Charity boosted by school's 'best ever' fireworks

In keeping with the spectacular lightshow in honour of Bonfire Night at Highfield and Brookham School, Highfield Highreach Holidays had its coffers swelled to the tune of a dazzling £3,300.

The proceeds – up almost £1,000 on last year – came from sales of food and drink on the night and cash donations to the charity.

The annual bonfire and fireworks extravaganza at the independent nursery, pre-prep and prep school on the rural borders of Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex provides a regular boost to Highreach, which has been running since 2018 and provides respite for children with physical and mental disabilities.

While the fireworks display was liberally described as “the best ever” by many of the hundreds of visitors to the school, traditional guys produced by pupils from the prep school’s three houses – Agincourt, Trafalgar and Waterloo – took pride of place on top of the bonfire as part of the annual house competition, with Agincourt taking the honours this time around.

Highfield Highreach Holidays is hosted at Highfield and Brookham and is committed to supporting local families. It runs for one week every August and the charity covers half of the cost of the residential holiday, making it one of few affordable residential respite holidays around.

The cost of these holidays is met by ongoing fundraising initiatives within the school community and a healthy group of volunteers, many of whom return year on year, including former pupils of Highfield and Brookham School.

In August 2022, the young holidaymakers were joined by Ofsted inspectors who declared Highreach “outstanding” in all areas. It is set to run next summer from August 2-10.

Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham School, said she felt it was fitting that Highreach had benefited from the success of the fireworks and bonfire.

“When you think of Bonfire Night words such as dazzling, fun, heartwarming and colourful spring to mind, words which could just as easily apply to the wonderful Highreach charity and its amazing week of activities.

“We’re absolutely thrilled with the amount of money we have raised, money which will continue to provide much-loved holidays for disabled children and a necessary break for their families and carers.

"So thank you to everyone who came long and supported such a great cause and to our brilliant catering team who provided such tasty and warming fayre."