At Warwick, one of our four strategic pillars is Serving Our Community.  We want our pupils not only to understand the importance of contributing to the world around them, but to feel a sense of responsibility to do so.  Through collaborations with charities and partnerships with local schools, we offer pupils a huge range of opportunities to give their time, talent and energy in service. 

We encourage them to get involved; we anticipate that they will come to realise the profound impact of service, both on their community and on their own flourishing; we hope that, encouraged by those experiences, they seek out further opportunities to serve; and we dream that their experiences inspire them to lead charitable initiatives of their own.

On Friday, a group of students from Warwick and King’s High embodied that vision superbly as they hosted a Charity Art Auction in support of Kissing It Better, a charity dedicated to ending the isolation of old age by bringing generations together, named this year as one of the three charities supported by the Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal. Warwick Schools Foundation has proudly worked with Kissing It Better for over 15 years, from volunteering at Warwick Hospital on Friday afternoons, to creative projects that have brought colour and warmth to wards and care spaces.  Friday’s event continued that work with imagination and heart.

The auction featured an impressive 69 lots: over 50 works donated by more than 20 professional artists, displayed in the King’s High Hall alongside a wonderful selection of student pieces and auctioned off by James Mattin from Bond Wolfe.  By the end of the evening, with ticket sales, donations, catering revenue and post-auction sales still to come, the total raised had already surpassed £4,000.

Although pupils and staff from both schools played their part, the event was, at its core, the passion project of our Senior Prefect for Charity and Community.  His vision, energy and, at times, slightly alarming level of persistence drove the whole endeavour. When he first proposed the idea, complete with a timeline that made even the bravest among us raise an eyebrow, the “sensible” advice was to take a more measured approach.  But his determination swept aside every practical hurdle and reminded us all about what can be achieved when passion meets purpose. 

From drafting e-mails to over 100 artists while en route to a family holiday, to building the website and auction catalogue, to travelling across the country to collect donated artwork, he invested an extraordinary amount of time and effort. And he gained just as much in return; insight, experience, confidence and the deep satisfaction that comes from meaningful service.  A perfect example of service learning.

For me, it was a moment of joy at the end of a demanding week. It reaffirmed why our purpose, to develop young people of character who thrive and make a positive impact on the world, matters so much.  And it reminded me, once again, how fortunate I am to work with pupils whose creativity, humility, perseverance and sense of responsibility are an inspiration to us all.