Colfe's Students partner with The Brun Bear Foundation to make a difference in Lewisham

Students retrieved six bags of mostly plastic waste from the River Ravensbourne

On a sunny June day, Year 12 students from Colfe's School, aged 16-17, fanned out across the London Borough of Lewisham to volunteer their time and energy across a range of community projects.

Now in its second year, the Community Day, a partnership between Colfe's School and The Brun Bear Foundation, saw students contribute more than 300 hours of service. From leafleting, to assisting people with learning disabilities and dementia, gardening, conservation, and painting, the students tackled a wide variety of tasks, each making a tangible difference in the local area.

Rushey Green Primary School

Preparing a shelter so pupils at Rushey Green Primary School can safely learn and play inside

Colfe's students at Rushey Green Primary School, a large primary school located in Catford, helped rehabilitate a small shelter in the playground so that it would be fit for pupils at the school to play and learn. Their main tasks included removing staples, sanding and preparing surfaces for painting. Student Evie said she "wanted to help out and do something for the community."

Classmate Emily said: "It feels good to give back to our local community, especially when we can help people who might not have the time to do this themselves." Maya also from Year 12, said she volunteered for this specific placement because she is in interested in working with children in the future. "I've enjoyed interacting with some of the pupils who've come up to talk to us while we work," she added.

Joining the students on this placement was Ms Rycroft, Assistant Head of personal, social, health and economic education at Colfe's. Ms Rycroft said: "It's great for the students to spend time together outside of an academic setting. Working together on a project that doesn't directly benefit them is a valuable learning experience. It shows them that doing something for others can be rewarding."

"It's great for the students to spend time together outside of an academic setting. Working together on a project that doesn't directly benefit them is a valuable learning experience. It shows them that doing something for others can be rewarding"

Wildcat Wilderness

Students helped develop a community space and appreciated the break from the academic routine

Wildcat Wilderness is a 6.5-acre community green space and food-growing garden located in Catford. It was formerly an allotment site that had become neglected and overgrown, but since 2014, it has been transformed into a thriving community space through the efforts of volunteers and local organisations. Its programme of activities include environmental education, biodiversity conservation and social and therapeutic horticulture projects, that improve the wellbeing of local residents through nature-based activities.

Colfe's dispatched a team of volunteers to Wildcat Wilderness. Their task was to clear an area of brambles and weeds, preparing the space for future development, including expanded forestry school activities. Student Will said he was "very happy to be able to be taking part in something that's helping my community," a sentiment echoed by Jamie who was proud to directly contribute to the development of a community space, and also appreciated the break from the academic routine. Agreeing, Gleb said it was "really rewarding to come here, and be part of something bigger than ourselves."

Sydenham Garden

Steve Prowse (Sydenham Garden): The students' help has been invaluable

Over at Sydenham Garden, a different kind of transformation was taking place. Here, students were tasked with maintaining a greenhouse that serves as a vital space for people with mental health issues. Steve Prowse, the garden manager, outlined their responsibilities: "The team from Colfe's helped us clean the greenhouse floors, both inside and out as well as repair the sunshades. All the cords and polyurethanes needed repair and the team have tackled the task with gusto. To have the students from the school come up and help us with cleaning this rather large greenhouse has been invaluable. We try to give it a good spring clean once a year but are challenged to find the time. The students' efforts mean for another year the greenhouse is a safe and comfortable space for those who rely on it for therapy and support."

Jacob: "I would recommended the experience to others"

Student Ava said the experience had been extremely worthwhile "It's just so lovely to be a part of something that can really help others out." Charlie who has an interest in mental health, said the positive and caring atmosphere had made a real impression on him and provided clarity on what he wants to do in the future. He plans to study psychology at university. Another student, Jacob, said the experience was fun. "I don't normally do volunteering but I would recommend the experience to others."

"The students efforts mean for another year the greenhouse is a safe and comfortable space for those who rely on it for therapy and support"

Beckenham Place Park

Students litter picked, tracked down Himalayan Balsam and prepared flower beds for planting

At Beckenham Place Park a team of students spent the first half of the day working in the River Ravensbourne which runs through the park. The initial focus was to look for invasive species, specifically Himalayan Balsam before moving on to litter picking. "The students collected approximately six bags of mostly plastic waste that has washed down from further upstream," explained James Allen, the park's lead ranger. He said he found the students really enthusiastic, and was impressed by their knowledge of geography and how rivers work.

Students Shen, Amelie, Sophia and Sebastian all spoke positively of the experience and especially the value of getting hands on with what is going on where you live. There was also appreciation for the people who volunteer around the year on local environmental conservation tasks.

Other placements included Nunhead Cemetery, St Mary's Church, Sports4All and Aurora Nexus.

"The value of this initiative extends beyond the classroom"

Reflecting on the initiative's second year, Zoe Kendrick, Colfe's Director of School Partnerships and Head of Religion and Philosophy said: "We've expanded our partnerships and increased student participation, allowing us to reach even more corners of our community. The value of this initiative continues to resonate deeply with our students, fostering a sense of civic responsibility that extends beyond the classroom."

Founder of The Brun Bear Foundation, Edwin Lampert, said: "The growth of this programme in just its second year is truly remarkable. We've seen firsthand how the expanded reach has amplified the positive impact on our local community. The students are enthusiastic participants, and it's inspiring to hear them reflect on how the experience has strengthened their bonds with the local community and also fueled their personal growth."

The Brun Bear Foundation is a Lewisham-based registered charity that seeks to create better futures locally, globally and in the animal kingdom. To date, the charity has donated thousands of pounds to a mix of local, medical and animal welfare charities, and created an annual scholarship award. In addition to the Community Day it offers Colfes's students work experience placement and former student, Alexander Grey, is the 2023/2024 recipient of The Simon Shades Award.