Community Work
'Action for Children' charity support in the Summer holidays
The School provides our grounds and facilities to allow disabled children to enjoy a short break, while at the same time giving parents and carers a much needed respite break.
Aims: To provide a venue for Action for Children to continue with their good work of providing a space for disabled children to have a break and respite for their parents/Guardians.
Background: In 2020 'Action for Children' were unable to provide their usual breaks for disabled children due to the Covid 19 outbreak, which left a huge hole in provision for the children and the parents/carers, who also need a respite break to help them to continue to care so intensely for their children.
Resources: The school facilities and grounds were made available to the charity for their short break programme during our Summer 2020 holidays period. in 2021 'Action for Children' once again used the school to help provide its holiday programme.
Impact: The Service Coordinator for Shropshire Community Short Breaks said,
'We cannot thank the staff at Shrewsbury School enough for their support to us during a very difficult time in allowing us to access their facilities in order for us to run our summer holiday club. If we had not had access to Shrewsbury School, we would not have been able to support our families who were in desperate need of their short break which would have ultimately had a detrimental effect on their health and wellbeing and may have resulted in families going into crisis.'
Pupil Involvement: In 2020, a total of 27 families were supported, with children aged between 6 and 17 years of age taking part. In 2021, a total of 58 children were supported during the summer on the school site.
In 2022 the project was unable to run. We hope to be able to welcome 'Action for children' again this summer.
Frequency: This had taken place in the summer of 2020 and 2021. We look forward to working together in future years.
Shrewsbury Foodbank Plus support
Our students advertise the requirements of the Foodbank to the school community and act as a deposit hub.
We also fundraise by hosting a Christmas Fair open to the local community. We share in the organisation and promotion of this event. Students organise their own products to sell and help with wider logistics on the day.
Aims: In 2021 our musicians will perform in the main hall sat the Foodbank with all proceeds given to support its work.
The Foodbank always needs regular donations of food and other items. We donate regularly.
We have also raised £2500 via a Christmas Fair, which was recently established in 2018. In 2019 we increased the amount raised to £4000! In 2020 due to covid restrictions, our fundraising was tied to donations linked to our 'House singing competition'. Post Covid in 2021 and 2022 again over £4,500 was raised.
Background: Our Global Social Leaders Group is a group of pupils which aims to set up projects or contribute to existing projects in the community. The Foodbank is an excellent avenue for this.
The Christmas Fair is repeated each year and should have increased footfall, hopefully increasing the money raised.
Resources: We offer our 'Quod' for the Christmas Fair - a lovely big space which is used for socials and a Sixth Form Common Room.
One member of teaching staff supports the students of the Global Social Leaders group.
Impact: We make regular donations to the Foodbank and donate annually after the Christmas fair.
£4000 in 2019 for help with Food Bank's 360 support and help to families.
Pupil Involvement: We have two pupils from sixth form and 5th form overseeing donations and a team of 10 for the Christmas Fair helping and organising.
Frequency: Our donations are weekly in term time and the Christmas Fair is an annual event.
Age UK Tea Party for the Elderly
We put on a tea party for the local elderly to help reduce loneliness and provide entertainment - accompanied with tea and cake.
Aims: We aim to provide a warm welcome once per term, when we invite Age UK to bring in elderly local residents. We also invite residents from local nursing homes.
Tea and cakes - made by our pupils - are on offer, as well as some of their favourite songs, played by our Concert Party Band.
Background: One of our Global Social Leaders Groups came up with the idea in 2017, utilising the Thursday cooking activity and Concert Party bands.
Two members of the teaching staff agreed to oversee the idea and ran with it.
Resources: We use / transform our dining hall for the tea party on a Thursday afternoon of Field Day (held once per term).
Our cooking groups make cakes and biscuits in advance (to freeze) and on the day in readiness.
Our Concert Party Band provide the musical and other entertainment.
All this is provided by the school.
Impact: We get feedback from the guests themselves - always positive; one gentleman stood up and said, 'You don't know how happy you have made us!'. We also liaise with Age UK who can also provide feedback.
Pupil Involvement: Approx 20 pupils are involved for each tea party and we have up to 100 visitors.
Frequency: We hold the Tea Parties once per term on Field Day (a Thursday).
Restart Africa Fundraising and Mentoring
Our Hunt (Shrewsbury School's running club) pupils and staff raised money for Restart Africa before they went to Kenya on the school trip 2019. This is an orphanage in Kenya.
A number of members of staff are trustees of the Charity.
In 2022-2023, fundraising at a whole school level is focused on Restart Africa as out primary international charity.
A number of pupils volunteer weekly giving help with English and more widely supporting education. These sessions take place virtually, made possible in part using computer equipment donated by the school.
Aims: The orphanage was set up in the wake of the violent disturbances that swept the country in 2007, as a refuge for young children who had lost their parents.
They have since gone from strength to strength, but are still reliant on generous donations.
Our club once again visited Restart Africa in December 2019 and we were really excited to see how they were getting on. Our intention was to raise as much money as we could to support the project before we went. We got beyond our target of £2k and reached £2421.25.
In 2022-2023 fundraising for Restart is taking place at a whole school level with major sponsored events at individual, house and across the school community. Each unit of £360 will provide an enhanced education for one student for a whole year. We are aiming to raise over £20k.
Background: Restart Africa is an orphanage located in Gilgil in Kenya and we have seen the excellent work they have been doing when we visited them in 2013 and 2015. The opportunity to visit them again in 2019, provided another occasion to raise funds for them.
Impact: We know that these vital funds will make a real difference to the lives of orphaned children, with the focus on providing a better education, initially at primary age, to open access to further study.
Pupil Involvement: 20 pupils from school participated in the challenge with the Master of the Hunt.
40 pupils engaged in an all night indoor sporting carousel challenge c100 staff, Old Salopians and local parents played a football tournament raising funds.
Staff v. Pupil basketball sponsored event
Frequency: We shall support Restart Africa as part of our charitable cycle, ensuring that the educational benefits are sustained.
Community Choir
The Choir's membership comprises of townspeople, members of staff (both past and present), parents, singers from around Shropshire and pupils themselves.
It is an unauditioned chorus, which enables truly inclusive membership.
The choir meets once per week on Monday evenings at school. It is run by our Director of Music.
Aims: The aim of the choir is to bridge the divide between town and school and have a choir for public benefit.
The members from outside school benefit from our school's facilities and expertise in choral music as well as increasing the number of occasions for concerts both within the school campus and outside.
Staff and local members of the community alike can sing in the chorus or be part of the instrumental chorus.
Many of the members enjoy the school's musical offerings and support other concerts.
The choir itself sponsors at least one of the public professional concert series.
Background: The Choir was established in 1982 by a former Director of Music at school, to supplement the school's choral tradition with a chorus from the community.
It has been passed down through Directors of Music to its present state; now probably the healthiest it has ever been! We have an increasingly young membership and more and more parents are joining, bringing friends along too.
Resources: The school has the resource of the music building and halls for rehearsals and concerts. We provide light refreshments for those attending.
The Director of Music dedicates time each week for rehearsal with the choir itself but also with the instrumental elements for specific concerts. This is a big commitment for some of the concerts e.g. the Messiah at Christmas.
Impact: The value of shared performance is clear for those involved and benefits are felt by those who attend concerts both at school and out in the community. It provides real cultural enrichment.
We also usually have collecting buckets for charitable donations at each concert.
Pupil Involvement: Up to 140 of our pupils are involved and approx 150 adult members are currently rehearsing and singing regularly. Age ranges from 14 to 86!
Frequency: We rehearse each Monday and perform regularly - this is set to continue.
Donations for the Frailty Ward, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital at Christmas
We collect donations for elderly patients on the Frailty Ward to cheer up their Christmas. These come from both pupils and staff.
Aims: We hope to cheer up the elderly patients on the Frailty Ward, by providing them with donations that we have collected at school.
We personally deliver them and take our mobile pupils choir with us for extra cheer!
Background: One of our support staff team members organises this each year by putting a donation box in each boarding house and around the school site.
Examples of donations are: chocolates, boxes of biscuits, scented gift sets, slipper socks and blankets or throws.
Resources: Our pupils from the Global Social Leaders Group help to wrap all the gifts and collect the donations from across the school.
Our mobile choir delivers the presents with the organiser, Clair Evans, using one of our minibuses.
Impact: We provide some festive cheer with music, gifts and chat to help lift the spirits of these elderly patients at such a cold time of the year.
Pupil Involvement: Our Global Social Leaders pupils (6th formers) help with wrapping, collecting donations and delivery.
Pupils form across the school donate - some houses forfeit their crackers at their Christmas meal in order to use the money for donations; other houses/ pupils do various things including sponsored shaves, or even just go shopping.
Frequency: We do this each year in November.
Jazz Band & Big Bank - Charity Concert for the Food Bank+
We have a strong partnership with the Barnabas Centre and Food Bank+, with Shrewsbury School pupils regularly volunteering there throughout the year and during the Christmas holidays. Our musicians hold this annual concert to raise funds to support the work done and to promote the Food Bank within the town and more widely.
Aims: To further promote our partnership and work with the local Food Bank+
To raise awareness within the School/Student body and to nurture a culture of giving/social responsibility.
The CEO of the Food Bank+ works closely with the School and we are always looking for ways to deepen links and to raise additional funds.
Beneficiaries are those who access the support offered at the Barnabas Centre and Food Bank+
Background: The new annual event came about through ongoing close liaison between the School's Director of Music, Leadership Team and the Food Bank+ CEO.
It builds on work done to promote and to support the Food Bank+ during our Annual House Singing Competition
Resources: We host the event in the School's Barnes Theatre with capacity for 220. Our marketing Team promote the event within the school and wider community
Impact: Success is judged in audience size and fundraising totals, (plus feedback)
Pupil Involvement: Around 75 pupils (aged 13-18) take part - musicians of all standards
Frequency: This 'Jazz in the Barnes' concert is now firmly in our musical/outreach calendar as an annual event.
Annual Concert for The Shrewsbury Drapers Company and in St Alkmund's Church for the Darwin Festival
We perform two annual concerts for the Shrewsbury Drapers Company and the second is held in St Alkmund's Church for the Darwin Festival.
Aims: We aim to provide cultural benefits for both organisations and strengthen our school links to the town. We also raise money for charitable causes.
Background: Both organisations approached our Director of Music to help - Drapers in 2013; the Darwin Festival, in 2017.
All members of the Shrewsbury School Music team get involved.
Resources: We rehearse here at school.
Impact: We raise money for charities, raise awareness of St Alkmund's Church and contribute to the community by hosting the concerts.
Pupil Involvement: For the Drapers' concert, we usually have approx 100 pupils involved; for St Alkmond's, approx 24.
Frequency: We will continue these annual, popular events.
Charity Fundraising
We raise money every year for The Shewsy (see separate entry), Restart Kenya (see separate entry) and the local FoodBank+. Each year we also raise funds for approx 20 charities per year.
Aims: We want our pupils to 'learn to give' their time and how to raise funds for worthy causes. By actively being involved in organising fundraising campaigns, our students learn how to persuade others to give and to understand the value of community work. This helps them to understand about privilege, responsibility and an awareness of the outside world.
Background: Our main areas of fundraising are:
A whole school community Shewsy Walk with a £100,000 target - every 5 years. (all students participate during their time at the school)
Support for Shewsy's "Big Give" campaigns in years between the sponsored walk.
To support our partners at the local Foodbank+, as well as other local charities including, Shrewsbury Ark, Samaritans, Age UK and Severn Hospice.
We hold a number of events per term, some organised across the whole school community some initiated by a house, pupils or staff who choose the charity to benefit, including non-uniform days.
We actively encourage and support individual fundraising projects.
We have a 'Commendation for Charity' scheme: half of the Commendation prize (£5 donation) goes to charity, which is selected from a choice of 4 by each tutor group.
Resources: We have a pupil led Charities Committee which has a Charity Rep from each house. It meets twice per term and elects a Chair and Secretary. There are minutes and agendas taken.
Any member wishing to run a charity event liaises with our Charity liaison person (a teacher). We then publicise it on the intranet and via social media channels.
We have a small budget to help set up events, but we mainly use time from volunteers - Housemasters/ mistresses, teachers and support staff. We also host assemblies for pupils on various charity fundraising events, especially if they are large scale ones.
Impact: Totals of our fund raising are kept.
In 2021-2022 we raised over £110,000 for 20 different charities.
We have these whole school activities e.g. our walk for the Shewsy every 5 years - this helps to promote school bonding.
Pupil Involvement: Our events may involve the whole pupil and staff body or they may be house based or individual - staff or pupils.
Frequency: Charity giving is a permanent part of our school community and life. We have daily updates on events/ targets/ money raised sent via email.
The Shewsy Big Give Christmas Challenge
The Shewsy Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022 to help young people in Everton and the Youth Club that we support.
Aims: The Big Give is a fundraising effort which every year engages charitable giving trusts and foundations who will MATCH pledged funds that the individual charity can secure. Once that process is complete then the individual charity seeks donations in a single week in December each year. If the charity can raise donations within the week that MATCH the total secured to date, then the final target is secured, four times the pledged funds.
Our first campaign was entitled Refreshing Shrewsbury House back in 2020.
in 2021 our efforts concentrated on a whole school-sponsored walk for the Shewsy.
In 2022, at Christmas, we helped once with the 'Big Give', Aiming to raise a significant higher sum of money.
Background: Shrewsbury House is undergoing a much needed refurbishment but beyond basic replacement and maintenance, we need to respond to the needs of our children partially highlighted by the Covid pandemic. There are over 50 children per after school club session where we provide a warm and welcoming environment, but this is not enough. We need to provide sensory space, a computer room and disabled access with specialist staff to deliver life coping skills for all our children and teenagers.
Resources: At school, we galvanise the whole community - Pupils, Staff, former pupils via the Salopian club, and parents in a co-ordinated effort. This is led by staff who are also trustees of the Shewsy and the School's Marketing Team.
Impact: During the 2020 campaign £21,519 was raised in 7 days, attracting close to 150 separate donations, large and small – all valuable and appreciated. This total was match funded by pledgers and the champion funder, the Four Acre Trust, such that with Gift Aid, the grand total raised reached an impressive £44,015.
In 2022 we surpassed our ambitious target, raising close to £85,035.
Frequency: We aim to actively support the 'Big Give' appeal for The Shewsy every year other than once in five years when all efforts are focused on the whole school-sponsored walk in aid of The Shewsy.
Supporting the Ankawa Foundation in Iraq
Shrewsbury School staff have been working voluntarily with the Ankawa Foundation to support young Iraqi graduates in their quest to improve teaching in Iraq as well as in a similar capacity in Yemen.
Aims: The summer school project was intended to train young Iraqi graduates to work in schools: Iraq has no teaching qualification, and the education of millions has been severely disrupted by the last three decades of conflict. At the same time, many young people have been through horrific trauma and are dealing with long term mental health issues arising from their experience of violence and instability.
There have been successful collections of academic textbooks to donate to the schools in Iraq, as well as other school stationery and equipment.
Background: Dr Helen Brown and Trish Henderson travelled to Iraq in the summer of 2019, to deliver a teacher training programme for a UK based charity, the Ankawa Foundation. The Ankawa Foundation (AF) works within communities in Northern Iraq, providing funds and expertise to local initiatives supporting refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in this war-torn corner of the world.
They planned to return in 2020, continuing to mentor the teachers they trained in the summer of 2019 and rolling out the programme to more schools across Erbil. The global pandemic made this impossible, however. Undaunted, AF decided that the same programme could be offered remotely.
Resources: Between 2016- 2020 the School helped fundraise for the charity.
In the spring of 2020, Dr Brown appealed to the Shrewsbury School common room for volunteers and was overwhelmed by the generosity of the response.
Seven Shrewsbury teachers took part in the project, giving up two weeks of their summer holiday to offer their expertise: Maurice Walters, Toby Percival, Lauren Temple, Heather May, Andy Keulemans, Anita Wyatt, and Naomi Pritchard.
Impact: We were able to offer bespoke mentoring to Iraqi teachers in P.E., English, Maths and Art & Design, as well as providing lectures and seminars in pedagogy and educational philosophy.
The Iraqi teachers with whom we worked were all eager to improve their teaching practice and were hugely grateful to all those who helped them plan lessons and develop strategies for safeguarding and behaviour management.
Rasha – who fled from Baghdad during the insurgency – told us that ‘We are so touched that teachers in England are standing beside us. It helps us feel that we are not alone.’
Frequency: Annual
Around the World in 40 Days
Our aim was to collectively cover the distance around the world (just over 40,000km) in 40 days, whilst raising money for various charities. This included staff, pupils and members of the Salopian community beyond the school gates.
Aims: Our aim was to collectively cover the distance around the world- just over 40,000km. Pupils, staff, parents and former pupils are invited to take part and help us cover the distance. Cycling, running, rowing, walking- whatever the activity, it was all counted!
We were raising money for 13 different charities.
Our aim was also to keep everyone in the Salopian Community together even remotely, and encourage exercise for all.
Background: Encouraging exercise and team work in lockdown can be tricky but we decided to sign up to Strava for this challenge, to record everyone - whether staff, pupils, parents or other - in their exercise of choice and try to make the distance around the globe in 40 days.
Of course this was tied into a challenging target to raise money for many charities throughout by encouraging sponsorship by family and friends.
Resources: Each member of the community taking part needed to sign up to Strava on a FOC basis, to record each activity and exercise period they did, all contributing to our school community page.
Impact: We raised over £13,000 for our charities of choice; each house chose a charity and there was competition between houses to raise the most as well as contribute the most distance to the event.
Severn Hospice – chosen by Churchills Hall
Plan International – chosen by Emma Darwin Hall
Mind and Zana Africa - chosen by The Grove
Justice Defenders - chosen by Ingrams Hall
Restart - chosen by Mary Sidney Hall
Great Ormond Street Hospital - chosen by Moser’s Hall
Young Minds - chosen by Oldham’s Hall
Severn Hospice - chosen by Port Hill
Cancer Research Uk / Restart - chosen by Radbrook
Andrew Grene Foundation / Restart - chosen by Ridgemount
Young Minds - chosen by Rigg’s Hall
Shrewsbury Ark / MacMillan - chosen by School House
Shropshire (Midlands) Air Ambulance - chosen by Severn Hill
Pupil Involvement: Over 600 pupils joined in from across the age ranges at Shrewsbury. Some 59 members of staff and 179 members of the wider school community also took part.
Frequency: This was out Lent Term Lockdown challenge, taking us through those winter months to March, when we were finally able to be back on site together.
Partnership with Shropshire Hockey
Our school hockey coaches work closely with Shropshire Hockey and these Development and Academy Centre programmes form part of the England Hockey Player Pathway.
Aims: Our aim is to help progress players beyond school and club level hockey and to reach their full potential. Ultimately to develop players who can represent their country at junior and senior level.
On a more fundamental level, we aim to increase participation in Hockey in Shropshire and to help the sport grow.
Background: The school hockey coaches have a well established partnership with Shropshire Hockey and Shrewsbury School Sports Facilities Team.
Resources: The training sessions are based at Shrewsbury School and utilise both of our high quality synthetic pitches. Pitches are offered at a reduced rate all year round and are free of charge for certain sessions.
Impact: We ensure that high standards of training pitches are accessible to those wishing to pursue hockey to a higher standard.
Pupil Involvement: Both boys and girls from U13 to U17 are involved in the sessions. The sessions are open to pupils from state and the private sector across the county.
Frequency: The training sessions are held throughout Michaelmas and Lent terms each year.
Archives & Taylor Library
Our Archives and Taylor Library are resources that are highly valued locally, nationally and even world wide. We have many rare books, records and artefacts.
We have a steady stream of visitors each year and hold classes in the Library itself.
Aims: We attract and hope to attract more visitors to see and use our incredible collection or books and artefacts.
We aim to make and increase our local, national and international links with those interested in viewing and studying this rare collection.
Background: Our Archivist has been painstakingly cataloguing our collection of many rare and treasured books, artefacts and records and opening then up for scholars and pupils to both view to study.
There is also a programme of restoration of books that is invaluable to keep these sometimes unique documents and books from deteriorating.
Resources: Our Archivist, with a small amount of help from pupils and colleagues, is dedicated to preserving the Taylor Library artefacts and the archives.
Impact: Some of the books and manuscripts have been studied by scholars from Oxford, Harvard, historians and experts in many fields, including: Gassanaeth Meir (The Hours of the Virgin) c1400 , written in a South Wales dialect; The Prick of Consciousness and Book of Psalms, Richard Rolle c 1350.
There are also many school archives.
Library staff visit too - Shrewsbury Public Library is visited in November 2019 to view our Darwin collection and work on a collaboration for a permanent display.
Frequency: The cataloguing, restoration and preservation continues. We hope to increase the number of local pupils who visit us in the future
Natural History Society: Tree Walk
Our Natural History Society has developed a Tree Walk to celebrate our magnificent trees on site.
We have 784 individual tress on the School Site and each of these has been logged on a database.
On 22nd October 2019, our first official visitors came to enjoy the Tree Walk - the local Nature Watch group.
Aims: We aim to invite groups and individuals to take our Tree Walk on site and enjoy the wonderful variety (both species and age) of trees here at school.
This is a pupil led initiative to log and maintain a database on all our 784 trees: each has been assigned a QR code; there is a map and notes on each tree.
Background: This is pupil led initiative with the help of a member of the Biology department and a retired teacher.
We aimed to log the trees so that visitors - and school staff and pupils - can really appreciate them, some of which are on the endangered species list.
Resources: Out pupils, as part of the Natural History Society, have provided their time to log the trees, set up the database and create the walk.
One member of staff has been key in backing up the students, as well as one of our retired teachers. We also use our Reprographics department to print the maps, notes and tree 'badges'.
Impact: This project will benefit our staff and pupils as well as members of the local community who are welcome to come and enjoy our wonderful trees.
Pupil Involvement: Pupils from the Sixth Form who contributed in 2019 were 10 in number; 9 in 2018.
Frequency: We hope to develop our Tree Walk by upgrading it in the future into an interactive trail, populated with poetry, art, music and science linked to each tree.
Medical Volunteering
Pupils in Sixth Form interested in pursuing a medical career volunteer at local care homes and hospitals.
Aims: We aim to enable our future medics to have experience in a medical environment to both help them with their UCAS applications but also to help support patients and care residents in the local community.
Background: We have been providing medical volunteering for over 20 years as part of our Activities and Volunteering Thursday afternoon programme.
Resources: Our programme is organised by our Head of Biology and supported administratively. We provide transport to our students to the care home or other facility.
Pupil Involvement: 18 Salopians currently volunteer in this area from 16 to 18 years of age on a weekly basis - Thursday afternoons.
Frequency: We continue to offer this service throughout term time and some students continue in the holidays.
The Shewsy Social Study Courses
We send pupils from our Lower Sixth year for 2-3 day social study trips to The Shewsy - the youth and community centre in Everton that we support.
Shrewsbury School has been supporting the Shewsy for 113 years now, by raising funds to keep the centre going and running reciprocal trips for both theirs and our students.
Aims: Our aim is to get our students to support the junior and senior clubs at The Shewsy and to help develop their education through talks and presentations based on Politics, Economics, Liverpool, Law, Postcode Health, Medicine, Education, Geography and Business.
Our students also get involved practically by cooking breakfast and generally mucking in.
Impact: Our students become directly involved with the running of the club and their presence and involvement help to reinforce our close partnership.
The Shewsy students benefit from mixing with other children from different backgrounds and learning via the lectures and talks.
Pupil Involvement: We take a minibus of students (i.e 16: 8 boys and 8 girls) and two staff on each trip, of which we run one per term for our Lower Sixth (year 12).
In the academic year 2018-19, 59 pupils benefited from these trips.
Frequency: We run one trip per term, each is 2.5 days. We aim to continue with these mutually successful trips.
Salopian Postcard Exhibition/ Sale/ Auction in aid of The Shewsy
The Old Salopian exhibition is an annual event. This year we are bringing together old and new Salopians, Shewsy House members and staff to create an exhibition of postcards, which are also for sale to raise funds for our partner, The Shewsy - Shrewsbury House Youth and Community Centre, in Everton.
The Art Gallery is a community space and events such as these aim to bring in the wider community, making art more accessible. As well as past and present pupils, local artisits who will also be involved.
Aims: Our aim is to utilise the network of Old Salopian artists and friends of ArtShrewsbury to help fundraise for the Shewsy.
Local artists, staff as well as current and former pupils are involved.
The sale/ exhibition should attract both those inside and out of the Shrewsbury School community, bringing in art lovers from the local area.
To encourage GCSE and A level students to show and promote their work.
Background: Lucy Caddel, our Head of Art, identified the idea of a higher niumber of pieces at lower prices being available for purchase to help raise funds for The Shewsy.
Resources: Our up to date database of Salopian artists and local artists is key, as is the development of our Art School as a public space.
Art staff and other teaching staff from the school are invited to help.
The art itself is donated for copying into postcards by the artists themselves (from school and outside); framing is done and provided by the Art department as are marketing materials to promote the event.
Impact: The bringing together of old and new Salopians as well as Shewsy House members interested in art.
Total fundraising was £2,000+
Pupil Involvement: Pupils from the GCSE Art course in years 10 and 11 are involved as exhibitors and promoters, as well as A level students in years 12 and 13.
Frequency: The exhibition will potentially run tri-annually over the foreseeable future.
Shrewsbury 10k
Shrewsbury School was involved in the Shrewsbury 10k race for the first time in 2020. The Deputy Head (Co-curricular) had been in liaison with race organisers to help them find a new course route which for 2020, with the result that participants for the first time ran through the school campus.
Aims: Our aim was to support the Shrewsbury 10k organisers in developing a new route and to enhance the experience for those taking part by opening up the beautiful site of the School to an expected 3000 runners. This meant more engagement with our local community. This year’s race was re-routed through the school grounds, where members of the SSPA hosted a water station for race participants.
As runners passed through, they were greeted by banners of support, motivational music and race commentary.
Background: This was the first year the race has passed through the school grounds after discussions between the race organiser and the Deputy Head co-Curricular.
The planning and event management involved the whole marketing department and the Deputy Head Co-Curricular.
Resources: Preparation from marketing included:
Bespoke artwork for event banners and race programme
Banner production
Banner installation – also involving the grounds team
Installation of race barriers
Water station set up (involved SSPA)
Webpage and social media promotion
Aerial filming (pre-event) to show new route
Promotional filming with our Film Fellow
Race commentary by a member of staff
Impact: We can gauge interest of the event via social media interaction / engagement stats and visits to the web page.
This year- 2020, due to current restrictions, we were unable to provide our “spectator zone”, for the general public. Had this gone ahead, spectator numbers and feedback would have been gathered.
Pupil Involvement: Some of our 3rd form art pupils created banner artwork for us.
Frequency: We intend to continue the Shrewsbury 10K liaison as an annual event for the foreseeable future.
Volunteering in orphanage in Malawi
Every 2 years, a joint group from Shrewsbury School and Shrewsbury House Youth Club, in Everton ('The Shewsy') spend 3 weeks in Malawi. They volunteer at the orphanage run by Medic Malawi, teaching English to those of their own age.
Every 2 years, about £25,000 is raised for the charity 'Medic Malawi'.
The school also subsidises 50% of the costs of the Youth Club volunteers, to the tune of approx £6000.
Aims: To benefit 3 groups of teenagers - from Shrewsbury, Everton and Malawi - raising aspirations and deepening experiences.
Background: Since 2011.
Our Headmaster approached the charity to see if we could work together.
Resources: Students raise the money themselves to travel and school sends staff to support these students and run the trips. They are usually for two to three weeks every two years. Other fund raising efforts are taken on by the students so that they can contribute to the centre.
Pupil Involvement: 5th & L6 aged pupils from School and the Shewsy.
Frequency: Every two years - next visit was scheduled in 2020, however this has had to be postponed due to CV-19.
Donations from Chapel Collections
Donations given after Chapel Services throughout the year are split between several beneficiaries.
Aims: We collect voluntary donations at Chapel services throughout the year, when parents and guests are invited. We aim to split these between worthy charities.
Background: Chapel and Church gatherings usually allow for the opportunity to give to the Church; here at School we collect and give the money raised to various charities to help improve our community and that of others.
Resources: Our pupils have buckets or plates on the exit doors of Chapel after services such as Remembrance, Carol Services, Harvest Festival and Leavers' services.
Impact: To list the last few years:
2016-17: £7046.23 raised for Shrewsbury Food Bank, Young Minds and Emmaus UK.
2017-18: £2808 raised for the Food Hub, Crisis and the Bishop's Ordination Fund.
2018-19: £4964.17 raised for the Food Hub, Crisis and The Bishop's Ordination Fund.
2019-20: £2041.50 to date for the Ark, Crisis and the Africa Prison Project.
Pupil Involvement: Various pupils help collect donations at services.
Frequency: There are approx 6 main services each year which provide the bulk of these donations.
Staff vs Pupil Football match in aid of 'Make a Wish'
£800 raised from a staff v pupil football match for 'Make a Wish'.
Aims: A very simple staff versus pupils football match was arranged to raise money for Make a wish.
Shrewsbury University - Sports Hall Usage
Usage of the School's sports hall twice a week for sporting student participation.
Aims: Enabling the university to offer recreational football and netball sessions to its students.
Background: Sports Facilities Manager met with key members of the university to highlight the need / desire for a working partnership locally.
Resources: Use of School's sports hall.
Impact: The University and its student are very pleased with our offering. It is reviewed termly and future partnership opportunities will be discussed as they arise.
Frequency: Twice weekly.
Shrewsbury Half Marathon
Members of the School community (pupils; staff; parents; former pupils) annually run the Shrewsbury Half Marathon raising funds for a variety of charities.
Aims: For the school community to join together to participate in the town's half marathon and raise a significant amount of money for a worthy cause each year, in conjunction with the School's Charity Committee.
Background: The Shrewsbury Half Marathon is an annual event which has taken place since 2013. Every year a team of Shrewsbury School runners has participated and aimed to raise significant sums for a particular charity. These have included both UK and global charities.
2019 charities were the Andrew Green Foundation in Haiti The Andrew Green Foundation’s mission is to give the people of Haiti the resources to develop themselves through education and microfinance. Also Medic Malawi
Medic Malawi is a hospital in Mtunthuma, rural Malawi, together with a clinic for feeding the malnourished and an orphanage for 70 children.
Resources: Administrative support is provided by the school in order to maximise charitable giving effort.
Impact: Significant amounts of money are raised. In 2017 the School raised over £10,000 for the Andrew Green Foundation aiding reconstruction in Haiti following the earthquake there in 2010. In 2018 the school raised over £13,000 towards Medic Malawi.
In 2019 we raised £595 for Medic Malawi and £5000 for the Andrew Green Foundation in Haiti.
Pupil Involvement: Sixth Form pupils / parents and staff join together. Approximately 50 runners participate in total.
Frequency: Annual.