This week in Chapel, we announced our new school charity partnership for the coming year will be with Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service (SDASS). It has formerly been known as Swindon Women’s Aid, but they have recently started operating under the new name to reflect the fact that their services and support is for all victims of abuse. These include a purpose-built refuge for women and children; support for victims and their families in the community; to patients and staff in the Great Western Hospital, and many of the GP surgeries, as well as delivering a range of training programmes and working with perpetrators on changing their behaviours.

In preparation for launching the partnership with the charity, Bonnie (UVI) in her role as Minister for Community in the School Parliament (our pupil voice platform), is writing an article based on her interview with the CEO and Chair of Trustees (pictured). I look forward to sharing this with everyone in due course. At the PGSM Christmas Fair, collection buckets for the charity were in place, along with the books for sale and the charity pyjama bottoms, designed by the LVI.

On Friday 25th November, SDASS have a pop-up shop for their charity in the Marlborough Town Hall. Our Sixth Form are kindly baking cakes for the pop-up shop to sell that day. If you happen to be in Marlborough that morning, please do call in and support the charity.

We look forward to developing our partnership with SDASS in a meaningful way over the coming year and the students have lots of fundraising ideas that are looking forward to sharing with the school community.

 Mrs Claire Bolton, Head of Community Outreach