The students of Wetherby High School played a pivotal role at Wetherby Food Festival

The students of Wetherby High School played a pivotal role at Wetherby Food Festival, dressed as the Wetherby Lions’ mascots and manning a stall. They sold cakes they made personally at school, and all proceeds will be going to the York Rescue Boat – a charity dedicated to proactive safety around the rivers in York. Dressed as lions, the students also collected donations for photographs with children and families at the festival, and some of them performed an impromptu dance routine at the front of the live music stage. Wetherby Lions vice president Jon Handley said of the first joint venture between the school and the Lions: “Interest in the duck race was incredible and both the staff and students played a vital role in making the event the success it was. “Our new partnership with the school could not have started better, the students who worked so hard and with amazing energy over the weekend were an absolute credit to the school and demonstrates how Wetherby High School working with Wetherby Lions can come together for the benefit of our local community. “I am sure this will be the first of many more projects that we will undertake together, our goal being to develop a Young Leos Club with the school.” On the second day of the festival, students also took part in Wetherby Duck Race, joined by cricketer Ryan Sidebottom and Dave Benson, from York Rescue Boat. In the weeks beforehand, children had been selling ducks for the race and raised £812. Trueman House vice captain Chloe Wilkinson started the race and signalled when the winning ducks had crossed the line. Robinson House duck was the first over the line. Assistant headteacher Gareth King said: “Over the weekend more than 40 students volunteered their time at the food festival, strengthening a solid partnership that is being formed with the Wetherby Lions which will continue to grow when we start back in September. “All the students who were present were role models for the school in the way that they interacted with members of the public. “It is a very important event where students are developing the place of the school in the community of Wetherby.”