Sun shines on Shrewsbury's Jubilee Party in conjunction with AGE UK

On Sunday 12th June, Shrewsbury School were delighted to host their first Jubilee Tea Party in conjunction with AGE UK.   

Staff at Shrewsbury School worked closely with Emma Wilde and Angela Goodman from AGE UK to ensure that the event was suitably nostalgic and would ensure we could guarantee a good day out for our guests.  For many of our guests this was the first time that they had ventured out of their care homes for two years, therefore we wanted the tea party to be a memorable occasion. 

Our central Quad area was transformed into an outside tearoom surrounded by Union Jack bunting and balloons and the library hosted Mrs Nicholas’ Royal display as well as Mrs Pannet’s memorabilia from the 1940’s.   

In our Sixth Form Quod some of our volunteers danced the waltz with our visitors whilst some sat by and watched, entranced by the familiar music.  Mrs Caddel (Head of Art) put on an excellent display of the Third Form’s recent sculpture project in which cakes, sandwiches and biscuits could be seen in giant size – one’s imagination could allow you to pretend to be a borrower or similarly allow you to think you had tripped down a rabbit hole and arrived in a different land!  Alongside this captivating display, all our guests had the opportunity to do some crafts and personalise their own square of material with beads, buttons, needlecraft and paint.    

Our musical volunteers delighted guests, staff and students with their singing and ensembles which could be heard throughout the afternoon.  The afternoon was capped off with delicious food from Holroyd Howe and suitably fitting sunshine, allowing for dappled shade, light breeze and good cheer. 

The Shrewsbury School volunteers came out in abundance to support throughout the day.  Whether setting up and clearing up or taking part in the event itself, all our students took part with their normal vigour and positive humour.   

It was wonderful to see our students of all ages sitting with elderly personnel, chatting away and sharing stories.  Whether hearing first-hand about the aftermath of Auschwitz or how schools used to be, our students were engaged and gave thoroughly positive feedback following the event.  Mrs Wilson, Housemistress of the Grove said, ‘the feedback from the girls in house was all very positive – they clearly enjoyed it!’.

One guest said: “The Platinum Jubilee event arranged by Age UK and Shrewsbury School was excellent. We enjoyed the exhibition in the library and the art installation by the students, as well as music and dancing. All of the students were so friendly and helpful and us feel very special. The afternoon tea was delicious and plentiful. There was a really lovely atmosphere and everyone was in good spirits. Well done, what a fantastic effort. We really appreciated it.  

A huge thank you to all the carers and guests for coming, all the organisers and staff involved from both Shrewsbury School and AGE UK and to our student volunteers who brought the event to life and made it a huge success. 

Naomi Pritchard
Head of Volunteering