Students do their bit for Zena 10

Students at King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds came out in force to support sixth former Connie Gibbs and the ‘Zena 10’ fund-raising campaign.

On Thursday October 22, pupils took part in a non-uniform/dress-up day raising £1,500 to the campaign - with 10 students bravely putting themselves forward for having parts of their body waxed for the charity fund.

The fund-raising drive was launched by Connie and her dad Darren in June and initially hoped to raise £10,000 for St Nicholas Hospice Care and its child bereavement service, Nicky’s Way.

The pair wanted to raise as much as they could in memory of Connie’s mum Zena Butcher, who died of a malignant brain tumour ten years ago aged just 37.

Connie and Darren’s fund raising events included a 10km run, a 1,000 mile cycle challenge, a 10 peaks walk and a car rally visiting 10 towns on the Norfolk coast as well as a hundred strong team at the Girls Night Out event in Bury St Edmunds.

This week the campaign smashed the £30,000 mark, with more money still rolling in.

Darren said: “The money has just kept coming.

“It has been amazing.”

Geoff Barton, Headteacher of King Edward VI School, said Connie was ‘an inspiration’.

He said: “The whole school community has got behind Connie’s campaign, with a ‘Turn Back Time’ dress-up day which itself raised £1,500.

“Connie is an extraordinary inspiration to us, and we are proud of the work she and her team are doing to raise awareness as well as money for the brilliant work of St Nicholas Hospice.”

For more information and to donate to the fund visit stnicholashospicecare.echoleft.com/zena-butcher.