Deeds
Bolton School wins Queen’s Award for volunteering John Newbould describes the striking breadth of volunteering in Bolton School Bolton School, an independent all-through day school in Greater Manchester, has won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) 2017. This unique national honour was created by The Queen in 2002 to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee, recognising excellence in voluntary activities carried out by groups in the community. It is the highest accolade given to local volunteer groups for social, economic or environmental service in their communities, and is the equivalent of an MBE for an individual. As one of the oldest schools in Lancashire, Bolton School has a long tradition of working with and in the local community, offering philanthropy and volunteering. In 1915, the Bolton
School Foundation formally came into existence when the first Viscount Leverhulme jointly endowed the Bolton Grammar School for Boys and the High School for Girls. His vision included an understanding that those children attending the School should, like himself, make a difference for good in the local area. Today, volunteering is in the DNA of the School. Headmistress of the Girls’ Division, Sue Hincks, takes up the story. ‘Anyone who knows Bolton School well, will know how committed we are to community action. From an early age, pupils engage in voluntary service. In the Girls’ Division, our School Prayer says that much is expected of those to whom much is given, and this ethos is the bedrock of all that we
Autumn 2017
CCR Vol54 no3 Autumn 2017.indd 37
37
22/08/2017 15:57