Bickerstaffe School helps furry friends from Down Under

Nov 6 2012

Isla (whose nickname is wombat) helps raise money for Wombat Rise sanctuary

Isla Webster a year 6 pupil at Bickerstaffe C of E School celebrated World Wombat Day with a breaktime sale of homemade cakes and biscuits on Friday 26th October. Alongside fairy cakes and Anzac biscuits were "Wombat Bags" created by Isla and containing chocolate and winegums (a wombat's favourite food!).

Isla (whose nickname is wombat) became interested in wombat welfare about 4 years ago and made contact with the Wombat Rise sanctuary in Australia. Bob and Jan who run the Sanctuary take in sick and injured wombats and care for them for as long as necessary. For anyone unfamiliar with wombats they are furry grey Australian marsupials which burrow underground and are sadly endangered in their native land. Wombats are often hit by cars on rural roads but the joeys in their pouch survive leading to an emergency rescue and many nights of bottle feeding by Bob and Jan.

Many parents at the school also made and donated cakes to support Isla's sale. One pupil, Erin Martin, had recently charged her schoolmates to sign her plaster cast when she broke her arm and very kindly donated the money she had raised (£23.50) to the wombat fund.

Isla said "I am so happy that my school lets me raise money for the wombats and I would like to say thank you to all the mums who made and donated cakes to support me. I would also like to say a big wombat thank you to Erin!"

The wombat day event raised a total of £95 which will be sent Down Under to help the wombats!