On the 10th of February, the Collegiate Year 12 team collaborated to organise a spectacular talent show, showcasing the many brilliant talents within the school. All the profits we made are going to 4 different charities that the sixth formers have chosen. These are: The Children’s Hyperinsulinism Charity helping to fight against Hyperinsulinism which affects one in every 40,000 newborns. We chose this charity because it is such a rare condition where there is very little research. Suicide Prevention Bristol helps people who are struggling with suicide and aids them on their journey to recovery which our team believes is very important. Action Duchenne helps patients and their families with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy which is inherited from birth. We chose this charity because Duchenne is an unknown condition with little research. Finally, Feed the Homeless which works tirelessly to provide meals to those sleeping rough which is becoming more and more prevalent as the cost of living increases.

Collegiate’ s Got Talent showcased 8 spectacular acts ranging from piano serenades to solo dance performances as well as surprise teacher acts, which even got the headmaster involved! All of the acts were phenomenal however, the act that caught the eye of the judges was Zachary, Year 11, on the piano. As the evening came to a close, he was crowned winner of Collegiate’ s Got Talent 2023 with honourable mentions to the Skyfall band (Sam, Jess and Ariella) and the Drum and Guitar Duo (Alex and Zac). Not only was the event a success on the abundance of talent but also the money we raised for our chosen charities. With the help of a very generous donation from the Old Colstonian Society, we reached above and beyond our target by raising over £1,500 which we are all overjoyed about.

We worked against the clock to not only organise the event itself, but a cake sale and a raffle which raised an amazing £300 just on raffle tickets! Running a raffle added to our workload but was a fun and entertaining way to raise money. It was a great excuse to get the audience involved, asking them to pull out the winning tickets for the main prizes, which included Bristol Bears Tickets, Bristol Flyers Tickets, a Beaty Retreat, and a pair of cuff links, generously donated by the OC’s. 

As well as selling the tickets to eager parents and guests on the night, we sold tickets to school throughout the week. Sales were slow to begin with, which taught us perseverance as we took the card machine around school, encouraging everyone to buy a strip of tickets. Our school community was very supportive, and in the end, we sold an incredible number of tickets, getting through four books of raffle tickets!

The raffle taught us financial skills when we used the card machine, as we had to tally the total money spent, as well as organisational skills, as we wrote the name of each person who bought a strip on the back of each raffle ticket, so that even if they weren't able to make it on the night, we knew who had won the prize. We think that it was a great way to bring our school community together, and we thoroughly enjoyed the responsibility of organising and running the raffle. In addition, throughout the whole experience, it has enabled us all to improve our organisation skills to run the event as well as communication skills to liaise with the sixth form team and with the rest of the school.

As a year 12 collective, we are extremely grateful for the generous donation made by the OC Committee. Not only did it help us raise even more money for the four charities, but it inspired and motivated us to work harder as we felt determined to raise as much money as possible. As a result, the year 12 CGT organisers felt very grateful, and the event was well organised, and a huge fundraising success. From behalf of the year 12 team, we would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff and Committee that got involved and helped make the event the triumph it was.

Ella, Year 12 student