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JCG has recently been highly commended for community outreach by the Independent School Parent Magazine.
The award recognises the community involvement of the College through its JCG Serves programme. Harriet Cottrell, organizer of the Independent School of the Year awards stated:
‘We created these awards to celebrate student experience and give schools a platform to tell their story and educate a vast audience on how, each day, they are helping their pupils experience more, understand more and achieve more. Every entry was carefully scrutinised and our panel were enormously impressed by the depth and breadth of the entries, as well as the evident impact the winning and highly commended schools are having on their pupils. We were overwhelmed by the response to our inaugural awards and Community Outreach was a highly competitive category so it is an incredible achievement to have done so well.’
JCG Students are encouraged to serve the community at all stages of their education within the College. As well as opportunities given for students to serve independently, the College also offers some structure to foster service. In Year 7 each class prepares, organises and participates in an afternoon tea at Pinewood Nursing Home. The event includes entertainment provided by the students. In Year 8, all forms recently participated in environmental work at Val de la Mare and in Year 9, students read with young pupils in our Prep School. From Year 10 onwards, students are more able to organise their service independently but we offer help to students in their search for ways to serve their community. We hold an annual JCG Serves Fair when representatives from charities come to the College for two days and all students have an opportunity to find out about the work of the charities and how they can volunteer.
In recent years students have volunteered in a variety of ways with many charities, including St John Ambulance, Jersey Zoo, The Shelter Trust’s Soup Kitchen, Autism Jersey, Scouting and Guiding, Every Child Our Future, Cry Jersey, Headway Jersey, Jersey Youth Service, JSPCA, Trees for Life, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Jersey Cancer Relief, Family Nursing and Home Care, Variety Jersey and Jersey Action Against Rap.
JCG also has a long history of charity fund raising, especially through its house system, and in the last academic year raised over £22,000; funds donated to local, national and international charities.
JCG’s community outreach stretches beyond the island and a group of students recentlyleft Jersey with 45 suitcases of purchased and donated resources for the Crossover International Academy, a school and orphanage in Ghana. JCG students helped with building projects and tree planting as well as assisting in classes during their time there.
Mr Howarth, the College’s Principal, commented:
‘It is wonderful to have the efforts of our students recognised at a national level. We are so proud of the time they give and what they achieve in and for our community. Being an active citizen and serving one’s community is not only incredibly fulfilling but is also the glue that holds society together. I am always delighted to hear from former students who tell me how the grounding JCG has given them has enabled them to go on to have a positive impact on their community and their world.’
