EDUCATION
SPRING GROVE SCHOOL
We also spoke to Spring Grove School ( www . springgroveschool . co . uk ), whose 2021 summer charity endeavours were inspired by empathy , compassion , and one student ’ s individual journey .
1 . What charitable organisations did Spring Grove concentrate on for the 2020 / 2021 academic year ?
In the summer term of 2021 Spring Grove School raised money for two very special causes - Histio UK and the children ’ s Padua Ward at Ashford ’ s William Harvey Hospital . Histio UK offers a lifeline of support to families affected by a group of rare diseases known as histiocytosis . About 50 children in the UK develop a form of histiocytosis every year , and one of those children now attends Spring Grove , so her story was very close to the heart of our community .
2 . After fundraising took such a personal turn for the students , what was the outcome when the school year came to a close ?
The fundraising was based around the school ’ s ‘ Health and Wellbeing Week ’ with a mixture of challenges and events . One outstanding individual effort saw a classmate raise over £ 1,000 in a sponsored swim in the school pool . The combination of funds raised came to over £ 4,000 , to be split equally between Histio UK and the Padua Ward .
3 . Spring Grove is at the charitable epicentre for schools in Kent , why do you think teaching children about charity work benefits them in the long run ?
Spring Grove has a long history of engaging its pupils in charity fundraising , with a special emphasis on educating the children about the different causes championed by the school . As well as raising much-needed money for vital causes , there are many benefits for pupils in engaging with these charity endeavours . Finding out about the causes supported by the school , and meeting people involved in the charities both opens up windows to the world and allows pupils to deepen their understanding of service for others - an integral part of the all-round development of the child .
Lastly we caught up with St Edmund ’ s School ( www . stedmunds . org . uk ) to find out what charitable endeavours they have been engaging in lately , and if they have anything planned for the upcoming school year .
1 . Encouraging charitable actions from an early age can not only change a child ’ s present , but also have a huge influence on their future . How does St Edmund ’ s foster an atmosphere that encourages this sense of giving , and compassion ?
St Edmund ’ s places great value on supporting charities . Enabling our pupils to devise and run charity fundraising events helps to foster a culture of care and deepens our curriculum drive of social conscience . Further to this , providing the opportunity to support those beyond our school gates creates an environment where our pupils are able to develop a range of important 21st-century skills ; these including problem-solving , creativity , self-direction , and innovation . We believe that these are essential skills needed to help our pupils become functional members of society and global citizens .
2 . Who determines which charities you decide to focus on each academic year ?
At the core of the school ’ s fundraising efforts are our pupils . Driven by the School ’ s House System , the members of each house vote early in the school year and decide which charities will be supported . This year the pupils decided to support a diverse range , including The Pilgrims Hospice , Kent Air Ambulance , Kent Wildlife Trust , Macmillan and Happy Endings Animal Rescue .
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