It’s difficult to appreciate the world unless you immerse yourself in the task of making it a better place. This is a commitment that College and the pupils take seriously; dedicating over 3,200 hours of volunteering in the community each year.
Charitable activities aren’t an added extra, they are central to what we do.
Volunteering and charity work at College takes many forms, but the most popular is the successful Community Links scheme. Pupils take part in activities ranging from reading to the blind and teaching languages to primary school children, to volunteering at the local animal shelter and cooking at the local Open Door project.
Local causes benefit from this voluntary work, but it also gives our pupils a broader perspective on life as they are developing their attitude to the world. They learn to value, serve and enrich their community in a way that will stay with them forever.
College chooses four main charities annually. Each House nominates one charity and an overview of the nominations is presented in Prayers. Staff and girls then anonymously vote for the charities they would like to support during the next academic year. This year, we are supporting five charities due to a tie in voting between the local community charities, Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees and Cheltenham Open Door.
While we would like to help as many organisations as possible, choosing a smaller number means the chosen charities can each benefit from a larger donation. It also enables us to build a relationship with the charities, giving pupils the opportunity to learn more about their work. Several pupils have gone on to take gap year placements with some of these organisations and with St Hilda’s East, our permanent charity.
College also supports various ‘one off’ appeals, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, staff and students rallied to help their local communities, from making visors, face masks and hand sanitiser for the NHS to initiating projects to support the most vulnerable.
Our Charities 2022-23
For the current year we are supporting the following organisations:
Operation Smile
Skilled medical volunteers provide care for children with cleft conditions, in more than 30 countries, through access to safe, free, effective surgery.
Disasters Emergency Fund – Pakistan
Aid agencies are working in challenging conditions to meet the basic needs, such as food, clean water and shelter, of over six million people.
Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees
A volunteer-led charity ensuring refugee families and asylum seekers are supported and promoting co-operation between different communities.
Cheltenham Open Door
Supporting vulnerable, disadvantaged and lonely people, they offer a welcoming, non-judgemental space to enjoy food, friendship and access to advice.
St Hilda's East
Our permanent charity: Founded by Guild in 1889, this multi-purpose community centre caterers for all sections of the local community in the East End of London.
