WELLY LEADERS

Welly Leaders is an enrichment activity which takes place every Wednesday; its aim is to allow students to improve not only their own leadership skills but also those of the children they work with. In Michaelmas this year, a group of students ranging from Fifth form to Upper Sixth planned individual activities for 34 children from local schools. They decided to use low ropes (which contrast to high ropes by being just under a metre off the ground), a fun activity which would test the leadership skills of the students whilst keeping the younger children excited and engaged, encouraging them to develop physical skills and resilience.

For Wellington and primary students alike, developing leadership skills is a long-term investment that drives each student to fully participate. Welly Leaders is thus giving back to the local community – and in the words of a team member, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing so many smiling faces all around, as children clamour to do it again! This reaction is a long way off Wellingtonians initial trepidations of feeling ‘like lots of BFG’s clumped together’.

The enthusiasm, good humour and encouragement demonstrated by the Welly Leaders established and will continue to maintain a really friendly environment. This is an opportunity which allows younger children to build self-confidence in less obvious ways, such as really expressing themselves in conversations with young adults. By the end of a session, they are delightfully confident in establishing a connection that they may otherwise not have with their teachers. As after all “we are children at heart, and need other real children to bring out our playful sides”, as one of the Welly Leaders remarked.

INTEGRITY