IN THE COMMUNITY
Volunteering to make a better world Whether pupils are sporty, arty, musical or just want to help, Charterhouse is making an increasingly positive impact through its community volunteering projects – both at home and abroad
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wo or three years ago, only a handful of pupils were undertaking any regular volunteering activity at Charterhouse. Fast forward to the year just passed and all First Year Specialists (over 200 pupils) and many of our Under School are actively involved in meaningful volunteering. We’re in the midst of a cultural shift as pupils begin to understand the value of giving to others and the benefits of a wider holistic approach to education. All First Year Specialists take part in the Community Action Programme, meaning they’re either actively out in the community or doing some regular meaningful service on site. The partnerships arranged try to provide something for everyone. If they love the outdoors, they could do CCF or run the bronze Duke of Edinburgh programme. If they are musical, there a number of projects including a special partnership with Treloar School & College working with young people with complex disabilities. As the pupils there can’t play ‘conventional’ instruments, their orchestra instead plays through computers and quite advanced technology, and a group of Carthusians attends every Thursday to take part in their orchestra practice. It’s an amazing musical interaction. Meanwhile, artistic pupils may like to partake in the ‘Arty Mornings’ in the summer. Last year, this brought together
42 E The Greyhound
Pupils from Broadwater attend events at Charterhouse
250 local primary school children from five schools, and it involved an African drumming workshop and story-telling workshop. Hopefully we can find something for everyone. Role models The Community Action Programme works closely with three local primary schools in regular partnerships and is making a real impact. At Godalming Junior School, we run our ‘Charterhouse Academy’, which is academic enrichment for their Year 6 pupils, readying themselves for secondary school. Activities involve modern languages, public speaking, debating and creative arts. Not only is it developmental for our pupils to be able to showcase and teach their talents, it also helps them to develop their leadership skills and offers the Junior School pupils
valuable role models – individuals of 17 or 18 who are broad-minded and curious and are talking about life in senior schools, sixth form and going to university. It’s an inspirational and stimulating project for both sets of pupils. The importance of role models cannot be overemphasised, and the increase in involvement of Charterhouse staff in these partnerships shows a real desire by the School to lead by example. Fourteen beaks lead the Community Action placements each week, but many more are involved in the programme more broadly, or in supervising internal Service Leadership activities that have similar aims. Ten staff are currently serving as governors of state or special schools in the area, and many others serve on prep school boards as well. We’re starting to
