King’s College Third and Fourth Form pupils took part in a variety of community activities during the national Big Help Out day over the coronation weekend.
During the Coronation Bank Holiday, Third and Forth Form pupils took part in the national Big Help Out. The objective of this initiative is to raise awareness of volunteering throughout the UK and provide opportunities for people to experience volunteering and make a difference in their communities.
Pupils spent the afternoon working on local community projects such as clearing litter, gardening and maintaining green spaces around Taunton. Several churches benefitted from their labours and groups also spent time with elderly residents at Calway House Care Home and The Rectory where they entertained the residents with songs, jokes, poetry readings and interesting conversation.
Two groups conducted a Bio Blitz at Longrun Meadow, looking for and recording various examples of wildlife for the Natural History Museum. Meanwhile, back at school, pupils helped arrange and categorise the items donated for the North Devon Against Domestic Abuse refuge.
The Big Help Out is supported by some of the UK’s biggest volunteer organisations, including the Scouts and the Royal Voluntary Service, as well as the Shaping the Future with Volunteering Group of the UK’s leading volunteer-involving charities.
Upon launching the Big Help Out, Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: “It’s not just in times of crisis that we step up. Volunteering, whether formal or informal, is what powers our communities from Scout leaders to football coaches, collecting the shopping for an elderly neighbour to helping out at the school fete. We are delighted to be a central part of the coronation weekend, particularly given The King and The Queen Consort’s long history of support for volunteering.”
King’s College places a strong emphasis on community service and social responsibility, instilling in their pupils the importance of giving back and contributing to society. The school has a dedicated service programme and partners with local charities such as the Taunton Foodbank and the YMCA.
These connections offer pupils the chance to volunteer their time and talents for various causes, and by participating in community service initiatives, they learn the value of altruism and the importance of making a positive impact on the world.
Our School Chaplain, Father Mark, would like to thank all the staff who took charge and every pupil who reached out into our town in a spirit of generosity and kindness.