‘Young people are more public minded than given credit for’

Looking up from my screen, I see two used, but in good nick, not especially smelly, pairs of trainers occupying the in-tray on my desk. My PA is not happy, and therefore I’m in danger! To be clear, they are children’s old trainers, my kid’s feet are growing logarithmically, now cleaned and part of a donation for Bradford-based Action for Sport. Each year, our Year 7s support a different charity and this is their cause, a worthy one. Taking an overview, this is just one of a range of charitable and outward facing community activities ongoing at an increasingly connected Bradford Grammar School, even in these Covid-impacted times.

During the first half of autumn term, the efforts of our Year 7s and their Head of Year, Mrs Tomlinson, have been complemented by whole school support of ‘Hello Yellow Day’ to mark World Mental Health Day. BGS raised an impressive £746.22 for YoungMinds. We have also, through our annual Harvest Appeal, collected donations for the Bradford Metropolitan Food Bank and two full minibuses are now heading their way. Additionally, students have participated in a Covid Face Covering competition being run by Bradford Youth Service, promoted by some of our Sixth Formers who have been selected as their Junior Covid Ambassadors.

The pandemic has provided BGS with other opportunities to play a supporting role in our locality, for example by virtue of manufacturing and supplying care homes, GP practices, hospitals and optometrists with 1000s of vital PPE items. Visors have been specially made on a 3D printer and 3D laser cutter in our DT department by technician, Mr Burton. Meanwhile some BGS students and staff cheerfully made contact with OBs isolating at home. Moreover, just these past few days, my colleague Mr Crabtree, who leads on much of our BGS volunteering work, has encouraged us all to support Age UK Bradford’s Virtual Walk of Ages, an opportunity to undertake a 10 mile trail around local landmarks and share reflections and memories of some of our city’s iconic locations via social media. Those who are less mobile will be able to enjoy the experience virtually whilst Age UK Bradford raises a few bob in the process.

Clearly, this is all laudable stuff and the benefits flow in many directions. As ever, we are guided by our School’s values and they express matters clearly. Two read thus:

“Compassion – we care for one another’s happiness [and] treat everyone we meet thoughtfully and as an individual. We seek out opportunities to improve and enrich the lives of others”.

“Service – we recognise that we have a responsibility to share our time and talents and make a difference to the lives of others. We strive to play our role locally and nationally. We understand that by giving to others we enrich our own lives”.

In short, we aspire to be good neighbours and there is a clear advantage for everyone.

Inevitably, Covid curtailed much of the community action that we had planned for last year. That said, we still raised well over £10,000 for a wide range of charities. The Interact Club (part of The Rotary Club UK and guided at BGS by Mrs Chapman), for example, raised awareness of and funds for their three chosen charities (Yorkshire Air Ambulance, National Institute of Conductive Education and Human Appeal), and similarly successful fundraising was undertaken for Brain Research UK, a charity championed by our colleague Miss Miller. The Singing Children of Africa and Educate the Kids, Mary’s Meals, Tabby’s Trust, the JCI Easter appeal and Trussell Trust Food Bank, to name but a few, were other causes that pupils, parents and staff at BGS joined together to support.

I mentioned volunteering a moment ago, which is a popular and growing aspect of BGS life. In Year 12 alone, more than 1,500 volunteering hours were logged on the V-Inspired volunteering database before the pandemic locked us all down. Weekly Age UK tea and chat sessions, mentoring programmes for Young Carers and refugee children at Bevan House, paired reading at Frizinghall Primary School, amongst others, and Neesie social action, which included a visit to Westminster to meet MPs Philip Davies, Esther McVie and Priti Patel, all contributed to some of the entries on the V-Inspired platform.

Younger age groups at BGS are active volunteers too. Before lockdown, Year 7 had been in the habit of making weekly visits to Chellow Heights Special School with Mr Merckx, Year 10 and Miss Greaves were involved in a series of anti-knife crime workshops, supported by the Home Office and run by Neesie’s Noreen Khan. This was a terrific endeavour which saw a team of ten students helping to design an anti-knife crime app, collect signatures on a social action petition, raise money for Neesie and address an audience attending the International Women’s Day event in Centenary Square Bradford. Beyond these examples of group projects, much was achieved by individuals acting under the auspices of our Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme run by Mr Hoath and Mrs Heywood.

Young people are more public minded than they are given credit for. Imbued with a fierce sense of natural justice, it is my experience that given an opportunity to do some good in this world, the majority will seize it.