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Charity & Volunteering

The RGS is rooted in the heart of our community and for us collaboration, service and partnership are a natural part of our philosophy as an institution which has been established in the centre of Guildford for over 500 years.  We foster a culture in which our boys appreciate their responsibility to other members of their community and society at large.

From the very earliest years, our boys are equipped with an appreciation that they can truly enrich the lives of others as well as their own.  Service, charity, volunteering, a concern for sustainability and the environment are interweaved into their daily lives.  With privilege comes responsibility and our boys are acutely aware that they are in a position to do immense good.  With the seeds of philanthropy firmly sown, our boys are firmly committed to sharing their talents and opportunities as widely as possible and determined to make a difference.

We live in a time where co-operation and open-mindedness have never been more important, where we have to look outwards and connect with others to find solutions to global problems.  Our meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships and our international schools further remind us that we have as much to learn from others as they can benefit from us.  Our partnerships broaden our students’ appreciation of the world beyond the school gates and allow them to put into practice values such as empathy and compassion, perspective and real-life experiences.  Whether this is achieved through a charity bake-off, environmental projects in local parks, or chatting with residents at local care homes, our boys appreciate that they can make a tangible difference and that by helping others they can truly enrich the lives of others as well as their own.

Service and collaboration are very much at the heart of our values and our charitable involvement enables us to make a difference locally, nationally and internationally.
Every year, our boys and staff nominate and vote to support a local, national and international charity.  Each Tutor Group has a Charity Representative who attends either the Junior or Senior Charity Committee and help plan the charity events for the year.  Several annual events form the linchpin of our charitable initiatives: a Stand-Up Comedy evening, Christmas Fair, Parental run, mufti days, Bake Off Competition, the House events and the Sixth Form charity assembly.

The Period 8 Volunteering programme is an intrinsic part of school life, with Senior boys helping at after school clubs, working in charity shops and in care homes. Older students also engage in volunteering through the Duke of Edinburgh programme, at masterclasses and overseas trips to Nepal and Cambodia. Students of all ages can take part in our conservation working parties or regular care home visits. Partnerships with local care homes have facilitated collaborative projects such as Poetry Together with Sunrise Senior Living.

Through our charitable and volunteering initiatives, we strive to foster a spirit of altruism and charity, an awareness of the needs of others and the benefit of giving your time to help and support those around us.

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