Community

COMMUNITY

Chapel

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, ‘to lose one Holy Mystery may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both Holy Mysteries looks like . . . ‘ well, you know how the quotation ends. But Chapel did indeed lose both Christmas and Easter this year.

During Advent, dust settled on the heads of pupils during Sunday worship. Sharp eyes detected cracks around one of the large stone bosses towards the West End. The building was closed immediately so that inspections and repairs could take place. But this could not have come at a worse time; eight Carol Services were all summarily cancelled. Quick-footed logistics enabled College to enjoy its Carol Service at St Luke’s Church, and later that week The Prep held its Carol service at Christ Church. However, much had been lost, not least the charitable fundraising which usually takes place throughout the Christmas season.

The effect of being locked out of Chapel meant that there was a keen desire to get back in as soon as elementary repairs were completed in January. During this time the Chaplaincy staff were superbly assisted by the four Keepers of Chapel Jemima Rees, Gemma Radburn-Todd, Jack Szeto and Nicolas Mediato Diaz.

Of course, no one anticipated that the Christmas close-down was merely a precursor. And yet Chapel managed to reinvent itself, shifting its daily services online and keeping the scattered College community together. Pupils continued to write and record their talks, as well as reading lessons and leading prayers. A new and wider audience began to enjoy the Chapel experience and, best of all, Mr Alexander Ffinch (and his exotic socks) became cult viewing on YouTube.

Dr Adam Dunning

Chatfeild-Roberts Library

‘The doors of wisdom are never shut.’

Benjamin Franklin

Before this year’s seismic turn of events, the Library continued to thrive in what is an increasingly vibrant research culture at College. The launch of the Foundation Project Qualification (FPQ) with our Third Form, along with the now well-established EPQ, meant that pupils have made greater use of the Library and its physical and digital resources than ever.

The Library team has found the vast range of topics our pupils are engaged in, as well as the inquisitiveness and earnest desire to think critically about the world they live in, nothing short of thrilling.

The Library has always been a proud champion of reading at College but this year has seen this advocacy, through collaboration with partners and peers across Departments and Houses, grow into something more momentous. With protected reading time set aside for Third Form, the growing popularity of the English Department’s Reading Diploma, the success of a Common Room Book Nook, and our most popular World Book Day event ever – a multiweek online quiz that stretched pupils’ and staff’s literary knowledge to the limit – reading is quite clearly something that is cherished at College now more than ever. Seasonal reading lists, a National Poetry Day competition and, vitally, ongoing remote access to an enormous number of online resources and reading materials, show that the Library has continued to serve its community as fervently as ever.

We look forward to opening our doors again this coming year and sharing this beautiful space with all Cheltonians.

Mr Beren-Dain Delbrooke-Jones

International Society

Clearly it has been a challenging year for our international pupils, yet I have noted their impressive resilience and resourcefulness in the face of considerable adversity.

Naturally, I am grateful to our EAL team, all Housemasters, Housemistresses and Matrons, and of course parents and guardians in navigating our overseas pupils through uncharted waters this year.

Our annual international induction was both enjoyable and highly successful in terms of inducting and welcoming our new pupils from abroad, who were hosted cordially by Ashmead and Newick House on this occasion. Our pupil supporters, largely Upper Sixth students, were invaluable.

Naturally we aimed to recognise key international events during the Autumn and Spring Terms, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Loi Krathong, Chinese New Year and International Students’ Day. The International Dinner in Spring Term was, as ever, a real delight. This is a super opportunity to come together and celebrate our diversity and, of course, to showcase some stunning national dress. Neri Rattanachatta and Thomas Chu have both evinced excellent leadership skills in their role as International Prefects this year. To this end, I feel strongly that the committee meetings they organised and chaired, have been instrumental in both tackling any issues encountered by our international pupils, whilst also supporting and nurturing such inherent eclecticism.

This year, as much as ever, I have greatly enjoyed witnessing a myriad of contributions made by international pupils. In the classroom, in Chapel

and across the whole co-curricular gamut of activities at College, you have shone and astonished, and for that I am truly grateful.

Mr Nick Nelson

Partnerships

The key partnership event of the year was the formal launch of the Cheltenham Education Partnership (CEP). This took place at the start of October in the Queen’s Hotel. Pupils from at least five schools spoke of how CEP was already having a positive impact on their educational journey. Professor Jose Chambers from the Comino Foundation attended the launch and spoke enthusiastically about the importance of Creativity within Education.

Since its launch, CEP has recruited more member schools and has pushed ahead with the appointment of a co-ordinator. A full programme of partnership activities will start up again in the coming academic year, but it has been a testament to the dedication of College staff to CEP that the newly launched Latin programme continued remotely during the Summer Term.

Examples of partnership activities undertaken this year include: 7 Up programme, Mini-MBA

programme, TPE conference, the Chemistry Spectacular, hands-on science lessons, the Shakespeare Experience, forest school, rugby skills day, and Heads of Science gathering.

College and The Prep continue to grow their enhanced partnerships with both All Saints’ Academy and Saint John’s Church of England Primary School. Working with All Saints’, College continues to support the charity Talent Tap; an initiative which offers pupils from the Academy access to the alumni networks of independent school partners in order to develop business acumen. Connections have also been made this year with the South West Education Partnerships.

Dr Adam Dunning

Community Action

‘We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.’

Mother Teresa

The Community Action Programme continues to offer a strong presence within Cheltenham. More than 60 Sixth Form students and 24 Fourth Form

pupils took part in a variety of settings including visits to care homes, schools, Cotswold Riding for the Disabled and the Wilson Gallery.

This year we secured two new additional placements for volunteering: the Leonard Cheshire Home where pupils engaged and supported individuals with physical disabilities, enabling them to carry out creative tasks; and the RVS Coffee Shop at Cheltenham General Hospital, where two of our pupils learned to make coffee and sell goods to the public.

Although the majority of the pupils on the programme are Lower Sixth and Fourth Form, we have secured work experience places for Upper Sixth students wishing to undertake Medicine at university. This has been invaluable for them and their personal statements, giving them a flavour of hospital life.

The visits have benefited both the placements and our pupils alike.

Pupils’ Perspectives

‘I have learned that giving someone my time can make a big difference and that being just a little patient and kind can mean the world to others…. I think it is very important that we spend the time with people who we care about and respect the amazing opportunities that

we have while we can. I am very grateful to the College Community Action team that gave me the opportunity to be compassionate and kind and to give back to society.’

‘I liked how this enabled me to help people. It was also relaxing and all of us students and the elderly both managed to get to know each other quite well.’

‘I really enjoyed this experience because I find it really relaxing and fun to paint the benches. I realise how we spent only 40 minutes each week, which is not much time, but it helps the hospital a lot. Small actions can make a difference.’

‘Most of the residents were really sweet and they would share their past experiences with us.’

In all, the Community Action Programme continues to grow in strength and offers a variety of opportunities not only to volunteer but to develop character, new skills and new friendships. No matter how small that offer of help may be, it makes a difference.

Mrs Julia Hande

Wheely Wonderful

Bel Cornwell’s wheelchair marathon in aid of the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice. In July, Bel undertook 11 separate ‘walks’, each 4kms long in order to complete the distance of a marathon in aid of the Sue Ryder

Leckhampton Court Hospice.

Bel first started to work for Cheltenham College as a Teaching Assistant at The Prep 11 years ago. She then moved over the road to College, where she worked as an HR administrator and as the Co-ordinator for Partnerships, Community Action and Charities. In this role, Bel particularly enjoyed helping to build strong links between College and the community and facilitating and supporting pupils to work together in these projects.

Six years ago, Bel was hit with the awful shock of being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and for five years, despite a deteriorating condition, she managed to continue working at College until September 2019 when the loss of her ability to speak signalled that she could no longer continue in the role that she had come to love. Even though MND has stripped her of key functions such as walking and talking, it is in her nature to look for solutions, rather than only seeing the problems; focusing on what she can do is Bel’s inspiring strategy and it is this amazing outlook that led Bel to set herself her fundraising challenge for Sue Ryder.

For Bel, the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice is a very special place; for the last two years it has supported her and her family through some challenging times. Bel says, ‘They manage to combine an unassuming professionalism and understanding, together with a spontaneous empathy in everything they do - which always leaves me in awe. It is a remarkable haven of positivity, which has always

been a huge comfort and reassurance to us’.

Before Bel started to notice signs of MND, she ran in many half marathons and completed several triathlons. In true Bel spirit, determined to keep a sense of purpose she settled on the idea of a wheelchair marathon; it seemed apt to choose a discipline that had been such an important part of her life previously.

Undeterred by her near escapes with falling off the edge of the pavements in Winchcombe and spurred on by her accompanying family and friends, all the messages of support and by the spirit of the people at Sue Ryder, Bel completed her challenge and raised an amazing £7,110 for this remarkable charity. It was a delight for many to see and hear her being interviewed on BBC Points West; looking and sounding just wonderful! A fitting tribute to a remarkable lady.

As we go to press, Bel has begun her next challenge to raise further funds for Sue Ryder: to cover a further 100 miles of wheelchair walks through the Cotswolds and further afield in her family’s favourite arboreta and woodlands.

Any donation you may care to make to this wonderful cause would be very welcome:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ cornwellfamily-sueryder

Miss Jane Brodigan