Find out more
On Wednesday 13th January, we welcomed our community partners to Wellington to celebrate their work and to thank them for the opportunities they provide for our students as part of our Global Citizenship programme. Representatives from the following local charities and organisations attended: St Michael & All Angels Church in Sandhurst, Sebastian’s Action Trust, Hartley Wintney Club, C.R.O.W., Tushinde, Crown Wood Primary School, the Vineyard Church and Foodbank, St Joseph’s RC Church, Bracknell and Carwarden House School.
The occasion reflected the strength of Global Citizenship at Wellington and brought home the importance of reciprocal friendships: it was clear from speaking to those present that the value our students bring to the community is equal to the value the community brings to them in enriching their experience and instilling in them the importance of kindness and respect.
Peter and Jenny Hulbert from St Michael & All Angels Church in Sandhurst commented: “This work in the community is incredibly important, both for the community that benefits, and for the students too”. They described the Wellington students as “unfailingly polite and courteous”, even if they do sometimes have to “show them which end of a particular tool is which” while doing maintenance work on the churchyard. They added that the students they meet are “genuinely interested” in the history of the church and they love having them to help once a week.
The evening began with some reflections from Wellington students on their involvement with the local community. There were some inspiring stories. Laurin Scherer (U6th, Hg) spoke eloquently about how he took his passion for entrepreneurship to set up a social enterprise group, an initiative that benefits students by introducing them to the world of finance management, while raising money for “charities and other good causes”. Jemima Abate (U6th, O) and Zoe Phillips (U6th, O) talked about their work with LaunchPad, a charity that aims to raise awareness for homelessness. They have been busy fund-raising by organising a sleep-out for the Third Form. Arjun Naha (L6th, Hg) has been involved in charity web design, helping the Crowthorne Trust improve its digital image, and Maritz Steinruecke (U6th, Hg), inspired by his volunteering at Ravenswood care home last year, set up a project to compile a book of life stories through conversations with elderly residents in local care homes. Maritz commented:
“It has been really interesting to hear a lot of stories from a generation that we don’t see that much of; they really provide a different perspective on a lot of things, and we have definitely learnt a lot from their experiences”.
At the end of the evening, Aurora Gomez, Teacher of Spanish and Assistant Housemistress of the Hopetoun, was presented with flowers to thank her for her ongoing commitment to the Global Citizenship programme. Rebecca Park, Head of Global Citizenship, commented: “We chose to recognise Aurora as someone who lives the College values and is a great role model for the Global Citizenship team. Aurora has been involved in visiting COATS (Crowthorne Old Age to Teen Society) for many years, not only during College visits but in her own time and has taken others along to volunteer. The feedback we have had from COATS about Aurora is exemplary in terms of her enthusiasm, kindness, respect for the COATS’ visitors and staff, and her loyalty to this relationship”.
The Global Citizenship programme at Wellington is going from strength to strength. It plays a crucial role in equipping our students for life beyond school, and adds enormous value to both the College and the community by forging lasting friendships.
