Norwich High 150: Launch of the 150 Acts of Service Initiative

Posted on 11th October 2024

This academic year we are marking 150 years since Norwich High School for Girls was established by the Girls’ Day School Trust.

This academic year marks our 150th anniversary at Norwich High School for Girls, and we are thrilled to celebrate this milestone in various ways throughout the year. In keeping with the spirit of our school’s rich history, we want to encourage our students to look beyond themselves and actively support their wider community.

This week in assembly in both Prep and the Senior School, we officially launched the ‘150 Acts of Service’ initiative. We invited each student to find a way to serve others in their local community or through a national charity this academic year. The possibilities are endless! Whether it’s washing cars for neighbours, selling old toys at a car boot sale to raise money for charity, or participating in a fun run in their village, every act of service counts.

Students can choose any charity that resonates with them, whether it supports animals, people, or local causes. We ask that they share a picture with us, along with details of their activity, how much they raised, and the name of the charity they supported. This information will be used to create a unique circle on our 150 Acts of Service display in both Prep School and the Senior School. In the Prep School, each girl’s contributions will be celebrated during the Friday morning celebration assemblies.

We hope to accumulate 150 acts of service by the end of the academic year in both the Prep School and the Senior School—and perhaps even exceed that number.

“One of our core school values is ‘Community Matters to Us’, and we are dedicated to instilling in our students the importance of giving back and looking outward. Engaging with our communities fosters invaluable skills, whether it’s a three-year-old tidying their bedroom or our Lower 6 student, Bella, who recently organised a music event to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. As we approach and celebrate our 150th anniversary, we aim to strengthen connections and inspire our alumnae to give back through our upcoming 150 Bursary fundraising campaign. We envision this year not only as a celebration but also as an opportunity to make a positive impact together. Thank you in advance for your support—we look forward to witnessing the incredible accomplishments of our students.”

Alison Sefton, Head of Norwich High School for Girls

An Evening in Never Never Land

Last week, Year 12 student Bella organised and hosted ‘An Evening in Never Never Land’ providing an example to us all about what an act of service might entail. The event featured over 40 students from Year 7 to Year 13, who performed songs from beloved children’s films and musicals. For some of our Year 7 students, it was their first time participating in a senior music event. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed, including those who took part in the silent auction and raffle. We raised a total of £1,235.04 for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.

Bella’s Story

An Evening in Never Never Land started in June 2024 when, after my GCSEs, I had a bit of time to start thinking about my next challenge. I have been involved as a performer at many concerts since Year 7 and have always been keen to gain experience of organising an event. What I needed to identify was a cause and concept.

I have been a chorister at Norwich Cathedral since Year 9 and the Master of Music, Ashley Grote, has a close connection with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (‘GOSH’) where his daughter Emily has received care for a brain tumour for 10 years. For my Silver DofE Award, I ran 10km and raised over £700 for Emily Grote’s fund and have been committed to continuing to fundraise for this hospital which provides such important care and support for children and their families.

Music is a very important part of my life both in and out of school and so I quickly decided that I would like to combine my passion for music and fundraising in a Charity Concert. E M Barrie gifted the copyright for his book Peter Pan to GOSH in 1929 and so the idea for ‘An Evening in Never Never Land’ was born! The students at Norwich High School are fantastic performers and I was confident that they would rise to the challenge of creating a variety of fun acts for everyone to enjoy.

Mr Hall, our Director of Music, was very supportive of the concept and guided me through the planning process. I soon realised that there is a lot to organising a concert ranging from Risk Assessments to Google Forms, letters to companies requesting donations, performance orders and rehearsal scheduling. This was my first experience of working with an Excel Spreadsheet which quickly became my handbook full of colour codes, tick boxes and endless to do lists. I love it and simply couldn’t have organised the event without it. Overall, the most important thing I learnt is that no one person can do it all. You need a team to help you deliver the best possible event and communication is key.

The highlight of the evening for me was seeing all of the students perform uniting their efforts to raise money for GOSH. I am thrilled to announce the total amount raised, a huge £1,235. I really appreciate all of the help and support from the Norwich High Music Department who went the extra mile and dressed for the occasion from a galaxy far, far away!
Bella, Lower 6

Back to all News