An initiative by Old Silhillian Harry Morgan has raised more than £5,600 for Acorns Children’s Hospice.

The Big Old Sil Virtual Charity Quiz, an idea which the former Solihull School boy developed in under a fortnight, involved over 100 quiz teams and around 600 live participants including former and current pupils, staff and parents. The Microsoft Teams online event was compered by Harry, his father Sean Morgan, Senior Deputy Headmaster at Solihull School and well-known broadcaster and author Clare Balding OBE joined to host the sport round.

Harry, who attended Solihull School between 2003 and 2014, said: “Like many, I’d been enjoying lockdown virtual quizzes with friends and family in recent weeks. I saw an opportunity to bring the fun and togetherness to the school community and I’m so glad we did.  It was really special to see so many take part in the event live and we even had a team tuning in at 3am from Hong Kong!  I am so grateful to the Solihull Community for their overwhelming support and I hope everyone had fun.”

Donations rose throughout the evening and were matched pound for pound by Harry’s employer, Microsoft, to a current total of £5,660 for Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Livvy Guglia, Area Fundraiser for the charity, said: “What a spectacular evening - to have Clare as a special guest host was a real coup. She brought some celebrity sparkle to what was a fabulous event.

“Acorns need the support of the local community as much as ever as we do all we can to continue providing care during what is a really scary time for children and families. We’re extremely grateful to the Solihull School community for raising this incredible amount. It will make a real difference.” 

The next Big Old Sil Virtual Quiz takes place at 8pm on Thursday 28 May. For more details visit @OldSilhillians Facebook page.