Independent Schools

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Thursday, September 15, 2016
DOWNE House is keen to play
its part in the local community
and one of the ways it does this
most successfully is through
its fundraising and volunteer-
ing activities.
Fundraising is a very important
part of the ethos at Downe House
and an undertaking that staff and
girls alike enjoy.
The notion of service towards
those less fortunate in life is a
thread that runs through school
life and each house supports at
least two charities, one local and
one international, by organising
events to raise money, but also
through hands-on practical help.
Many ambitious events take
place during the year, organised
by the girls with the support of
staff and their families. For many
the charities are close to their
hearts. Last year the girls raised
an amazing £42,372 for charities
both locally and internationally.
It is a source of great pride that
the pupils are so eager to help
others and do not shy away from
putting their skills and talents to
work.
They are keenly aware of the
importance of the contributions
they can make to help others.
Each year the co-curricular team
organises a volunteering day for
the girls in Year 9 and in the past
year the girls completed a variety
of charitable activities.
These included busking in
Newbury to raise funds towards a
new swimming pool for Mary
Hare School, a residential school
for deaf pupils, as well as
helping out at the local Riding
for the Disabled centre near
Newbury.
Other initiatives have included
packing bags in Sainsburys for
donations, organising mufti days
at school, with each girl making
a donation for the privilege of
dressing down, and the ever
popular cake sales.
A few of the girls spent their
time working at a local nursery
while others helped out at a local
food bank.
Other groups had a more envi-
ronmental theme, working for
Rushall Organic Farm, the
Kennet and Avon Canal Trust
and the Berkshire, Bucking-
hamshire and Oxfordshire
Wildlife Trust.
On a more ambitious level, girls
are often motivated to organise
larger events and this year was
no exception.
A Father and Daughter Charity
Gala took place in June in
support of the Purple Commu-
nity Fund.
It was organised by the sixth
form committee and prompted
by the experiences of one pupil
who grew up in the Philippines
and witnessed the slum condi-
tions in which some young
people grow up.
The £2,750 raised will go towards
the work of PCF in eradicating
poverty, setting up livelihood
programmes and medical
schemes.
An Evening at the Races was
another determined fundraising
event which brought the school
community together, this time in
support of EDCLUB Movement, a
charity which works to bring
about change by setting up
computer labs in disadvantaged
communities in Kenya, Malawi
and India, bringing broadband
access to aid children’s learning.
The auction raised more than
£2,000 and empowered the girls
to fundraise for a charity in
which they wholeheartedly
believed.
During the summer, some of the
girls and staff take trips to visit
some of the international chari-
ties that they support in order to
make personal contributions
such as painting classrooms,
teaching English, offering toys,
clothes and stationery or simply
playing with the children.
This summer trips to Malawi,
Burma and India took place,
giving the girls the chance to
witness how much of a difference
they can make.
Headmistress Mrs Emma
McKendrick explains, “The
school works hard to ensure that
our students understand that
they have a role to play in society
– they are global citizens.
“Helping the children that they
meet through their link charities
gives them a chance to under-
stand what they can do to help
those that are less fortunate.
“This also provides them with
vital experience of issues in the
wider world, as many of them
may consider work of this nature
when planning how to spend
their gap years, for example.”
Charity events are an undertak-
ing that the Downe House
community is passionate about
and it is clear that the efforts
result in real benefits all round.
Downe House
Going the extra mile for charity
t 01635 200286 Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9JJ
DOWNE HOUSE
“A full boarding school turning out
delightful, principled, courteous and able
girls who go on to make a significant
contribution to the world. “
The Good Schools Guide
We are an independent boarding school
for girls aged 11-18 in Berkshire
Open Days:
26 Nov 2016, 21 Jan and 18 Mar 2017
Please contact
to book an appointment.
Newbury Weekly News