Amy Wallace, Principal of Queen’s Gate School, on its long tradition of supporting community and the social awareness regular positive actions bring
From our earliest days, Queen’s Gate School has placed charitable giving and thinking of others at the heart of what we do. Following the call that they should help ‘those less happily placed’ than themselves, those inhabiting our buildings over a century ago set about supporting a range of causes, a tradition we proudly continue today.
For us, the root of charitable giving and outreach work must be thinking about the needs of those whom we wish to support. Often our activities will be transactional in nature – the £2 exchanged for wearing jeans on a denoted day (our equivalent of a ‘mufti’ day), 50p for a sticky doughnut from the cake stall at break. Behind this there will have been genuine thought.
To organise such a day, as any of our pupils can, a girl must first apply through various staff, culminating in an audience with me, at which I get to hear about the charity they have chosen to support, and why. Seeing their social consciousness develop, often hearing quite personal stories that have drawn pupils to a particular cause, is always a special thing.
Beyond this, Queen’s Gate facilitates several established programmes supporting those in our local community. For over five years, we have been inviting families with children aged 3-7 to participate in our ‘Super Saturdays’. Run throughout the year, our dedicated staff and a team of Sixth Form pupils host various events, all of which are free to attend. Recent activities have included pumpkin carving, gingerbread houses and origami, all providing hands-on fun. We conclude each year with a special event in nearby Queen’s Gate gardens, where we are joined by a selection of farmyard animals. This year’s guests included a Shetland pony, lambs, and a group of goats who took great delight in escaping at every opportunity, also delighting our young human visitors.
Another long-standing project is our relationship with Kensington & Chelsea Age UK. For many years, we’ve opened our doors to their members for lunch every Friday. The camaraderie between guests and hosts is incredibly warming, a reminder of how important social contact is. This year, in partnership with Holland Park Opera, we have expanded this work to take part in singing sessions with Age UK members at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, while our choirs have supported their carol service and their annual Valentine’s Day tea.
As well as a deep sense of pride and accomplishment, our girls gain a real awareness of the needs of those in our community who can sometimes be marginalised – important learning as they prepare for their adult lives. A final regular commitment by the school is our weekly donations to the Kensington and Chelsea Foodbank. Again, our girls are involved in a genuinely hands-on way, collecting, delivering and unpacking donations onto the shelves. This gives them a genuine understanding of what goes into operating a foodbank – and greater empathy for those who rely upon these services.
Charity and outreach activities expose our pupils to a range of societal issues, instilling in them a deep sense of social responsibility and the knowledge that they can each impact society in a truly positive way. We are proud of the work they do, and proud of the young women they become as a result.
Queen’s Gate School queensgate.org.uk
Further reading: DOYRMS on building future leaders
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