Bolton School has marked pupils’ voluntary work for the community in front of an audience of parents, teachers, governors and representatives from partner organisations. The Community Action Awards Evening saw students pick up bronze, silver and gold certificates for undertaking more than 20, 50 or 100 hours of volunteering. Several pupils achieved double the Gold Award by undertaking more than 200 hours.
Barry Dixon, Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, gave the keynote presentation. He commended the Bolton School Community Action plan and the great breadth of volunteering that students commit to each year.
Mr Dixon said: “This is the first time I’ve seen such a well thought through and structured programme that engages young people and allows them to undertake volunteering on so many different levels. Listening to young people tonight, I have been blown away by the assortment of volunteering activities.”
Individual students told volunteering stories encompassing a range of activities, including work in hospices and care homes, charity shops and food banks, Bolton Lads and Girls’ Club, coaching sports teams, helping with the School’s SHINE programme on Saturday morning, mentoring younger pupils, and with helping with Brownies, Guides and local Scout troops. They spoke of the friendships they had developed, the new life skills gained and the enormous sense of wellbeing that it gave them.
After the event, guests enjoyed drinks and cakes and inspected the range of Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) memorabilia that the School holds.
