, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we began supporting Ukrainian refugees in Romania and Moldova.

We are staffed by a small, dedicated team from our offices in The Victoria, Chichester, and work together with local partners based on the ground in the countries we work in. ​
Picture
Chichester Cathedral
FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US >>
The charity is grateful for the incredible generosity and long term support of The Body Shop and other local Chichester businesses, including Montezuma's, Store Property, Wiley and many others over the years, who have made an incredible difference and made much of our work possible. 

Children on the Edge is also supported by a faithful community of supporters in West Sussex and beyond. Local schools, churches, individuals and organisations as well as consultants from The Body Shop At Home, have raised thousands of pounds to support our work with marginalised children around the world. 

Our historic flagship fundraising event, the Chichester Half Marathon was brilliantly supported by the Chichester community during the years that we were involved (up to 2019), and the event raised tens of thousands of pounds for our vital work around the world. The event is now run by Everyone Active.
Picture
The Children on the Edge Chichester Half Marathon Event was a popular local event


​What do Children on the Edge do?

We work to create conditions in which every marginalised child can flourish and thrive no matter where they live and irrespective of the challenging circumstances they face.

We place children at the heart of everything we do by working hand-in-hand with local ​communities
​to restore hope, dignity, and justice; and to actively involve everyone in creating transformation.

​By working alongside communities, we design award winning programs tailored to their specific needs and circumstances using our 30 years of experience.

This has enabled us to transform the lives of children facing some of the most challenging circumstances, by co-creating protective, nurturing environments in which they can safely live, play, learn, and grow.
Picture
Cluster group learning in Uganda supports over 2000 of the youngest refugees to learn and play
Picture
Learning centres in India offer Dalit children the chance to learn in a safe space
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR WORK >>
As Children on the Edge grows, we continue to apply what Anita had taught us: to trust your gut and always listen to people on the ground, who know the culture and understand the needs of their own people best. ​

​Rachel Bentley, who was awarded an OBE in 2022, still leads Children on the Edge with the same spark that she and Anita began it with, and The Body Shop has been a faithful pillar of support ever since.
Today, we continue to adapt and respond, always working on the “edge” for a world where every child can thrive, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, caste or geography.

The 'edge' in 1990 was the institutionalisation of children in Romania, and today, the 'edge' takes us to Uganda, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Lebanon, where refugee children are stripped of their rights to education, and denied their chances of a brighter future. Children on the Edge provide education for over 
17,000 refugee children who have fled persecution, conflict or violence.

​Our 
award-winning programmes use innovative ways to enable access to education, working alongside local communities to find the best possible solutions. ​We train refugee teachers so that children can learn in their own dialect, from familiar, trusted adults that understand them and our classrooms are fun and colourful environments where children are safe and can learn to express themselves.

'The Edge' also takes us to India, where Dalit children are denied their rights and are unable to access education, and to the slums of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, where working children face huge barriers to education. 


Education breaks ongoing cycles of displacement and poverty, and the classroom creates a place where hope can begin, and children can start to flourish. ​


​How can you support Children on the Edge?

​Our wonderful community play a vital role in transforming the lives of marginalised children around the world. Your support really does make a difference. If you'd like to keep up to date with all our latest news and find out how you can support our work, please join our mailing list. 

1. Become a Regular Donor 
​

Regular, reliable income ensures that we can continue to support marginalised children living on the edge, as we have been doing for over 30 years. 
​
​
Find out more >>
Picture

2. Join Our Latest Virtual Challenge

​Whether it be walking, yoga or a fitness challenge and no matter where you are, you can get involved with our virtual challenges. 
​
​
Find out more >>
Picture

3. Fundraise in your Workplace

Perfect for team-building, strengthening relationships and making a difference, why not fundraise at work? 
​
​
Find out more >>
Picture

4. Become a Corporate Partner

With transforming benefits for your business, your staff and your customers, and the chance to be at the heart of bringing hope to children around the world, there are so many reasons to start a partnership with us. 

Contact us to have a chat >> 
Picture

5. Hold your own Event

We love hearing and supporting your ideas, there are unlimited options! Have a think, be creative, either on your own, or as part of a club, school or faith group.

Find out more >>
Picture

6. Fundraise at School 

Support us with a one-off fundraising event or activity, get involved for a term or become a long-term partner. Or invite us in for an assembly if you're thinking about supporting Children on the Edge at school.

​Find out more >>

Picture

GET OUR EMAIL UPDATES >>


​What Makes Us Different?

Being a small charity based in Chichester gives us some great advantages in how we work and what impact we have.....
We can work under the radar: Being small often enables us to work in areas where larger organisations cannot, due to their size and the limitations and bureaucracy that come with that. 

We’re agile: Our size gives us the flexibility to meet the needs of the people we work with quickly and effectively. For example, if our partners are faced with a sudden flood, increased air raids or arrests, then we can respond immediately, building support or adapting the programme accordingly to continue to meet the needs of the children we work with. 

We’re streamlined: We don’t rely on large and costly international staff offices in the countries we work in. Instead, we focus on building strong relationships with our local partners who have a thorough understanding of the situation on the ground and a depth of relationships with their communities. Our office in Chichester, West Sussex, has 13 staff members and we also employ a regional manager in Asia. 

We’re focused: Having a small number of projects means we can focus on delivering work of the highest quality. We fine tune our projects and ensure that each child is valued as an individual. 
​
We keep you connected: Our size means that our donors and supporters can have a real connection and ownership with the work they are investing in. Your money doesn’t go into a huge machine, but to a small (but perfectly formed!) group of projects from which you are updated on regularly. This means you can see the changes that you are making possible. ​

In the kind of work we do of supporting children in some of the toughest situations across the world there are so many benefits to being a small organisation like us. You can rest assured that your money is always being spent wisely and where the need is greatest.

On average, for every pound spent by Children on the Edge, 86p goes towards our work with marginalised children around the world. This money  helps to support local communities in creating safe, child friendly spaces, where children are able to realise their rights and look to a better future.

The rest covers our fundraising costs to bring in a sustainable, steady stream of income to keep our projects running smoothly, along with all our UK office overheads.
Donate
0 Comments

Fishbourne Primary School show their support for refugees with an incredible year of fundraising.

11/10/2022

0 Comments

 
An assembly at Fishbourne primary School
Fishbourne Primary School’s philosophy is “There is only one you in this great big world … make it a better place”, and students from the school have certainly been doing just that, raising over £1,250 for Children on the Edge and Sanctuary in Chichester. Their amazing fundraising will help refugee children both overseas and locally in the Chichester area.  

Read More
0 Comments

Local support for the 12,000 steps challenge

1/7/2020

 
Picture
Sign up for 12,000 Steps
Earlier this year we launched our new virtual event 12,000 steps for 12,000 refugee children.
​
Since the launch we have been delighted to see so many people signing up, getting active and walking to help make a difference to the 12,000 refugee children we support.

Read More

Chichester Half organisers pass baton to partners for 2020

13/1/2020

 
Picture
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN THE CHICHESTER HALF 2020
After the 2019 Chichester Half Marathon boasted its highest registration numbers to date; co-organisers Children on the Edge will be stepping out on a high, passing full responsibility for the management of the event to their partners, Everyone Active.
 
Chichester based charity Children on the Edge revived the annual running event in 2011 together with Chichester District Council (latterly Everyone Active) and have continued to grow the race ever since, with profits going to their work with marginalised children around the world.
 
Ben Wilkes, the charity’s Executive Director says “It’s been a privilege to revive this much-loved event and to see it become increasingly popular on the Chichester calendar over the last eight years.”
 
Entering its 30th year in 2020, Children on the Edge now supports over 10,000 refugee children with a small staff team based in Chichester. Wilkes says, “We’ve been delighted at the high numbers, but as a small charity we feel that the time is right to pass the baton to Everyone Active, enabling us to focus on recruiting charity runners and invest more time in meeting the growing need we are seeing in the areas where we work”.
 
Having partnered with Children on the Edge to deliver the event for the last few years, Everyone Active is well versed in the organisation of The Chichester Half. The multi terrain event sits comfortably in the collection of large-scale sporting events they deliver in the area throughout the year, including the Midhurst Ramble Sportive and Nature’s Way Foods Chichester Triathlon Series.

Stuart Mills, Contract Manager for Everyone Active says “It has been great to work alongside Children on the Edge for so many years, supporting such a worthy cause and delivering one of the most popular local running events. We are excited for the future of the event and all set to make the 2020 Chichester Half the best race yet. This city and its surrounds offer an incredible backdrop to getting active and the multi terrain Chichester Half event is one of the best ways to enjoy it”.  
 
The 2020 Chichester Half Marathon is set to take place on the 4th October and early bird offers will be launched in the New Year. Runners can find out more and register their interest by clicking this link. 
CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CHICHESTER HALF 2020

The gift that keeps on giving

30/11/2018

 
Picture
BUY YOURS FOR £5
This Christmas give someone a Children on the Edge inspired gift and help bring hope, life, colour and fun to forgotten children around the world. ​
Help a refugee child learn and play

Our generous friends at Montezuma’s have donated bars of their beautiful chocolate so that you can give two gifts in one. For a donation of £5 or more, you a will receive a Children on the Edge gift card packaged with a delicious 100g bar of Montezuma’s Chocolate*.  

When you buy this charity gift to give away, you can help provide education for child in a refugee camp, helping them have a safe space to learn and play. Perfect for a stocking filler or a secret santa gift.

Picture
Read about the work we support with refugee children in Bangladesh, Lebanon and Myanmar.
YES PLEASE
* Thanks to the generosity of Montezuma’s they have donated Chocolate bars to Children on the Edge, so that all your donation goes to the work of Children on the Edge. ​
Picture
Picture

Run for Refugees Team raise £4,000 at The Chichester Half

19/10/2018

 
Picture
RUN FOR REFUGEES
On Sunday October 7th 2018, we held the seventh annual Children on the Edge Chichester Half Marathon, raising a fantastic £21,000 for our work with vulnerable children around the world.
Over £4,000 of this was raised by a fantastic group of 27 runners who were all part of this year’s Run for Refugees Team. All 27 team members committed to raise a minimum of £100 each for our work with refugee children in Bangladesh and Lebanon.

Mother and daughter team, Michele and Tiki (pictured above) were part of these fundraising efforts and talked to us about how they got support in the run up to the race. On the day they were kitted out in their ‘Run for Refugees’ t-shirts, complete with matching tutus.

Here are some of Tiki’s comments describing their experience of this year’s Chichester Half:

“I was really quite nervous on the morning of the race, training in the last couple weeks had done a bit awry as I had been unwell…Mum was also a bit nervous as she knew what was ahead of us having completed last years race as well! 
Picture
The pre run warm up was really good fun, gave us a giggle and got us warm and ready to go. Then it was onto the line up, where we chatted to a lovely lady and then we were off. The first part through town was slow as planned, saving our legs for the hill. We had our pace aims which I had plotted for us and we were on target as we started to climb, from here on out we ran our own races, just because I happened to be going slightly faster than mum.

We both felt great when we got to the top of the Trundle, we managed it better than our training run! The second half of the race for me was mentally challenging, I was starting to feel tired and I tripped over my own feet at one point which was annoying but my husband managed to text me at just the right time and I ran the last mile and a half feeling strong and happy.

Mum came in just after me with a big smile on her face and feeling great. She knocked 10 minutes off last year’s time and felt she still had a bit in her. We got our times from the machine straight away which is lovely, as I called my hubby and he was super proud of me. Then we went over to the VIP tent (a perk for Run for Refugees runners!) to enjoy the snacking delights Children on the Edge had lined up for runners - nice touch!

The support we received from Children on the Edge was amazing and really helped to make the whole experience more fun and meaningful. We’ve both done events for other charities, with much larger fundraising targets, and not felt nearly as supported or as valued as everyone has made us feel running for you so thank you all
.”
We’re incredibly grateful to all our Run for Refugees runners who, in addition to Tiki and Michele include Chris and team from Bowers and Wilkins, Georgia and team from Montezuma’s Chocolates, Samuel, Kelly, Tony, Jeremy, Thomas, Stephen and Derek.
Picture
FUNDRAISE FOR US
TAKE ON A CHALLENGE

A record year for the 2017 Chichester Half Marathon

18/10/2017

 
Picture
October 8th 2017, we held the sixth annual Children on the Edge Chichester Half Marathon, raising a record-breaking £33, 294 for our work with vulnerable children around the world.

The event has been growing year-on-year and we were delighted to have a record 1160 runners register for this year's race in one of three popular events - the Half Marathon, Ten Miler and Team Relay. 

Organised in conjunction with Everyone Active, the event is one of our key fundraising events throughout the year. It is only made possible thanks to the support of our local sponsors; Montezuma’s Chocolates and Store Property who have generously supported the event each year since is was revived in 2012.

The race has become a popular date in the diary for runners across the South, especially with our challenging multi-terrain course over the Downs taking in the Trundle and Centurion Way.
 
Ben Wilkes, UK Director at Children on the Edge said:
 
“This year's race raised a record £33,294, which will make a huge difference to our work with vulnerable children. We are grateful to all our runners, sponsors and supporters who make the event possible and we continue to be blown away by the support we receive from the local community. It’s great to see the event growing year on year and we look forward to next year's race on Sunday 7th October!"

Children on the Edge would like to thank local businesses Chichester College, Covers, Evans Weir, Gnarly Tree, Harries Coffee, Krowmark Workwear, Natures Way Foods, The Run Company, South Downs Water and Wiley for all their support to make the event happen. We couldn't do it without them.

Along with our regular runners, we also had a fantastic team of runners all raising money for Children on the Edge as part of our Run for Refugees Team. Our 25 fundraisers raised an incredible £7,096 for our work with refugee children in Bangladesh and Lebanon. This included, Mrs Salmond Smith, Mr Bromfield & Mr Brittain, teachers from Prebendal School in Chichester, who took part in the Team Relay and raised £255.

​Nicky Hellard has volunteered at the Chichester Half Marathon for the past two years and this year decided to run instead. She didn't believe she could finish the race; but took on the challenge, trained hard and built her confidence each week with longer runs, raising £322 in the process.

When asked what she'd say to someone else thinking about fundraising for Children on the Edge she said: 
​
"It is a great charity that does wonderful work right in the front line with the most vulnerable and overlooked children in the world. As charities go they are one of the best, the staff are dedicated and the overheads are extremely low".

We are enormously grateful to everyone who took part, raised money, or supported the event as a volunteer or spectator. We can't wait to see you again next year!

Do you want to take on a challenge for Children on the Edge? Find out how.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE RACE
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Could you be our Trusts and Foundations Research Volunteer?

24/5/2017

 
Picture

We're currently looking for a Trusts and Foundations Research Volunteer to help us for 1 day a week for 3 - 6 months in our offices in Chichester, West Sussex. Could you help? Or maybe you know someone who can?

Volunteering with Children on the Edge is a great way to support real and lasting change to the lives of vulnerable children. If you're looking for a career change, or a are a student or graduate who would like to get into International Development, then this volunteer role is a perfect opportunity to gain some valuable hands-on experience in the sector. Our own staff know only too well, that this type of experience can make a huge difference when applying for jobs with NGOs in the UK or abroad. As a small organisation, you will get the chance to really get 'stuck in' with our work, and understand what we do and how we do it. 

What's involved? 
​

As Trusts and Foundations volunteer, you will spend time researching trusts, foundations and any other potential funding opportunities for Children on the Edge, from within the UK, Europe and internationally. You will be directly supporting our Grants Officer, Sarah, who makes applications to funders, reports on all our projects around the world and brings in vital funding for our work. By supporting Sarah, you will be making a direct difference to the lives of vulnerable children around the world and helping to ensure our projects are successfully funded.

As part of the role, you will develop an in depth understanding of Children on the Edge and our work around the world and for the right person, there is scope to write small funding applications and project reports.

You can find out more about the role and exactly what's involved in the Role Description.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an organised, methodical and enthusiastic individual, educated to A-level standard or higher. You'll need to have a basic understanding of, and an interest in the work of Children on the Edge, International Development and fundraising.. With excellent written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail and a proficiency in Word/Pages, Excel/Numbers and internet search engines, you'll be able to organise your work and use your own initiative and nouse to research potential funding opportunities. We'd love you to have an understanding of and some experience in using databases (e.g. Salesforce), but we can show you the ropes if not.

We'll provide plenty of support to get you started; and our lovely team in Chichester are great at making tea and providing biscuits to keep you sustained while you're with us. Our two office dogs, Otto and Monty will also make you feel welcome, especially around lunch time!

The nitty gritty

If you are interested in this role, please send a copy of your CV and a cover letter outlining how you fit the qualities and skills outlined in the role description before midday on 9th June 2017 to:

Sarah Collinson, Grants Officer: 
sarahcollinson@childrenontheedge.org

  • Trusts and Foundations Research Volunteer
  • 1 day per week, 3-6 months
  • Application deadline: Midday 9th June 2017
  • Interviews held: 19th June 2017
  • Download the Role Description
  
If you'd an informal chat about the role, or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email Sarah Collinson on 01243 538530 | 
 sarahcollinson@childrenontheedge.org


SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
make a donation

Chichester Cathedral urges locals to support Children on the Edge

29/3/2017

 
Picture
make a donation TO CHILDREN ON THE EDGE
Children on the Edge is based in Chichester. in West Sussex, and we are very lucky to have an incredible level of support from our local community, through individuals, schools, churches and businesses; who do so much to help us. Find out out how you can help too.

We really value our strong links with our local supporters and organisations (as well as our non-local supporters too, of course!). Unlike some larger charities, we can offer a unique and direct link between you and the projects we run with our partners around the world. For example, last September, Nuna Matar who leads our work in Lebanon visited Chichester from Beirut to update local supporters on how their support and fundraising efforts were providing education for hundreds of Syrian refugee children in the refugee camps in Bekaa Valley.

This week, our International Director, Rachel Bentley spoke at the city Cathedral’s AGM to give the people of Chichester an opportunity to find out more about our work and how they can play a bigger part in supporting our projects abroad.
​
Chichester Cathedral Spokeswoman, Ruth Poyner, said:

"We are delighted that Rachel Bentley is spoke about the work of Children on the Edge at our AGM this week.  The charity works to support vulnerable children all across the world – and sometimes in less well-known areas.  Their important work supports these unseen children who are often living in truly desperate circumstances. Children on the Edge is a local charity with a long reach – offering the people of Chichester a way to directly support these vulnerable children overseas."


We currently work with children in Uganda, India, Burma (Myanmar), Lebanon and Bangladesh. At the Cathedral, Rachel highlighted our project in Lebanon, where we have set up five tent schools, providing education in safe spaces for 500 Syrian refugee children living in the camps of Bekaa Valley. Our partners in Lebanon are currently also making trips across the border to deliver supplies; food, fuel and blankets to 160 displaced Syrian families in Damascus. 

Our work in Lebanon, supporting Syrian refugees has generated an incredible level of support from Chichester Churches Together, and other local people. For example. enough money was raised last year in Chichester to fund an additional tent school in Lebanon, and a local group of families have also recently committed to raise £40 a month to support a Syrian family with food and fuel.

We're pleased that this project has resonated locally, and would love more people to support our work to help Syrian refugee children in Lebanon and displaced families within Syria.

As our Director, Rachel says:

"A lot of the media’s attention is on Syrian refugees in Europe, but the majority of those fleeing the conflict in Syria are residing on the borders in countries like Lebanon; where refugees make up a quarter of the population. It is here that Children on the Edge are focussing our efforts, providing education and trauma care for children who have known nothing but war their whole lives. Local people can help to directly support this project by making a donation to Children on the Edge. 

Children on the Edge are proud to be able to represent Chichester in our work around the world, and welcome any support from local individuals, organisations and business.

Find out how you can support us, through volunteering, fundraising or via your school, church or workplace, or contact Amy Rook, our Fundraising Officer on 01243 538530. 
​
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Young performers raise £10,138 through a stunning charity show

26/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Chichester children have combined their talents to raise £10,138 for vulnerable children across the world, through a performance entitled ‘Spotlight on the Edge’.

Emily Dadson, Events organiser at Children on the Edge said “
We can’t say thank you enough to everyone involved for giving their time, energy and talent to make ‘Spotlight on the Edge’ a reality. Both on stage and behind the scenes, so many people came together for one purpose, resulting in a fantastic show and an amazing amount raised for our work”. 
​
The show was held on Sunday 24th of January, as part of the Chichester Festival Theatre’s Winter Season and all proceeds went to the work of Children on the Edge. 


The evening consisted of a colourful array of music, song and dance by some of the most talented children in our locality, coming together to make a difference to children globally.

The one-off cast of gifted local young people includes Chichester Festival Youth Theatre, Dance Innovation, Arabesque School of Performing Arts, West Sussex Music, The Pop Up Club and Chichester Music Academy, with performances in the foyer by Il Campane of Rebecca Cooke Singing. 

Nick Davidson, Head of Chichester Music Academy, says: “Spotlight on the Edge offered golden opportunity for young musicians and singer-songwriters to perform in an acclaimed venue. I’d like to thank the theatre’s creative director Angela Watkins, as well as Children on the Edge’s Emily Dadson and, of course, the theatre itself - we’re so pleased to have taken part in something that’s raised over £10,000 for such a fantastic cause. Roll on next year’s event!”

​
Opening with a dramatic performance of Ravel’s Bolero by the West Sussex Music Spotlight Orchestra, Act One included a colourful excerpt from ‘A Chorus Line’ by the Arabesque School of Performing Arts, a stirring rendition of Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by local band ‘The Traits’ and an ‘On Pointe’ sequence by young members of Dance Industry.

The audience were then treated to a colourful dance piece entitled ‘Hope, Life, Colour, Fun - Dance!’ by CFYT Dance, which really bought out the theme of the show, and expressed ways in which young people in the UK can make a difference internationally.

Next came a welcome reminder of CFYT’s heart-warming Christmas show, ‘A Christmas Carol’, performed by members of the original cast. The first half then closed with a moving performance of Bui Do from ‘Miss Saigon’ by CFYT members past and present, joined by members of the Big Little Youth Theatre. The creativity continued throughout interval, with a beautiful recital in the foyer by Il Campane of Rebecca Cooke Singing.

Act 2 launched with a touching performance of John Rutter’s ‘The Lord Bless You and Keep You’ by the Spotlight Orchestra followed by a thought-provoking reflection on bullying in the shape of ‘Right Here, Right Now’ by The Pop Up Club. After Dance Industry’s dazzling ‘In Motion’, the audience enjoyed ‘Three’ sung by CMA’s Anna Foye and danced by Imogen Bailey and Nikki Skinner from the Arabesque School of Performing Arts. This contrasted with the next rousing Rock Medley by the Chichester Music Academy Choir. 

The buzz continued to the end with a dramatic interpretation of Bohemian Rhapsody by the Arabesque School of Performing Arts and Kodaline’s plaintive ‘All I Want’, sung by widely-acclaimed local singer-songwriter Isaac Waddington, under the auspices of Chichester Music Academy.

Most memorable, was the spectacular full-company finale performance of Footloose, sung and danced through the auditorium by a sea of young people in brightly coloured Children on the Edge t-shirts and accompanied by a well-deserved standing ovation.

Denise Patterson - High Sheriff of West Sussex who attended the event said of the show:  "It was certainly a show to remember. Talent and commitment shone from the young performers and what a splendid way to showcase Children on the Edge. Forgotten children in forgotten places, a statement that could not have been so sharply contrasted by such a wonderful evening at the Festival Theatre. Neither such thoughts I'm sure will be forgotten by the audience last night"


Picture
Photo credit - Liz Fawkes
Photo credit - Liz Fawkes
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

    RECEIVE OUR EMAILS

    Blog Categories

    All
    Ambassadors
    Bangladesh
    Burma/Myanmar
    Chichester
    Child Participation
    Child Protection Team
    Child Rights
    Child Sacrifice
    Coronavirus
    Dalit
    Digital Education
    Early Childhood Development
    Education Loans
    Fundraising
    General
    #GetToKnowUs
    History
    Hope
    Humanitarian Relief
    India
    Kachin
    Kyaka II Uganda
    Lebanon
    Postcode Lottery
    Protective Environments
    Refugees
    Rohingya
    Schools
    Storytellers
    The Body Shop At Home
    #ThrowbackThursday
    Uganda
    UK
    Ukraine
    Volunteer
    Women's Rights

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011



    RSS Feed

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Click to donate

Get Involved

Corporate Partnerships
​
​Email updates
Fundraise 
Give Monthly
Grant Giving Organisations
​The Body Shop At Home
Volunteer

aBOUT US

Who We Are
​​​How  We Spend Your Money
Latest Stories
​Our Story
​​Our Work
Accessibility  | Annual Report  | Contact Us | Jobs | Media Centre | ​Privacy Policy | Resources | ​Safeguarding | Shop | ​Strategic Partners 
For raffle ticket holders | Take Part | Rules and Prizes | Complaints | Responsible Gambling ​
Logo which says 'Registered with Fundraising Regulator'

Registered charity no. 1101441
REGISTERED COMPANY No. 4996130 

​Children on the Edge, 5 The Victoria, 25 St Pancras, Chichester,  West Sussex, PO19 7LT, UK | 01243 538530 | communications@childrenontheedge.org 
  • DONATE
    • The Big Give 2022
  • COUNTRIES
    • Country Overview
    • BANGLADESH >
      • Kutupalong
      • Cox's Bazar & Doharazi
    • INDIA
    • LEBANON
    • MYANMAR
    • UGANDA >
      • Jinja
      • Kyaka II
    • UKRAINE
  • ABOUT US
    • WHO WE ARE
    • Contact Us
    • 2022 Highlights
    • Annual Report
    • Awards
    • Meet the team
    • Our Story
    • Our Values
    • Our Partners
  • OUR WORK
    • OUR WORK Overview
    • Working on 'the Edge'
    • Safe Spaces
    • Child Rights
    • Refugee Education
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Cluster Learning In Uganda
    • Supporting Slum Communities
    • Tackling Caste Discrimination
    • Ending Child Sacrifice
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Get Our Email Updates
    • Autumn Raffle
    • Fundraise For Us
    • Challenge Events >
      • Virtual Challenge
      • Run The London Marathon
    • Schools
    • Trusts & Foundations
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • The Body Shop at Home
    • Volunteer
    • Shop
  • LATEST STORIES