Community work and fundraising
Food bank collections, Christmas Toy Appeal & Fruit & Veg market
We work with these local partners in a variety of ways over the year. Each school House organises a food bank collection each year so there are 12 collections throughout the year.
In December all students and staff are asked to donate toys and presents for families or money to go towards presents.
Thousands of toys and gifts are brought into School and sorted into age categories by volunteer parents and staff, who then choose appropriate gifts for each family. In addition, over £2,100 was kindly donated by Tonbridge parents, meaning that specific gifts could be purchased and we usually support over 500 children locally each year
The Christmas Market has now run for two years, it happens on the last weekday before Christmas. The market provides fruit and veg for the Christmas meal as well as vouchers for meat either for Christmas day or for afterwards.
Aim:
To provide real practical support to local families who are struggling to make ends meet. For our boys, we hope that the develop a sense of charitable giving to those less able to support themselves.
Background:
For many years we collected donations in October to coincide with Harvest Festival. These donations went to The Bridge Trust, a local charity working with the homeless community in West Kent. From 2023, we have decided to stagger collections to provide more effective support across the year.
Resources:
TS pupils and staff members. TS parents are involved in helping sort the donations for the toy appeal.
Impact:
The food bank support around 70 families each week in North Tonbridge. The Christmas Fruit and Veg market in 2022 helped 175 families. The Christmas Toy appeal provide bags of gifts to over 500 children across Tonbridge and Malling who have been identified by schools, social services or local charities as being at risk of not receiving a present.
Pupil involvement and ages:
All pupils are involved in food donations once a year and all pupils are involved in the toy appeal.
Frequency and Duration:
Every Wednesday afternoon during term time.
Pink Day
The last day of the first half of Autumn term the whole school wear pink and make a donation towards the work of Breast Cancer Kent. There are talks for boys either by experts or by students who have been affected by breast cancer in their family. Other events are held to raise more money – selling charity pink clothes for their costumes, holding a cinema screening. The school is also decorated and lit in pink for the day and night.
Aim:
To raise awareness of breast cancer among our students and to raise money for the local charity.
Background:
Pink Day started over 15 years ago to coincide with the national Breast Cancer Awareness month. We initially raised money for Cancer Research UK but have since shifted to work with a more local charity who are more able to explain the tangible benefits that the fundraising can achieve. All boys and staff at the school are encouraged to wear pink and we have increasingly focused on demystifying cancer and encouraging the pupils to talk within school or at home about any fears that they may have.
Impact:
Pink Day started over 15 years ago to coincide with the national Breast Cancer Awareness month. We initially raised money for Cancer Research UK but have since shifted to work with a more local charity who are more able to explain the tangible benefits that the fundraising can achieve. All boys and staff at the school are encouraged to wear pink and we have increasingly focused on demystifying cancer and encouraging the pupils to talk within school or at home about any fears that they may have.
Pupil Involvement:
All pupils.