School pupils across Huddersfield are urged to keep quiet to raise money for one of the town’s best-loved charities.

Brackenhall-based Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice is calling for schools across West Yorkshire to take on their Big Sshh sponsored silence challenge to help raise funds for the charity in 2025 … and are giving schools plenty of warning.

Schools are urged to fall silent for a time of their choosing from a few minutes to a whole day on June 20, 2025, but are telling them now so they’ve lots of time to plan the event.

Forget Me Not senior fundraiser Alex Chanteleau said: “Our Big Sshh challenge is a sponsored silence to help us raise money to fund our important work supporting local children with life-shortening conditions and their families. Every moment of silence will make a loud impact to families who can sometimes feel alone and unheard.

“We would love it if schools across the region all went very quiet at the same time on June 20, 2025 – the last day of Children’s Hospice Week, making it a great time to raise awareness and money for your local children’s hospice by falling silent!”

In the run up to the Big Sshh Forget Me Not will be supporting schools to make the most of their quiet time – perhaps by learning a song in Makaton sign language to perform on the day.

“Some of the children the charity cares for communicate using Makaton, a specially developed sign language based on British Sign Language, so signing and singing a song in Makaton could be a lovely way for children to show their support while learning a new skill.”

Alex added: “Our team loves getting out into schools and telling kids about the amazing work that goes on at Forget Me Not. It’s always a buzz to feel that energy and hear all those enthusiastic voices. This time we’ll be asking them to think about turning those voices off for a teeny bit to help other children in West Yorkshire.”

Visit Forget Me Not’s schools webpage or email fundraising@forgetmenotchild.co.uk to find out more and register your interest in taking part.

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.