Under the Mission and Aims of Abbey Gate College, we include the three pillars of Self, Service and Sustainability. Of these three pillars, two are particularly relevant in fundraising  in support of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine: Service and Sustainability.

Our definition of these pillars is:

Service: Each pupil strives to make a positive difference to the lives of others in our College, as well as in our local and in wider, global communitie

Sustainability: Each pupil contributes towards preserving and protecting the planet we all inherit and share and has the opportunity to be creative and innovative; to help further humanity’s progress in the future.

With this in mind, the College’s Design and Technology (DT) Department are supporting the College’s student advocacy ‘Service’ group in an initiative to raise, while also incorporating the ethos of the pillar of Sustainability, by creating sunflower badges with the Ukrainian flag using upcycled components.

Wearing a red paper poppy badge on your lapel in November in the lead up to Remembrance Day is a widely acknowledged practice, the purchase of these poppies from the Royal British Legion help provide life-long support to our Armed Forces community.

The DT department, along with pupils from different year groups, have devised a way to upcycle the plastic components of the poppies and using equipment available in the department laser cut card, creating superb paper sunflowers.

Pupils are responsible for creating the multiple elements of the sunflowers and working together are creating well over 100 badges every day.

Pupils are selling the sunflowers to staff and pupils alike, and they are also available in Cowards Butchers in Frodsham.

All proceeds collected will be sent to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal.