News

Our TWGGS community went above and beyond this year in support of the Nourish Community Food Bank. In addition to our annual Form Group collections of non-perishable food items and hygiene bank products, our Senior Charity Prefects worked closely with the
charity to pilot a donation drive for revision and study materials that could be helpful for young people in need across Tunbridge Wells.

On Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th October, we welcomed Dawn Stanford, Operations Manager for Nourish, into school to lead our Harvest Assemblies. Dawn spoke very powerfully about how the work Nourish does is more important than ever this year, despite
the struggle it faces to meet the growing demand in our local area. Dawn challenged every pupil and staff member at TWGGS to donate just one item, and shared some of the powerful testimonies of Nourish families and individuals whose stories continue to drive the work of the charity.

Our brilliant team of Upper Sixth Charities Prefects: Demi, Lily and Bridget; the 3Cs Charities Leaders: Claudia and Samantha; joined by many of our Form Charity Reps worked throughout their Break and Lunchtimes at the end of term to sort and organise the huge range of donations collected across the school. Bridget, Charity Prefect (Upper Sixth) told us, 'Donations were sorted into categories, including canned goods, dried foods such as rice and pasta, sanitary products, and an amazingly generous number of revision materials and textbooks. On the day, pupils from all year groups brought their contributions to the area outside the hall, where volunteers from across the Sixth Form and wider school community helped collect and organise everything over a lunch period. Pupils also helped load the van the next day. It was a wonderful team effort that highlighted the community of TWGGS.'

We also received wonderful feedback from a local business who noticed two of our pupils leaving donations in a box they had placed outside their shop for their campaign for Nourish Foodbank in the run-up to Christmas. Ms Emma Connaughton, from G. M. Valentine on St John's Road, wrote, 'This complete gesture of kindness has filled me with warmth, these young girls are a credit to your school and their parents.' It is lovely for us to hear how our pupils are demonstrating our school values in our community.

Well done to everyone who donated, and to all our incredible Charities Prefects and the 3Cs Team for all their hard work. In total, the TWGGS community raised a staggering 975.56kg – the largest donation from a school since before Covid. This is an amazing achievement and we are enormously grateful for every contribution, which will make a real difference. Thank you!

Dr S Blanch