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 Raised
Eclipse, Northwood College

Overall Runners Up & Excellence in Sports
Oarsome Foursome, Dulwich College

Overall Runners Up
WOHAA Angels, Surbiton High School

Award Winning Teams

Community Action Award
Be The Change, Queen Elizabeth School for Boys
Ignite, Northwood College

Most Entrepreneurial Team
Winners: Soar, Tormead School
Runners up: The Charitable Fellows, Tendring Technology College

Excellence in the Arts
Aspire, West Kirby Grammar School

Excellence in Culinary Skills
Wirral Whizzers, West Kirby Grammar School

Best Presentation & Most Awareness Raised
Winners: Choccy Orange, Tunbridge Wells School
Runners up: Eunoia, North London Collegiate School
Runners up: Fusion, Queen Anne’s School, Reading
Runners up: Supéro – West Kirby Grammar School

Most Funds Raised
Runners up: Soar – Northwood College