Supporting others is embedded within our culture. Our students raise significant amounts for charities at community events, such as our annual Calendar Sale, and participate in a range of community service projects.
Pupils are encouraged to look beyond the school community, to use their talents for the benefit of others and to get involved in charitable projects. They are constantly identifying new and innovative ways to help people within the local community and further afield, raising students’ awareness of our global community.
Our direct charitable activities are coordinated by a Sixth Form Charities Team, led by the Charities Prefect. The school supports a wide range of good causes each year; fundraising and awareness-raising is carried out under a whole-school theme.
Our annual Calendar Sale, the equivalent of a Christmas Fayre, raises thousands of pounds each year for a wide range of local, national and international charities, all nominated by students.
Phab week
Phab Week has been a fixture in the school calendar for over 45 years. Students from St Helen’s School and Merchant Taylors’ School run a residential week of activities for around 20 young people with disabilities, hosted at Merchant Taylors’ School.
Combining fundraising throughout the year with an intense week of fun, friendship and support for our guests, our girls have invariably found this to be one of their most rewarding experiences at St Helen’s.
Girls in Year 10 and above can also take part in Phab Club, alongside their counterparts from Merchant Taylors’, to host regular ‘youth club’ events and activities for a wider range of guests with disabilities.
Overseas expeditions
Our students frequently participate in community projects in less-developed areas of the world, working alongside local inhabitants to improve facilities and quality of life.
Girls have supported local projects in Malawi (2014) and Morocco (2016 and 2018). In summer 2019, a group of Sixth Form students took part in a community project in the Ugandan village of Mitete, to refurbish the village school and construct a bore hole for the village.
