TWO Helena Romanes students who tragically lost their lives have inspired their schoolmates to raise money for charity.

Jack Brennan, who lost his life in an accident in August 2010, and Abi Cohn-Rumbold, who lost her battle with cancer in 2009, inspired the student council, Student Voice, to raise money for the Half Pipe Dreams Foundation and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Jack’s mum Rachel Edwards, who founded the Half Pipe Dreams Foundation, and Abi’s mum Alison Rumbold both collected cheques for �2000 from the student council after HRS raised money through a sponsored walk.

Mrs Rumbold said she was so proud of the school for raising the money for TCT and for keeping Abi’s memory alive.

“All the children know what they are raising money for and they always enter into the walk with such enthusiasm and support. Abi would have been thrilled,” she said.

Miss Edwards, who has had plans for a mural in Jack’s memory agreed in principle by Dunmow Town Council, told The Broadcast that she was “over the moon”.

“The mural will be painted at the skate park and it will be the same design as Jack’s coffin, which was a sunset.

“I am over the moon with the amount raised and I was really happy when I got the call to say they were raising money for Jack’s foundation. What is brilliant is that it was the children who wanted the money to go to the Half Pipe Dreams Foundation. They could have chosen any charity but they have chosen to raise money for people they knew at HRS.”

The �2000 given to the Half Pipe Dream Foundation will be put towards Miss Edwards’ idea of building an open air pavilion at Dunmow’s skate park so that the children have somewhere to get out of the rain and to sit around and socialise.

Chair of Student Voice James Gray said the walk served as a memorial to Jack and Abi: “After Abi died we wanted to have the sponsored walk as a memorial to her and then Jack died so we dedicated it to the memory of them both.

“We have had two walks now with the first raising �9000 and although we didn’t expect to raise that amount again, to be able to donate �2000 each to the Teenage Cancer Trust and Half Pipe Dreams Foundation is a fantastic achievment.”