Miss Dawson (Biology Teacher, CAS & Service Coordinator)

As part of the launch of the Lower Sixth charity project, the Campaign Challenge, we welcomed Simi Godagama (DAHS 1997) to speak to the year group about her career and her experiences in setting up her own charitable foundation.

Simi founded the RuRi Foundation, who work in awareness, education and prevention of child sex abuse in Sri Lanka, in 2016. Simi spoke about her journey in charity work from planning a fundraising event in Sixth Form, through to her current work, and how she raised money and awareness through a range of methods, including a viral blog post, speaking at concerts, and appearing on national television in Sri Lanka. Simi also described how her career had changed, having worked previously in osteopathy, as well as how fundraising and voluntary work had helped improve her mental health.

Following on from the Giving Forward project in Year 10, the Campaign Challenge continues to develop the skills of collaboration, research and advocacy. The girls will work in small groups to choose a social issue and then design a campaign to educate the BGS community about this issue, using all of their imagination and creativity to make it eye-catching and unique. The campaigns will launch in the second half of this term, following a period of planning and research.