Stamfordian Spirit Community outreach

STAMFORDIAN SPIRIT

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AT ITS BEST

Jo Peck and Rebecca Taylor explore the Stamford Schools’ broad-based community outreach programme, which supports both local businesses and residents in the town through a variety of innovative initiatives which deliver value at many levels.

The Stamford Schools, a day and boarding school which educates children aged 2–18, is delighted to have been announced as Independent School of the Year for Community Outreach 2021.

The Stamford Schools have been at the beating heart of our namesake town for the past 490 years and counting. Woven into the tapestry of the area, our 50-plus buildings, old and new, and over 60 acres of port fi el , ro n an ar en are dotted on sites across the town. Bringing in over 1,500 students and their families, and around 500 members of staff, the Schools’ presence in the town can’t be missed.

We see the entire town as part of our wider Stamford Schools’ community and we aim for our presence to be positively felt by residents, shoppers and local business owners. Community outreach is a key focus for us and the Schools have set up and continue to support a number of initiatives aimed at maintaining the vibrancy of our eclectic high street and engaging with our wider community.

Stamford Card

e ta for ar i o r a ip community outreach project and has attracted considerable attention, locally and nationally, as an innovative and compelling initiative which allows the Schools to engage with their friends and neighbours in so many ways.

The Stamford Card was re-branded from the Foundation Card in October 2019. All administration for, and production of, the card is absorbed by the evelop ent ffi ce wit in t e c ool to ensure that 100% of funds-raised support can be deployed.

The Card truly epitomises the symbiotic relationship between the Schools and the town. The objective of the Card, which is

available to all residents and visitors, is to support local independent traders whilst also providing funding for an education at the Schools for some local children. ar ol er enefi t fro per an discounts with local businesses, whilst the funds raised provide ‘transformational feeassistance’ to local children who require means-tested funding of at least 80% of the fees and who would otherwise e na le to enefi t fro an e cation at Stamford.

The Stamford Card symbolises what the Endowed Schools stand for – being at the heart of the community. It supports local businesses and shops, whilst helping local children access high-quality education.

It has given a massive morale boost to the local area, particularly during the pandemic.” – Cardholder

Despite the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, support for the Card continues to grow. The initiative has over 145 businesses signed up as ‘card partners’, and over 220 cardholders enjoy the enefi t of t e ar i co nt tretc from morning coffee, dry cleaning, airc t an wee l oppin to off when buying a new car.

#ShopStamford

e c ool ave a clo e lin wit t e #ShopStamford Community Interest Company (CIC), which was formed to drive Stamford’s visitor economy and promote the town’s independent retailers an tra er e wor colla orativel to provide a range of promotional activities, including events, training, merchandise and other services, to help enefi t t e ine e of ta for , lar e or small.

Sarah Sewell, the founder of #ShopStamford, explains:

“I founded ShopStamford in November 2018 and we became a Community

the Schools’ presence in the town can’t be missed

Interest Company about six months after the Schools became involved with the initiative ince t en, t e ave wor e tirelessly with me to promote the campaign in support of our local economy.

The Stamford Card invited local traders to offer added value to our customers to encourage them to shop with us. There is no requirement for all ShopStamford participant to e involve wit t e ar it’s simply a further endorsement from the Schools as to how they value our town and their place within it.

The fact that all proceeds from the Card help local children to attend the Schools shows their commitment to Stamford, and recognises the positive impact they are able to have.” partners in the run up to Christmas 2021, which was viewed over 2,300 times in the fi nal wee of ece er

The Business Directory

Support throughout the pandemic

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stamford Schools have remained committed to supporting local businesses.

Local companies, including those not involved in the #ShopStamford and Stamford Card initiatives, have been promoted through several online ar etin ca pai n pai i ital campaign was seen just short of 50,000 ti e , wit nearl , clic t ro to a webpage hosted by the Schools.

Support has been provided to ine e to fi l promotional videos which were shared to t e c ool ace oo audience of nearly 5,000 individuals using the hashtags #ShopLocal #ShopStamford.

The Schools have been happy to commit staff resources at no cost to our local business partners. e c ool fi l e an online advertising video for Stamford Card The Stamford Schools’ Business Directory is an innovative searchable online business platform connecting businesses and customers within the Schools’ community.

Community business owners – whether they are current or former pupils, parents of alumni or current students, or even those in the process of joining the Schools – are invited to list their business. It’s free of charge to browse online and promotes w at nown a ta for ian pirit amongst the community. e irector , c li e t e ta for Card, is fully maintained by staff members in the Development Department of the Schools, with no administration fees passed on to listed businesses, or viewers of the Directory.

Over 150 businesses are currently listed within the Directory, with around half owned by current parents, and a quarter by former pupils.

Lecture programme

Our lecture programme is another initiative which allows us to enhance and add value to our relationship with the residents of Stamford – and beyond.

Imagery: Courtesy of Stamford Endowed Schools

community outreach is a key focus

Education isn’t just for the children. Adults from across the global Stamford community are welcomed to a series of in-person and online lectures on a variety of topics, endorsing our belief in lifelong learning.

The lectures are completely free of charge and are delivered by invited speakers who are experts in their partic lar fi el From awardwinning BBC presenter and author, Dr Kevin Fong, discussing ’13 Minutes to the Moon’, to the ‘Lessons from a Warder and his Prisoner’ lecture, presented live from South Africa by Christo Brand, former Prison Warder to Nelson Mandela, there is certainly something for everyone.

Broader outreach programme

The Stamford Schools’ broad-based outreach programme also includes: Language Lessons For 10 years we have been running a six-week series of Saturday morning French and Spanish classes for local primary-aged pupils. Our German Outreach Programme has been running for seven years and provides an introduction to German language and culture to local children of the same age, at both state and independent schools. Drama and Theatre Over 80 local primary school pupils are welcomed to view our GCSE ‘Theatre-in-education’ productions, which are prepared by our Year 11 pupils about social issues including friendship and teamwork. Sports Activities A series of sports camps run during the school holidays; these are open to pupils from any school to train, practice their skills and make use of the Schools’ facilities. Most recently, these have included netball and basketball camps for children from Years 5 to 11. Over 250 local school children from seven primary schools are welcomed to our swimming pool throughout the academic year. The pools have also recently become the main training centre for a large local swimming club, whose own facilities had to be closed for safety reasons. Competitions and Quizzes The Stamford Schools hold a number of activities, including quizzes and competitions, inviting local school pupils to get involved and make use of the Schools’ facilities. These have included: • The South Lincolnshire round of the annual ‘Worldwise’ Geography Quiz, which this year involved six local schools competing against each other on a range of geographical rounds. • The ‘Little Genuis’ quiz: this involves up to 20 teams of Year 5 pupils from local schools competing in a series of rounds spanning a range of academic topics. • The local and district rounds of the

‘Rotary Young Chef’ competition which are held in the cookery rooms at Stamford, with 13 students travelling from as far away as Sleaford, Northampton, Leicester, Lincoln, Boston and Bedford for the competition this year.

Local causes

The Schools’ community regularly donates to local causes. There are annual collections for the town’s foodbank, the home help service operated by the Evergreen Care Trust and the local mental health service, Stamford Mindspace. The Schools’ charitable efforts are led by a staff committee, and assisted by a group of student Charity Prefects, who volunteer their time to fundraise and support the local community.

The Schools feel privileged to be such an integral part of the town, and will continue to support the local community wherever and whenever it is possible to do so. Current initiatives will continue and new ideas are always encouraged and explored. For further information on any of the projects mentioned, visit stamfordschools.org.uk. ●

JO PECK is Head of Development and

REBECCA TAYLOR

– a former pupil herself – Content Manager at Stamford Endowed Schools.