 Yeah, this is around the northwest for a Friday afternoon and it's kind of hard to keep track of the days this week, but anyhow, we're at Friday. It was a short weekend here we are at Friday. Now, there is an unusual, in a way an unusual fundraiser because the Parents Association at Royal Empire Comprehensive School in Ruffo are raising funds for the school and they, it's called Run for the Royal and they are encouraging past and present members or pupils for that matter to take part in this run and even maybe past pupils who are living abroad or elsewhere in the country or abroad to take part and I'm glad that Claire Lowry and Dawn Pearson from the Parents Association are with me now in studio. Good afternoon to you both and happy new year. Happy new year. How are you both doing? Just trying to work out what day it is. I know, it is Monday. Reset and Monday will go forward from there. That's right, absolutely, but you both get over Christmas okay anyhow. It's a big build up to it and then it flies by. Anyhow, okay, this fundraiser and I like the title Run for the Royal, so Claire, explain. It's a wee bit unusual in that there's, well, there's one gone but there's three more at dates sort of where people can gather together and have a bit of refreshments and a chat tells us about it. Well, it's just an idea to try and raise money. As you said for the parents and teachers and friends, anybody can do it, not just for that have been involved with the school. So it's kind of trying to get people out and fit in the month of January and meet up and have a cup of coffee and make new friends, meet up with old. So we had our first event on New Year's morning down at Inch. So we had a cup of tea for people from 11 to 12. And I'm like farm relief kindly give us their tent and parents brought food and we then they could people could go walk and whatever they wanted to walk. If they didn't want to walk at all, just get a cup of coffee and meet up or they could go out round Inch. And so these these four meetups, it's like it's supposed to focus. Yes. I mean people can do this anywhere at any time if they want. But these four these four meetups, they're they're a focus. Yes. Yes. Yeah. So that was the first one. Yeah, the first one. And then the next one was on the 13th of January. It's a Saturday morning up in Dunneagall town. And we're having a cup of tea from half 11 to half 12 in the Church of Ireland Hall up in Dunneagall town. And nearby there is the bank walk. And people can go and walk at just like a two kilometers walk or you can extend it on to 5k. There's a forest or a wood up there. I've never actually done it myself. The bank walk is it's really handy and it's very nice and it's more than doable. Right. Yeah. So the the extended one, the bigger one, haven't done that. No, no, I haven't. Should people can choose? Yeah. There you go. So that's that's the 13th. And then there's there's two more. There's one Wednesday the 24th. Yeah. And letter Kenny from we're having a cup of tea in Trinity Hall up in Cathedral Square from 7 to 8. People can walk around the town or whatever they want and call in for a week cup of tea then from 7 to 8. Yes. And we've loads of high vis vests as well. Road safety 30 were very good and they've given us 100 of them. Okay. So anybody wants a high vis vest, pop on and get one. Yeah. And then the last one is the 31st up in the school itself, a cup of tea from half 6 to half 7. All right. Yeah. Donna's a great idea. I suppose there's in two different ways. One is that there's these meetups, which are a little bit different because a lot of schools and fundraisers there would be five Ks or whatever, which is fine. But this is spread over the month of January and it's very timely and that we're all, you know, more health focused now in January and we're thinking, you know, we'll try and lose a few pounds we put on over the Christmas and stuff. So it's, you know, the timing's good as well. Yeah. Well, we put in a lot of thought into different events. We could organize for this. And as you say, there's lots of 5Ks, there's lots of 10s, there's lots of, and it's a come, go and do it, donate your money, and you never see them again like this. Yes. As a committee, we don't, we don't want to put too much emphasis on the parents. We have voluntary subscriptions. We're trying not to be pushing draws and pushing tickets and you know that. So we're getting back after COVID and all the rest of it and it was difficult during COVID. We kept the committee going as best we could, but now that we are open up again and trying to do different things, trying to talk to people and we've been listening to all our ideas and looking and looking around us. And to be honest with you, this was Claire's idea to come up with this, but I think we all jumped on board and just the social aspect of it and just having a meetup and having a chat, it does attract people because there would have been people there on New Year's Day guaranteed wouldn't have been going for a walk, you know, and just the thought, I'm sure people will see people and just something you said about where you can do it anywhere at any time. The first person to do it on New Year's Day was actually in New Zealand. So there you go. There you go. It's great to spread the word and I suppose that's done through social media. So people who would have an affinity for the school would have been there in the past or whatever, you know, they can go and sign up and do it wherever they are in the country or around the world. But the fact that there's four of these meetups dotted through the month is great given that that month is January and it's an opportunity as well for people to, you know, meet up with others that are doing it, you know, meet up with friends or, you know, a chance to walk with others even if you don't know them. Well that was very, that was idea spread around the county as well, because we could have a 5k in Rafoe and it would be people from Rafoe and Letter County and that area would come. But the fact that we've gone, because the Royal does pull from a lot about the whole county with the boarding school aspect out, so there has been borders coming for years. So the fact that we're going, like those people in Dunningall town would never be associated anymore with the school they've gone and like a lot of people with a lot of schools you don't associate, but now when they hear something in their own area I think, ah, you never know who you'll meet. You might come for a cuppa. Yeah. In the chocolate square. You see the chocolate square against me. The Royal and Prior, almost unique now in that it's boarding. Is it in the county? Is there a boarding school? No, it's one of the small part of the school. I know myself. Now, the boarding school was struggling a few years ago with numbers, but the numbers are just getting bigger and bigger every year. As the whole school is, the school has really, really progressed this last number of years. And now with Fingers Cross, the Bolton project that's set out for the school in the next couple of years, it'll only increase things. So what's going, what's the plan for that? Well, the money has been supposedly a ring fence. So we're hopefully, we're guaranteed, but there's new classrooms, new changing facilities, new sports hall. The plan, it's, as you know, referred to by badminton areas, which plan is to provide, almost become a center of excellence for badminton as well. And new special needs classes, new woodwork, new metalwork. So it's a massive. Yeah, this was all single individual projects. Yes. And, and then it became, well, hang on, we better add this and we better add that. And it became, and then it became, if you add this, you need to add this. Okay. So it snowballed? It snowballed and became very big. And it has, it's been difficult trying to get all the fun together. Like the principal, Dr. Welsh has been really, really good and really working hard at it. And there's a lot of things going on behind the scenes that we don't know. But it's nearly at the stage where we're, we're there to put feet on the ground and start digging. It'll be great. Yeah. Yeah. Well, hopefully all that will happen. And, and soon in the meantime, this money is being raised by the parents association. And this is for, I'm guessing, day to day and school activities and all little extra things that along the way that they help at every school. That's like every school, the department only provides so much. And every, every month we have a meeting, the teachers come to us with a wish list for certain things. Should that be for sports? Should that be for helping in the classroom? And you know, just silly wee things that people take for granted. But that are necessary. That are necessary. And unfortunately it falls on the likes of us to, to do the fundraising for it. So a reminder, Claire, those three dates that are remaining, 13th, 24th and 31st, the 13th in Donegal Town, then Wednesday the 24th here in Narrakenny at Trinity Church Hall. And on the last day of the month, Wednesday the 31st at the school itself. And they're focal points, the chance to come along. And would you suggest that people come first to there and then head off for a walk or do the walk? Whatever, whatever. So it's people, that's why we're just having a cup of tea from whatever time you can walk before, walk after. And everybody, just to say as well, everybody who signs up and takes part, Paul Stewart, from the Woodwork teacher, and Mrs. Cathy Anne Gibson, they ran a wee competition with the TY students. So they have designed a key ring. And the one is a girl, Jamie McGinley, and the design, then of the key ring, or the design they've made into key rings. So everybody who takes part gets a key ring. Yeah. And also everybody who is in, who takes our enters or joins up on the day or enters on Eventbrite or scans, the posters, they're also, and we're having a draw, two prizes every time we meet up. So we had two prizes there at Inch, Tank and Skinny's, and Ross Gear Farm Shop. And then so every other like, and Donegal Town will have another two with Hairby Leonard, Blinkers Coffee, Letter Connectivity Centre, Oakfield Park and Time Out Tea Rooms of All, donated prizes. Okay, so extra reasons for taking part. Yeah, so it's a redraw as well. Okay. For you know, and then after this initiative is over, the day after, there's maybe to bookend it, a quiz night. Yes. Right, that's on where? It's in a Greenin Hotel in Burt on the 1st of February, 9 o'clock, and we have a whole lot of lovely prizes as well donated by parents and friends as well. So a chance to win more prizes and maybe if you've taken part in one of the walks or who knows all of the walks? Or none of the walks. Or none of the walks. You can sign up and yeah, do it yourself. All right. Yeah. So to take part, it's Eventbrite or Scan the Poster? Or we have a Parents Association has a new Facebook page, the Royal and Prior Comprehensive School of Parents Association, and you can go on there and the links are on there as well. Or just come on the day and sign up either. But everybody who signs up will go on to the draws for the prizes. Well, it sounds like the Parents Association have done as much as you can. And after that, it's up to people just to support it, to come along. If you fancy a walk during January, all the info is there. Sign up, take part, have a bit of fondant, cup of tea and a, you say, chocolate brownie afterwards. Yes. Guilt free. As Edward Coyle and Raphos says, there's no such thing as bad weather. It's just improper clothes. There you are. Okay, Claire and Dawn, thanks for coming in. Best luck with it. Thank you. Thanks, Joe.