About Wings of Hope News and events Latest News WOHAA Awards Ceremony 2014-15 On Friday 10th July, The WOHAA 2014-15 Finals Awards Ceremony took place at the Royal College of Surgeons in London. The prestigious venue packed in nearly 300 guests, including teachers, parents and students from WOHAA past and present.The evening was co-hosted by acclaimed presenter and journalist Nadira Tudor, and young businesswoman, Smruti. Co-Founders Rajni and Dr Sri Ram gave inspirational speeches about the Wings of Hope’s vision as it enters its tenth year. Over 25,000 students from over 400 schools have taken part in WOHAA since 2005.This year’s students shone with their innovative fundraising activities which included a 3-day rowing marathon, 24 hour fasts, Santa fun-runs, converting old vinyl records into fruit bowls, drastic haircuts, poster campaigns on the London Underground, and selling a Wings of Hope themed frozen yoghurt. Winners and runners up were treated to an Oscars-style evening, with trophies, video montages of their work and on-stage photographs. Trophies were presented by the BBC’s Babita Sharma, Neil Roskilly, the CEO of the Independent Schools’ Association, Lady Gill Hinchcliffe, and Dawn Butler MP. Students had dressed up for the evening as characters from their favourite books to celebrate the evening’s theme 'WOHAA – What a Novel Idea', which aimed to celebrate the importance of reading. The evening was filled with high-energy entertainment supporting young talent. Pineapple Performing Arts School performed dynamic street dances, and Britain Got’s Talent’s Gabz brought the house down with her UK hit 'Lighters'. Emma Vangelder from Surbiton High School wowed the audience with her novel clarinet performance, and WOHAA participant Abhinav, from QE Boys’ School in Barnet, gave a stellar robot-esque breakdancing performance. The Overall winning team were team Eclipse from Northwood College School who impressed the judges with their incredible endeavours over the seven-month fundraising period. The team of girls, held jewellery sales, did a sponsored haircut, hosted an afternoon tea for the elderly, did a sponsored swim, organized a spiritual chanting day, held a prom night, and hosted the Mayor of Harrow. Their events were widely publicised in their local news. Close runners-up for the overall prize were WOHAA Angels and Oarsome Foursome, from Surbiton High School and Dulwich College respectively. The Overall winners will get an expenses paid trip to India to teach at the Wings of Hope school, and will also visit the WOHAA slums project. The runners-up will be invited to do work experience at the Land Rover team in the UK. The Wings of Hope Best Teacher prize was given to Alison Whitehead- West Kirby Grammar School. Overall winners & runners up Overall Winners & Most Funds RaisedEclipse, Northwood College Overall Runners Up & Excellence in SportsOarsome Foursome, Dulwich College Overall Runners UpWOHAA Angels, Surbiton High School Award Winning Teams Community Action AwardBe The Change, Queen Elizabeth School for BoysIgnite, Northwood College Most Entrepreneurial TeamWinners: Soar, Tormead SchoolRunners up: The Charitable Fellows, Tendring Technology College Excellence in the ArtsAspire, West Kirby Grammar School Excellence in Culinary SkillsWirral Whizzers, West Kirby Grammar School Best Presentation & Most Awareness RaisedWinners: Choccy Orange, Tunbridge Wells SchoolRunners up: Eunoia, North London Collegiate SchoolRunners up: Fusion, Queen Anne’s School, ReadingRunners up: Supéro – West Kirby Grammar School Most Funds RaisedRunners up: Soar – Northwood College