A GROUP of students and staff walked across hot coals to help girls from disadvantaged backgrounds go to school.

St Swithun’s Sixth Form students and staff, including headteacher Jane Gandee, took on a fire walk to support the school’s own charity, the Bramston Bursary Foundation as well as Kids for Kids, Planned Parenthood and HART.

More than £2,250 has been raised by the 35 students and their teachers, who walked barefoot along 10m of embers, to be split between the four charities.

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Headteacher Jane Gandee said: "At St Swithun’s, we encourage our students to take risks and step out of their comfort zones, and I felt it was important to lead by example. The fire walk was a challenging and unforgettable experience but knowing that it was all in support of such worthy causes made it even more meaningful.”

The Bramston Bursary Foundation supports girls from disadvantaged backgrounds with fully funded boarding places at St Swithun’s.

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Kids for Kids provides aid and support to the children of Darfur, Sudan, while Planned Parenthood offers reproductive healthcare and education to millions of people globally and HART (Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust) supports oppressed and marginalized communities in conflict zones worldwide.

The school hopes to show its commitment to making a positive difference in the world with the fire and walk and other fundraising events.

The participants were cheered on by family, friends, and teachers. To donate go to justgiving.com/campaign/stswithunsfirewalk.