“Volunteering gives you a chance to make a difference to others and to their community. I believe that you’ll find your voluntary work will increase your confidence and self-esteem and give you new skills. I would advise you all to embrace volunteering opportunities; it’s a great way to collect extra experience that could give you the edge at a college, university or job interview.” Ben Fogle
Why volunteer?
The Voluntary Work Programme at Harrogate Ladies’ College is all about making a difference to other people’s lives. Taking a couple of hours out of school each week to change things for the better can be great fun and extremely worthwhile.
Harrogate Ladies’ College organises a large and flourishing programme of voluntary work activities, both independently and in partnership with local organisations and initiatives.
These voluntary activities form an integral part of the extra-curricular timetable of all girls in Lower 5 (Year 10) and many sixth formers, with approximately sixty girls currently involved. Each girl will normally perform her voluntary work once a week, in any one of a number of very different activities:
Local Schools: Girls enjoy working and reading with younger children of all ages at a range of local schools, including Bankfield Pre-Prep, Highfield Prep School and Brackenfield Prep School. We also have established links with Springwater School in Knaresborough, where our girls take part in classroom and sports activities with disabled children and children with learning difficulties.
The Elderly: Through our partnership with the Harrogate organisation, Supporting Older People, many girls enjoy visiting local elderly people in their homes. They go along for a cup of tea and a chat, or perhaps to help in the garden. Some girls visit the Waldernheath Care Centre Care Home, while others go to Hampden House Care Home where they spend time with the elderly residents.
Charity Shops: Harrogate Ladies’ College has links with a number of local charity shops in Harrogate: Save the Children, British Heart Foundation, Sue Ryder Care Shop, Cancer Research UK, Help the Aged, Barnados and Oxfam. On Wednesdays, our girls help other volunteers ‘behind the scenes’ with the sorting and display of donated goods.
Other Work Openings: Recent one-off activities have included helping with the Harrogate Festival of Music and Drama, which is an event hosted by Harrogate Ladies’ College for three weekends in March each year.
Duke of Edinburgh: Voluntary work is also an integral part of the Duke of Edinburgh programme.