EDUCATION
Giving back COMMUNITY CENTRIC
From local litter picking to overseas volunteering, we discover how schools in our area are encouraging pupils to get involved with charity work and community initiatives
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS
I t’s not uncommon to have a slightly jaundiced view of our fellow humans, particularly with regards to helping others. And you needn’t look far to find facts and figures that reinforce the sense that doing good is just so last year. According to a recent report, the percentage of people taking part in sponsored fundraising events has dropped by almost half since 2018. Donations to charity have taken a similar hit, falling by over a billion pounds between 2020 and 2021, according to a report from the Charities Aid Foundation. Other factors are at work, of course, Covid-19 in particular, and it could well be that the trend reverses in the months to
to give back that endures to this day. It’s no small wonder, then, that schools’ dedication to serving others is no mere tick-box exercise, but a wholehearted commitment where connections with institutions both local and from further afield are strengthened over time. For many schools in our area, a major focus for community service is the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, where pupils aged 14 and above work towards bronze, silver and gold awards, each of which includes a substantial volunteering component. Schools can be highly innovative in the way that this works. Stoke College, for example, uses its setting – right in the heart of the community – as the focus
come. In the meantime, anyone seeking inspiration could do worse than to follow the example of our area’s schools, which are full of heartening stories. Here, the desire to give back isn’t just growing but, it seems, never actually went away in the first place. After all, the link between schools and service goes back decades – possibly centuries. You could even say that it’s in schools’ DNA given that many, including some in our area, were founded to provide children with a first-class free, or heavily subsidised, education that would take them out of poverty. The result has been continued strong links with local communities and a desire
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2023 45
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