COMMUNITY

School supporting the community

Once more the School has played a key role in the local community. Activities in the past year included the setting up and running of a Primary Care Treatment Centre, which enabled the NHS to help save lives at the height of the Covid-19 crisis. The DT Department was among the first in the UK to manufacture protective visors (as pictured below), using innovative laser-cutting technology: more than 3,700 visors were distributed to key outlets such as care homes, hospitals, GP surgeries and pharmacies.

Student-led activities at Tonbridge saw £113,000 raised for national and international charities, including £69,000 for Child Action Lanka, the School’s partner charity which supports street children in Sri Lanka. Third Years completed a ‘virtual’ 2,000-mile run and cycle from Tonbridge to Greece, raising funds for the RefugEase charity, while also learning about the global refugee crisis.

In a normal year, 24,000 hours of volunteering time is given by pupils and staff through long-established links with primary, secondary and special schools and community groups. Over 150 boys choose weekly volunteering activities.

In 2020 Tonbridge was one of just six schools across the country to be named as a Finalist in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards for its ‘Community Outreach’ programme of activities.

‘Wonderful’ response to School’s Laptop Appeal

More than 130 laptops have been donated to families in need thanks to the generosity of the Tonbridge School community. Parents, staff, former pupils and other friends of the School responded rapidly to the Laptop Appeal, which assisted those in ‘technology poverty’ who did not have a computer for home schooling during the lockdown period.

People donated both new and secondhand devices, including tablets, iPads, smartphones and even sets of headphones, as well as laptops. Tonbridge also set up a special fund for donations to the cause. More than £40,000 was pledged, which enabled the School to purchase many high-quality laptops: these were delivered to local schools in the area, ready for onward distribution to families.

James Fisher, Deputy Head Co-Curricular, said: “We wanted to play our part in addressing this desperate need that many families have, and the response from across the School community was wonderful.”

Social enterprise in action: Boys earn Cambridge backing

A social enterprise project by Tonbridge boys, inspired by the Covid pandemic, has been awarded a place on the University of Cambridge ‘Camstart’ programme. A team of Second Years, led by Abraham Chan (MH2), came up with a plan of producing high-quality, reusable face masks when taking part in the Boars’ Den, the School’s annual contest to find the best entrepreneurial start-up ideas.

Having won the School competition, Abraham’s team then successfully pitched their ideas to Cambridge’s Camstart Accelerator Programme, a national scheme which provides expert support, mentoring and training for school-age students who can demonstrate the real-world potential of their social impact projects.

The boys’ masks include a range of features such as water-resistant fabric, and ergonomically designed anti-fog and anti-rust nose bridge wire. The team is now taking part in regular online meetings with their project consultants at Camstart, and has pledged all proceeds to Child Action Lanka.