Ruby Fuller, a previous head girl at The Charter School  North Dulwich died of T-cell leukaemia in May 2020, aged just 18. Before she died she asked that, in her memory, her family and friends raise funds for research into more effective and kinder cures for blood cancer. She also asked to be remembered by the motto 'Live Kindly Live Loudly'. Ruby was 17 when she was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (a type of blood cancer). Up to that point, she'd been a happy and healthy 17 year old, bursting with life and full of ambition to go and change the world.  She was studying for her A levels at TCSND and about to embark on her gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition - when all of a sudden she was catapulted into a world of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and months spent in hospital.

Ruby endured 10 months of intensive treatment, including a stem cell transplant. But the cancer proved too aggressive and relapsed in the form of leukaemia. Ruby died peacefully at home, in May 2020.   Ruby was kind and smart and the life and soul of the party. And she had a fantastic sense of humour which kept us all going, through even the darkest times.

Ruby believed that being kind was the most important thing in the world; to people, animals, and the planet.  Knowing she didn’t have long to live, she asked to be remembered by the motto ‘Live Kindly, Live Loudly’. The Loudly bit is about calling out injustice or unkindness.  

She also asked her family to raise money in her memory to fund research into kinder and more effective treatments to cure T-cell blood cancer. Amazing progress has been made in treating most blood cancers, with survival rates now much higher than they were a few decades ago. But T-cell leukaemia is a tricky one and the prognosis for this cancer when it relapses is still dismal.

The Charter School North Dulwich actively promotes any event that is being held to raise funds in Ruby's name.  There is a fund in Ruby's memory with Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group. Eventually, they hope to raise £500,000 - which is roughly what the NHS spent trying to save her.  TCSND raised £800 at Christmas on Christmas Jumper day for this brilliant cause.

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/rubys-live-kindly-live-loudly
#liveloudlylivekindly

In September the staff of Charter North did a fund raising sponsored charity bike ride from London to Brighton and others did 10 mile walk from Newhaven to Brighton to raise money for the Karla Pappon Memorial Courts -a multi sports court at the Charter School North Dulwich to remember their wonderful asst SENCo who died during a charity bike ride in  2020. The event raised £20k.

The school community was understandably devastated by this loss. Karla’s work during her time at the school, especially as part of the Learning Support team, had a positive impact on so many pupils' lives - she was tireless in her support of each individual child, helping them to achieve their full potential.

We had to think of a way to pay tribute to Karla and the amazing work she did for The Charter School North Dulwich. Our proposal is to build ‘The Karla Pappon Court’, in recognition of her years of dedicated service to the school and its wider community, and of her passion for tennis – Karla ran the school tennis club for many years at neighbouring North Dulwich Tennis Club. This is an ambitious project, but it will give the school a first-class multi sports court which every child at the school will benefit from. We have exceptional PE staff, but sadly we don’t have exceptional PE facilities, and this will help to address that. It will also provide a great facility for wider community use.  

The total cost of the project will be approximately £250,000 and we have to raise the money!
Further events are planned.

#ForKarla