RGS WE CARE 2022

NIGHTINGALE FUND: BUILDING AWARENESS

TUESDAY 22 AND WEDNESDAY 23 FEBRUARY

Following the launch of the Nightingale Fund in 2020, we wanted to further raise awareness among NHS workers. As part of our outreach work with East Surrey Hospital, Catherine and Nikki from the RGS Foundation team spent two days speaking to nurses, porters and support staff. With communications having been sent prior to the visit, people came along with specific questions about bursaries and admissions. The feedback was wonderful, and everyone was truly grateful to RGS for setting up the fund.

Support For Ukraine

SATURDAY 5 MARCH

On 24 February, Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine. Amid the shock and sadness, communities across the world were galvanized into action.

As part of RGS’s ongoing commitment to support the wider community, we sent out an appeal for donations of essential items to support the increasing number of refugees escaping the conflict.

We were proud to have worked closely with Polish Saturday School, St Wilfrid’s, who highlighted an urgent need for First Aid kits, thermal clothes, hats and gloves, sleeping bags, duvets, blankets, pillows and sheets, batteries, flashlights as well as particular items for children.

Foodbank Appeal

SATURDAY 19 MARCH

Reigate Grammar School is proud to be working with local charities to support the most vulnerable.

In March, Loveworks highlighted that the challenges caused by the pandemic –combined with the terrible rise in heating bills and the increasing cost of fuel and inflation – meant that our local community needed our help more than ever.

We appealed to local Reigatians to donate a few items from their shopping to help feed those in our community who are struggling.

Once again, the playground was transformed into a drop-off point, with a team of volunteers on hand to help unload donations of tinned goods, UHT milk, pasta, cereals, toilet rolls and more.

On the morning of Saturday 5 March, Reigatians dropped off donations on the school playground.

With additional collections at St. Wilfrid’s School in Crawley, Co-Op at Maidenbower in Crawley, Eurovia UK, Shipley CE Primary School, Emmanuel Croydon Church Community, Bolney Village Community, and GoAhead, we filled two double-decker buses and two big vans to support people affected by the hostilities in Ukraine.

This was a huge response and we can’t thank you enough for your generosity and willingness to help those in crisis.

Orpheus Centre June 2022

In June, RGS organised a treasure hunt for all our new joiners to raise money and awareness for the Orpheus Centre, an independent specialist college in Surrey that increases the confidence and skills of young disabled adults through the performing arts.

Stripey Stork And Loveworks

Saturday 22 October

RGS responded to the financial crisis for those who are vulnerable and homeless. We organised a week where pupils brought in toiletries for Stripey Stork and food donations for Loveworks.

School Of The Year For Five Years Running

NOVEMBER 2022

We are delighted to have been named School of the Year once again in 2022-2023. RGS has won the award for our community engagement and outreach programme. This work is essential as it helps prepare our children for life beyond school. RGS students are well-educated, not just well-qualified.

Christmas Gift Donation December 2022

At Christmas, many young people are unable to leave the hospital due to illness and ongoing treatment. The resilience and bravery of these children and their families is remarkable, and so Great Ormond Street charity teamed up with Fabian’s Childhood Cancer Trust to make things a little bit easier by providing a Christmas gift to let them know someone cares. RGS set up a gift station to support this initiative and we were thrilled at the response. We wanted to thank everyone that brought in a gift and made a child’s day!

The judging panel from Education Today celebrated the work we do which makes a difference every day in our community through our outreach programmes, inclusivity and diversity programmes, extra-curricular activities and charity work. Mrs Lawson, Assistant Head and Head of Outreach, has been recognised as School of the Year Community Champion for her exceptional work in the local community.

The judges recognised the work RGS does to support local charities including The Giant Pledge, Loveworks, Stripey Stork and The Orpheus Centre, as well as Renewed Hope and many more. Our extensive outreach programme offers Master Classes aimed at local state primary schools as enrichment for students with a specialist interest in a variety of subjects. These Master Classes are run by RGS staff and Sixth Form students.