Community, Outreach And Partnerships
St. Helen's College is a proud member of the local community. We actively teach pupils social responsibility and the school enjoys a number of productive local partnerships. The school community as a whole also provides ongoing support for the SHC Trust, a local, independent charity which, through grant making, promotes education and all-round development for pupils aged 0-11.
SHC Trust
The SHC Trust (registered charity number 1196657) was founded in 2021 by St. Helen's College staff. The Trust raises funds and awards grants to support the education and all-round development of children in Hillingdon and the surrounding areas. Examples of the projects and organisations the Trust has supported over the last few years are listed below.
HomeStart Hillingdon - to train volunteers to support struggling families with young children.
Yeading Junior School - to establish a uniform bank for children whose families are unable to afford school uniform.
Carers Trust Hillingdon - to pay for a weekend activity break for a group of young carers.
Oak Farm Primary School - to train a Teaching Assistant to support children's mental health.
Ickenham Youth Girls FC - to establish an U6/U7 girls' football team, including training coaches and buying kit.
Hillingdon Basketball Club - to provide kit for youth teams.
In The Community
St. Helen's College pupils regularly visit care homes in the local area to spend time with elderly residents, usually sharing musical performances and spending time talking with residents. Over the last several years we have visited Sweetcroft Care Home, Woodlands Care Home and Chalfont Lodge Care Home.
Through our Junior Travel Ambassador (JTA) programme, St. Helen's College pupils are active collaborators with the TfL STARS (Safer Travel And Road Safety) team. Our pupils have pitched for and been awarded funding for several initiatives, including a walk to school loyalty scheme and a bike workshop. The JTAs have also worked with local police in the community on a speed reduction scheme and been successful in lobbying the local council to make practical changes to improve road safety in the local area.
Our pupil Eco Team leads the way with eco initiatives. As an example, our pupils and staff have recently taken part in a tree planting scheme through Trees For Cities to re-populate our beautiful local park, Court Park, with young maple and dogwood saplings.
Through our annual Harvest Festival donations, St. Helen's College has supported Hillingdon Food Bank for many years. In 2023, a parent had the lovely idea of making this a year-round partnership. We now have food collection boxes permanently available at school and donations are taken weekly to the Hillingdon Food Bank.
Having trained a member of staff in PAUSE Baby Mindfulness, we offer free Mother And Baby Mindfulness sessions at school each Wednesday morning during term time to all members of the local community. The classes provide a safe space for mothers and babies to spend time bonding, taking part in mindfulness and gentle yoga activities.
We enjoy meaningful partnerships with local churches: the North Hillingdon Methodist Church and All Saints Church. We are lucky enough to hold our Harvest, Christmas and Easter services in the churches and to use them for nativity celebrations with our youngest children. We donate our school Christmas trees to the churches and support them practically by advertising in their promotional literature and hiring their facilities, as well as promoting their work amongst our parent body.
