Shropshire students building virtual college halfway to NHS fundraising target
A group of students who are building a replica model of their Shropshire college on Minecraft are well on the way to hitting their target of raising £1,000 for the NHS.
The students, from Concord College, in Acton Burnell, near Shrewsbury, have raised nearly £400 for the county's acute hospitals from their homes many thousands of miles away.
One of the students, Panaree Avasadanond, 17, said that the virtual build of the college has given her a unique sense of ease, coupled with a tinge of nostalgia as she walks down the familiar hallways of the school – even though she is physically 10,000 kilometres away.
Panaree, who is Thai, lives in Singapore and her first language is English.
She said: “I am really grateful to be part of this unique build project and I am glad to be able to support our frontline heroes at the NHS from so far away.”
As well as fundraising, the dozen students plus ‘crew’ from Concord’s 6.1 are said to be making ‘significant progress’ on Minecraft, the world renowned video game-based learning platform.
The founder of the Concord project, Lancelot Leung, 17, from Hong Kong, said as each block was placed down, they were a step closer towards the finishing line.
“We broke ground on the construction of the college’s main hall, jubilee block, the Morris Building and science block with some of them only lacking the finishing touches," he said.
“The project has been going on smoothly, with enthusiastic participation of our crew, who possess a plethora of diverse and complementary skills.
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“By having a strong support network and maintaining healthy channels of communication we are able to inform each other of our other commitments and needs.
“We can adjust flexibly to fit the project around our existing schedule.
"I am vice president of the school’s medical society and run a discussion group. With a group of compassionate members, I can arrange to be online after completing those commitments.”
Campaign manager Holly Hudson,17, a British day student, said: “Not only has this fundraiser helped us to raise money to support our local NHS hospitals, but it has also taught us how to work cohesively as a team.
“It has given us all the opportunity to gain other skills outside of our academic work and I have learned a great deal through managing our fundraising page and promoting our cause to a wider audience.
“I feel honoured to support the noble efforts of frontline healthcare workers who are working tirelessly to keep us all fit and well.”
People can donate at justgiving.com/fundraising/ccminecraftfornhs
