Hair and Media Makeup students help raise £5,000 for Rainbow Trust

Nescot students helped raise almost £5,000 for a children’s charity by volunteering to do face painting at a theme park.

Students on the Level 2 Hair and Media Makeup course created Halloween-themed artwork for children at Chessington World of Adventures during half-term in exchange for donations to the Rainbow Trust.

Cherie Ward, Curriculum and Standards Coordinator for Hair and Media Makeup, praised the 19 students who had taken part in the event and said they were looking forward to returning at Easter.

“The students took it seriously and worked hard to make sure their techniques were as good as possible,” she said.

“They were a bit nervous at first, but they practised a lot and they reminded themselves of what they were raising money for, and that put it into context for them.”

The students worked in teams of four from October 20 to 28, doing face painting for children aged from three to eight in return for a suggested donation of £2.50 to the charity.

In total, the event raised £4,951.55, and the students will be returning to Chessington at Easter.

Representatives for the Leatherhead-based Rainbow Trust came into college earlier in the term, explaining to the students what the charity does and how their fundraising would help.

The students created different looks and perfected their techniques by practising on one another, photographing the finished work and bringing it with them to Chessington as options for the children.

“We’re really proud of how much money the students raised for such a brilliant charity,” said Rachel Kelly, Head of Beauty, Hair and Art and Design at Nescot.

“It was also a really useful experience for the students, who learnt a lot about face painting but also about skills such as customer service and the importance of preparation.”

The Rainbow Trust supports children aged up to 18 who have a life-threatening or terminal illness, and their families.

Their bespoke support ranges from staying in hospital with sick children to helping organise appointments, support at home for the whole family, and round-the-clock bereavement support.