As some of you may know, I have been teaching Spanish and French at a secondary school in Hackney for the past four years. On December 8th, my colleagues and I are running the Victoria Park Christmas Half Marathon in order to raise enough money to take a group of Sixth Form students to Córdoba in February for the first time in the school's history. Those of you who saw the state of my ankle in July will know that this will be no mean feat - I was only able to start running again last week!

The benefits of this type of trip for A-Level Spanish students are clear. Students will stay with host families in Córdoba, and visit some of the very same places they have studied in class but never had the opportunity to see with their own eyes. It cannot be overstated just how much these students deserve to have such a rich, challenging experience, nor how ready they are to take it with both hands.

So far, so obvious. Unfortunately, the reality is that school budgets are ever-shrinking, and many of the students we are trying to take simply cannot afford the £600-650 that the trip will cost. For every £650 we raise, we will be able to take one student completely free of charge, but without fundraising, the trip simply will not be able to happen.

To be clear, the students are not just sat back and expecting their teachers to raise all of the money for them - far from it. Students have already begun tutoring their teachers, baking cakes, and much more in order to raise money to go into the collective pot. There are also some amazing calligraphers in the group, and they are looking to design some holiday cards in exchange for donations. Put short, this is an amazing group of students who will make the most of an amazing opportunity, and anything you can spare to help make that a reality will be so gratefully received.

Many, many thanks - any questions about any of this, do not hesitate to drop me a line.

James