VolunteeringVolunteering

New volunteering opportunity

Following last year’s information evenings around Volunteering, the Parents’ Association and the School are keen to draw parents’ and carers’ attention to opportunities to volunteer. Rotherfield Primary School in Islington, with whom Highgate has a growing relationship, wants to appoint some new school governors; further information about this interesting and rewarding role can be found here.

You can read more about being a school governor here.

 

Highgate School and the parents’ associations in all three schools are developing a partnership around Volunteering. The purpose of the partnership is to create a simple way for Highgate parents to find out more about volunteering to support organisations and charities in the local community.

In the Autumn there were two very successful evening meetings to get the partnership started. After a brief welcome and introduction, parents were invited to circulate around a “carousel” of representatives of different organisations: each representative spoke for five or so minutes about his or her experience of volunteering, and then answered any questions. There was a short plenary at the end of each evening, and parents left knowing how to take their interests further. The evenings were an excellent opportunity for parents to talk to representatives from both big and small charities, some of which work right across one or more boroughs and some of which are much more localised. Feedback from parents was very positive indeed: clearly, the evenings were found to be interesting and stimulating.

We were delighted by the range of organisations that were represented:

School Governing
Age Concern: Befriending
Hackney Bulls Youth Rugby Club and Finchley Rugby Club
Reading Support in a primary school
Cancerlink
Shelter from the Storm
Home Start Haringey
Jackson's Lane and the Family Holiday Association
The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture
KEEN London
The Harington Scheme
Action Aid
Childline
Black Lawyers Directory (Mentoring)
Princess Royal Carers Trust
Jewish Volunteer Network (link to external website)
Cancer Research (Shop)
Classical Roadshow

Each representative put together a short factsheet about his or her activity. If you click on an activity in the list above, you will be able to download the factsheet. If you would like to make contact with one of the representatives to find out more about a particular charity, organisation or activity, please email Robert Wilne (robert.wilne@highgateschool.org.uk) or telephone him (020 8347 2102) and he will put you in touch.

The success of these initial meetings was very encouraging: more are being planned, and the School and both Parents’ Associations are looking forward to the growth and development of this partnership.