Community Spotlight - Dec 2024

SPOTLIGHT

DECEMBER 2024

We have an active community and partnership programme that involves pupils, staff, parents and the wider community. We are delighted to share some of the highlights of our activities.

MEET KYLE GWYNNE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR We are excited to welcome Kyle Gwynne as our new Community Partnership and Outreach Coordinator. Kyle has been part of Emanuel’s Sports department this past year and recently relocated to London from Northern NSW, Australia.

With extensive experience in community sports, including organising football and tennis programmes, events, and tournaments, Kyle is well-equipped to lead our community outreach efforts. His expertise will be invaluable in managing both the sports aspect of our partnerships and the broader organisation of activities across the school and community.

Welcome, Kyle!

LITERARY DELIGHTS AT THE 2024 CWIZZ On 28 November, we hosted ‘The CWIZZ’, the annual book quiz competition organised by a collective of south London authors (CWISL) whose passion is to promote reading.

The Hampden Hall was buzzing with XX teams including XX from our partner primary schools.

This is the fourth year our partner schools have participated in the competition. The CWIZZ provides a fabulous opportunity for the children to hear the authors, first hand, read extracts from their novels; test their literary knowledge through a series of fun, but challenging rounds; and to win a generous collection of raffle

prizes! Sacred Heart RC Primary won the primary school competition and several partners won CWISL author assembly visits which is fantastic. Each partner school was also given a goody bag of the authors’ books for their school library.

We can’t wait for next year!

SPOTLIGHT

EMANUEL IN THE COMMUNITY

THE POWER OF A BOOK Thousands of children grow up in homes with very few books of their own, sometimes none at all.They have fewer opportunities to lose themselves in a story, for shared reading with a parent and to discover the world.

Thanks to you, we had a hugely successful book drive collecting 2587 books that will

PRIMARY AMBITIONS IN ITS SIXTH YEAR Primary Ambitions continues to thrive in its sixth year with a new cohort of Lower Sixth students. Our students are delivering materials for a variety of enrichment opportunities, from clay making to debating, for our partner primary schools.

Our partner schools rely on Primary Ambitions more than ever. With limited

be distributed by Children’s Book Project to our partner primary schools.

We will be holding a summer book drive so when spring cleaning, please hold onto your new and nearly new books for our primary partners. Details to follow.

Georgia Orchin, from St George’s Primary in Battersea, says,

passions they didn’t know they had. The inspiration they draw from Emanuel students, who serve as role models, has boosted their confidence and set new standards for them to aspire to.”

“Through Primary Ambitions, our students have blossomed into poets, swimmers, gymnasts, scientists, and more.

The programme has ignited

Primary Ambitions has become an invaluable part of our partner schools’ curriculum, enriching the educational experience of many children beyond the classroom.

budgets - many are single-form entry - they depend on our programme to provide enrichment that would otherwise be out of reach.

VOLUNTEER READING PROGRAMME: MAKING A DIFFERENCE Emanuel School’s volunteer reading programme at Falconbrook Primary has been a great success, improving children’s fluency and giving them the chance to read aloud to an adult in a supportive environment.

Our volunteers have shared positive experiences. Mrs. Boles, who reads with Year 1 children weekly, says, “It’s wonderful to see them gain confidence, not just in reading but in interacting with me.” Mrs. Nothey, who has worked with a group from Years 3 to 5, adds, “It’s gratifying to see their progress and know I’m making a difference.”

We’ve recently launched a second programme at Westbridge Primary and are looking for more volunteers. If you have an hour to spare each week during term time, we’d love to hear from you!

EMANUEL IN THE COMMUNITY

SPOTLIGHT

A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS We are thrilled by the support from our Emanuel and Wandsworth communities, with generous donations totalling £16,565 from the EPA, OEA, Handelsbanken, and Killik & Co over the past year.

are at the heart of their service, offering tailored banking solutions with a local touch. Additionally, the EPA generously supported our Ascent Science Museum trip in July.

The Old Emanuels Association (OEA) and Emanuel Parents Association (EPA) have been instrumental in supporting transport for our Primary Ambitions programme.

The OEA funded transport for five schools to attend a 5-week module via Wandsworth Community Transport, while the EPA funded Grand Motion transport for 20 weeks, allowing 135 children to access 675 hours of enrichment.

For those who attended Dacre Day, you may have noticed that Killik & Co kindly underwrote the EPA bar to support our community initiatives. Based on Northcote Road, Killik & Co has been a longstanding supporter of our work and remains committed to serving their local community. As one of the few remaining independently owned wealth managers, they pride themselves on personal service and bespoke financial solutions.

Handelsbanken, with a local branch on Porteus Place, Clapham, sponsored five pupils to attend Ascent, our Year 5 summer term programme for partner schools. At Handelsbanken, relationships

We are incredibly grateful to all our partners for their ongoing support, which makes a huge impact.

GETTING INVOLVED - HELP NEEDED! PRIMARY A HUGE THANK YOU AMBITIONS PARENT TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS VOLUNTEERING We’re seeking volunteers to support our Primary Ambitions programme.The programme OPPORTUNITIES runs each Friday afternoon from 2.00 to 3.00 pm, from October half-term to June.

We’re excited to offer various volunteering opportunities within our community partnership programme, ranging from one-off initiatives to weekly commitments.

If you have time to spare, we’ll find a role that suits you! Look out for upcoming opportunities such as book drives and Christmas hampers later this term.

For many of our partner schools, Primary Ambitions is their primary enrichment activity, as many have small class sizes and limited resources. To help these schools participate, we need volunteers for two key roles:

MINIBUS DRIVERS

WALKING BUS ASSISTANTS

We’re excited to offer various volunteering opportunities within our community partnership programme, ranging from one-off initiatives to weekly commitments.

If you have time to spare, we’ll find a role that suits you! Look out for upcoming opportunities such as book drives and Christmas hampers later this term.

We’re excited to offer various volunteering opportunities within our community partnership programme, ranging from one-off initiatives to weekly commitments.

If you have time to spare, we’ll find a role that suits you! Look out for upcoming opportunities such as book drives and Christmas hampers later this term.

For more information on our community partnership and outreach activities, and to volunteer for any of the initiatives, please contact community@emanuel.org.uk