Community Action

Community Action in RomaniaOver 100 pupils throughout the school voluntarily participate in the Community Action programme each week. More than 30 different placements are organised throughout the academic year including nursery schools, primary schools, special needs schools, residential homes for the elderly, hospices and charity shops as well as a Ready and Able Sports Club and CH Day Centre lunches, which take place on the School site.

Visits and activities take place in the afternoon 4 days a week in Horsham, Southwater, Billingshurst, Crawley and Worthing. The School and some local voluntary agencies in and around Horsham provide transport.

The Community Service group, as it was first known, was formed by Vikki Askew and since 1990 Community Action has been organised by Muir John Potter and Graham Chandler.

Between 1987 and 2009 over 1500 pupils have been involved with Community Action activities involving over 3000 members of the local community. Our annual  Community Action project in Romania (started in 1992) has involved over 500 Christ’s Hospital staff and pupils working with more than 2,000 Romanian children with special and/or social needs.

Muir John Potter is currently seconded to work with an international charity promoting Community Action programmes in schools in Eastern Europe. He has devised and implemented Pilot Studies and National Strategies for Community Action in Romania, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia which have 100,000 volunteers and beneficiaries.

AIMS

    Community Action in Romania

  1. Advance our knowledge and skills in vital areas of education
  2. Raise the level of individual and collective consciousness and awareness concerning community needs
  3. Challenge our resourcefulness, intelligence and creativity to respond to these needs
  4. Acknowledge our position of advantage and accept the responsibilities that go with it
  5. Provide opportunities for a wide range of pupils & teachers to engage in voluntary work

OBJECTIVES

  1. Inform ourselves about local, national and international issues
  2. Break down barriers of prejudice and ignorance
  3. Involve ourselves with others who need our time and patience
  4. Understand the nature of commitment
  5. Integrate special schools with the community and vice versa