Shrewsbury School Announced as Finalist in National Awards

Shrewsbury School is delighted to be named as a finalist in the category of Community Outreach at the annual Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2020. This award recognises the positive impact and contributions our pupils and staff have made by working with and supporting communities over the past year.

All pupils at Shrewsbury School are involved in volunteering and community support during their educational journey, and this culture of kindness has a long history at the school.  An example of this is the unique relationship between Shrewsbury School and the youth club Shrewsbury House (‘The Shewsy’) in West Everton dating back to 1903. Regular, joint activities have been held in the past year including a residential programme, sporting fixtures and fun days for the junior club.

Pupils are empowered to lead their own initiatives to broaden support and work with our local communities. Our award-winning Global Social Leaders student group have organised a homework club for refugee children, hosted tea parties for local elderly residents, delivered a major food bank Christmas fair, and visited the local frailty ward at Christmas.  Art students have also hosted a ‘The Big Draw’ event for primary schools, and Musicians have hosted ‘Symphonic Sundays’ attended by over fifty 7-13 year olds from local schools.

In addition, over the last year pupils, and staff, have supported Shropshire hospitals and care homes, the local food bank, conservation projects, local schools with reading and sport, as well as, raising money in groups or through whole school activities for several local, national and international charities.

During the national lockdown period this year, the School adapted to support urgent local needs.  We donated and manufactured thousands of items of PPE for frontline workers, encouraged and promoted fundraising and charitable action from our own community across the country and abroad, made donations to food banks and adapted our community volunteering programme to work virtually by streaming musical performances into care homes and writing letters to the elderly to mitigate increased social isolation.

Headmaster Leo Winkley said:

“We are thrilled to be recognised as finalists for this national award for our community outreach work.  At Shrewsbury, we value deeply our strong and varied links with the community around us.  Community outreach is both rewarding and mutually beneficial.  As we support worthy local and national projects, our pupils learn vital life skills and enact a sense of social responsibility that they will carry with them for life.”

The successful finalist of the Community Outreach award will be announced at a virtual Independent School of the Year Awards event on the 8^th October 2020.