Community work in action as pupils volunteer with Canal & River Trust

Our boys participating in the Rising Futures programme this year had a brilliant day with the Canal & River Trust on Tuesday 12th November. 

Shirene Torrance-Dodd from Rising Futures who supports our boys whilst on the programme shares highlights from the day: 

The group met Emillie from the Trust just a few minutes away from school in their floating meeting room, before walking down to their base where we received the safety briefing and protective clothing for our tasks.

The boys were asked to sweep fallen leaves from the towpaths near Little Venice to prevent leaf mulch and slipping underfoot for barge residents and pedestrians. They also helped to clear a small storage area for the Trust and removed the rubbish and picked litter along the grass verges. Overall, the boys demonstrated fantastic teamwork throughout while having to be aware of walkers, dogs, joggers, cyclists and barge residents. 

In the afternoon, we ate lunch on the barge before dividing into two groups. The boys then had the opportunity to ride and steer the Work Barge in small groups under the supervision of Barge Operator John. They were given then a tour of the Canal and John pointed out wildlife and conservation initiatives that the Trust currently support. As you can imagine, the boys were very excited about the boat tours and they finished off the day on a high. 

At the end of the day we spent some time reflecting on the talents students had used that day, what they’d learnt and the skills they had developed. It was really interesting to hear the students’ thoughts on the day. They reflected particularly well on the day and recognised the importance of communication and teamwork, as well as the important role that they can play in their community.

More photos from this fun day out can be viewed on Facebook.