Our girls brighten up communities at home and abroad this Harvest
Our school ‘Brightens Up the World’ this Harvest by drawing attention to, and supporting, communities near and far that do not have enough food.
On Tuesday, 4 October, the Junior School welcomed Reverend Stuart Wood from Barnwell Baptist Church to give an assembly on Harvest, and especially the Cambridge City Foodbank. Reverend Wood reminded the girls of the importance of being thankful for the gifts and privileges they have, to remember not to take them for granted, and to recognise that other people may not be as fortunate.
Parents joined their daughters the following day for a service of reflection, focusing on the Junior School’s ‘word of the week’ – generosity – and sharing suggestions with each other about how to be more generous. Examples included donating items to local foodbanks, which the girls were excited to do throughout the week; giving generously to the school’s chosen charities; and offering time and effort, and generosity of spirit, in order to help others.
Laura K., Year 6 pupil and the Junior School’s Charity Prefect, wrote to thank Reverend Wood for his assembly, explaining that the talk was “very inspirational and made me realise how many things we take for granted – the foodbank is very important and I am glad the school is supporting it.”
On Friday the Junior School girls enjoyed a Harvest assembly, at which they learnt about communities further afield who also have too little food. Stephen Matthews from CAFOD, the Catholic Aid agency, visited the school to speak about the organisation’s work across the world. CAFOD is working with communities in the South American country of Bolivia, where in the Altiplano region nearly 60% of the rural population are living below the poverty line. Unpredictable rains and frequent hailstorms destroy the crops which the communities rely on. The charity’s partners are working to provide greenhouses to protect crops and to train communities with new farming techniques to help them grow enough crops to feed their families.
The Junior School girls were eager to raise money for the organisation by hosting a ‘bright and colourful’ bake sale the same afternoon – raising £256.99 for CAFOD’s Harvest appeal – which will enable CAFOD’s partners to continue working with communities like those in Bolivia.
On the same day, the Senior School invited members of the community to forgo the school lunch for which they had paid and instead select a simple soup and roll option. For each 'hunger lunch' taken the school makes a £1 donation to CAFOD’s Harvest appeal. Other students and staff who usually make their own lunch arrangements also have the option to pay a donation to CAFOD and receive a 'hunger lunch'. All students and teachers, whether having a 'hunger lunch' or not, had been encouraged to be mindful even if only for a few seconds of those in the world who would go without and how much we have to be thankful for. Although not yet confirmed, the Senior School ‘Hunger Lunch’ is anticipated to have raised approximately £295.82 for the CAFOD Harvest appeal.
Donate to the Harvest Appeal.