Araminta's rainbow runners smash fundraising target

RIPON Grammar School student Araminta Praud’s charity Colour Dash has smashed her £1,000 target to raise £2,705 towards supporting disadvantaged young people during these challenging times.

All the proceeds will go to the Prince’s Trust youth charity, which is running a Coronavirus Support Hub for young people, as well as providing vital job, education and training opportunities.

Araminta organised the fun-filled event, which took place the day before the government banned all mass gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, at RGS as part of her extended project qualification. It involved runners racing round a course at the school and being showered with colourful powder paint.

The 18-year-old, from Boroughbridge, who worked with the Prince’s Trust previously through school, explained why she chose the charity: “The work they do is really important.. They help underprivileged young people my age and give them the opportunities I am lucky enough to have. I strongly believe everyone should have the same opportunities, no-one should be limited.”

Araminta, who is studying maths, chemistry and physics at A-level and hopes to study natural sciences at university, is delighted to have raised so much: ‘My aim was to raise £1,000. I never expected this much. In these testing times I know this money is going to a great cause. The Prince’s Trust is helping support young people with their new Coronavirus Support Hub whilst also continuing to provide opportunities through their other programmes for those aged 11 to 30.”

She described the atmosphere at Colour Dash, which attracted 170 participants, as amazing: “Everyone seemed really excited and it was so lovely to see families out together having fun. At the finish line, where I was handing out medals, everybody was smiling and laughing, supporting each other and taking photos. It was clear the event had been a success.

“To see families and friends crossing the finish line together was a really proud moment for me. One of my aims was to encourage people to spend time together outside and seeing it happen was amazing. I’ve even had people enquiring about next year.”

Araminta, who set up Facebook and Instagram pages along with a website, says she gained a multitude of skills: “It was so much broader and more complex than I thought it would be. I’ve had to read legal documents, as well as focus on marketing. Time management has also been crucial and I’ve had to maintain a professional tone with customers and vendors at all times. There is so much more going on behind the scenes of an event than I’d ever imagined.”

She secured a contribution from a benevolent fund, as well as corporate sponsorship from Yorkshire-based Harron Homes which covered the cost of the paint for the finish line photo, resulting in a larger donation to the Prince’s Trust.

The company got involved after Heidi Elliott of Harron Homes saw a post about the event on Facebook. She said: “It’s a great cause.”