Skip to content ↓
  • Inspiring Individuals
  • Empowering Minds
  • Defining Futures

Kindness builds community

Queen’s Park High School students have gone above and beyond to help families in need by spreading a little joy over the last month.  Since joining staff to run a 5km DIY Santa Dash and drumming up over £1500 in sponsorship for The Hospice of the Good Shepherd and Blue Skies Balcony Appeal at the Countess of Chester Hospital, the school’s Sixth Form Leadership Team have organised a whole school charity event to raise money for Save the Children and support The West Cheshire Food Bank.

On Friday 11th December to coincide with Christmas Jumper Day, The Sixth Form Team encouraged all students and staff to bring in non-perishable food items to support their drive in helping those local people in crisis over Christmas.

The school community rose to the challenge and hundreds of students willingly donated £1 to wear their favourite Christmas jumper and gave in plenty to the mounting containers of food being collected.

 “This year we were determined to beat the previous year’s amount of 243kg for our collection. With Leah Ball as Head of Charity, she led the rest of the team and organised how we were going to collect and deliver the donations safely. Thanks to a massive team effort we managed to clock up an incredible 363kg which wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing students, parents and staff so we’d like to say a massive thank you to them all!”

Ellen Bowley, Deputy Head Student

West Cheshire Food Bank are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, that work to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

“I have been extremely impressed to see how dedicated this year’s Sixth Form Leadership Team and the wider sixth form students have been to support our local community. The quantity of food collected was a staggering amount which is a testament to the team spirit at Queen’s Park High School. I know the students are continually looking at ways in which they can support the local community during this lockdown period, and I am extremely proud of what they have achieved so far. Well done team!”

Mrs V Prydden, Head of Sixth Form

The school’s help in the community drive doesn’t stop there as Year 12 students spread a little festive cheer creating ‘Christmas cards of kindness’. This nationwide project aims to lift the spirits of elderly people living in care homes across the UK who might be feeling lonely during the festive season.

Students have been writing personal messages in cards they then posted out to Abbeyfield House and Queens Park House in Handbridge, which the school has built a strong relationship with over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions the school were unable to invite the residents to a mince pie and carol concert event as they had the previous year, so sent their best wishes in a Christmas card of kindness.

Meanwhile the school’s little Year 7 and Year 8 elves have been busy adding a touch of sparkle to the lives of the local Handbridge residents by decorating personalised stars for a community project set up by The Reverend Dr R P Whaite, Rector of St Marys Church and the Handbridge Community Association.

“We hope these bespoke pieces of artwork created by our students will cheer our local residents up after what has been a very challenging year for everyone.”

Mr S Parker, Curriculum Leader for Art & Design