Can Hurtwood make a difference? As a lively community of teenagers in the last two years of formal education, we certainly hope so. In spite of all the critical demands of education, there must surely be a place for ‘giving back’ to the wider world, sharing something of the privilege that we all enjoy up here on the hill. Unsurprisingly, that vital commitment to others is part of school life and worth celebrating. Make way to celebrate Hurtwood’s own unique fundraisers in their most recent event, a charity concert: noisy, lively, and in spite of all the hard work, joyously good fun, and proving that at heart, we’re all rock ‘n rollers.
Part of a whole raft of student-organised events, the most recent gig in the Pavilion offered energetic musical performances, with more enthusiasm than is decent for a Friday afternoon in November. From soaring solos to collective funk across guitars and drums and keyboards, enlivened with the occasional saxophone and violin, this was Hurtwood at play, sure, but also a community busy raising money for a range of causes, all chosen by the students themselves. It was fabulous fun, of course, but also seriously impressive, alongside the demands of A Levels and all manner of extracurricular commitments and, frankly, worth celebrating.
Overseen and reined in by the redoubtable Stella (‘though she be little, she is fierce’) the Charity Committee make it their business to raise funds for a carousel of different charities. The focus this time was on the Shoebox Appeal, a countrywide charity providing boxes of basic necessities for those in need, which the school has supported for many years. Extra funds raised this time are also, hopefully, going towards fulfilling the ‘wish list’ (providing pyjamas, books, etc.) of the children’s ward and A&E of the local hospital, a destination sadly not unknown to housemasters and students various. Over the years the kids have chosen to support all kinds of charities and causes large and small, both local and in far-flung places. From mental health to homelessness, from Oxfam, Shelter, Crisis at Christmas, to Alzheimer’s, all have benefited at different times from student input, and particularly poignant, and constructive, have been charities connected to personal tragedies within our student body. Raising money has come in every kind of guise – with one common denominator, of course, which is to have some fun alongside the blood, sweat and tears of persuading the wider world to share the money as well as the love. Paying for the privilege of dressing up – from the first joyous Pyjama Day back a decade or more, to gloriously inventive Halloween jaunts, to the now-annual Santa run, and Christmas jumper challenge –has always proved a hit with kids and staff (well some, anyway) alike. Linda’s amazing Bake Sales are a legendary highlight of the school calendar (thank you, Linda, for showing how giving up your leisure time as well as money to help others is meaningful and rewarding). Valentine’s Day brings a flurry of fund-raising events, and in the Summer term it is the Big Walk that challenges the whole school to stir their end-of-year weary stumps, to walk the Hurtwood hills and raise meaningful cash (as well as blisters for some), most recently for the local Shooting Stars Children’s Hospices.
So back to the present, to the joyous concert in the Pavilion. As ever, Dave and Stella provided an overall guiding plan, and with an amalgam of abilities various, it was the product of student input and responsibility, rocking the hills and providing a humbling example of commitment and impressive talent. Bubbling with enthusiasm, and manning face-painting, the ‘bar’ (fizzy drinks and snacks) as well as an energetically audacious auction (where Gabe managed to squeeze meaningful money out of competing boys for slightly odd items variously donated) there was plenty of buzz alongside the performers. Teachers Dan and Dave were delighted to acknowledge that a ‘particularly strong’ group of Music Tech A Level students, eight in number, and led by Josh, had taken control of set-up as well as performance, reducing their role to merely ‘fetching the odd cable’, whilst the students had the invaluable experience of ‘running the show’. The outcome was professional, freeing us in the audience to enjoy the variety, the originality and the quirkiness that is Hurtwood. There were too many fabulous performers to name, suffice it to say that we all channeled our inner rockers and left with lighter spirits (and pockets) as well as a perception of a more hopeful world. At the heart of all this were young people having fun, albeit within the strictures of school life, doing it resourcefully and respectfully, but on their own terms. And raising cash for others less privileged.
Almost too hectic to pin down for comments, the various Committee members showed boundless enthusiasm, from ‘bouncers’ Inigo and Alfie, to Naomi and Jill, running the bar, amongst other tasks various. Jake (on the door) summed up what he felt about his involvement and that of others, with eloquence. ‘We’re a happy committee,’ he told me. ‘Everyone comes together to think about the world around us. How can we contribute? How can we make it a better place?’ Bravo, I say. That's exactly what you are doing. Forget Black Friday and its mad materialism. Welcome to Good Friday at Hurtwood: having a rocking party, helping others, AND still making that last class on Friday afternoon. Grown up stuff, I say.
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