First Year students were encouraged to submit entries about ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ as part of their RS homework over the Christmas break.
By way of example, Daniel Farrell helped charity, Contact The Elderly, by baking a variety of cakes, with his neighbours Dara and Sharon.
“Contact The Elderly helps old people who are lonely to be social by having tea parties and the hosts bake cakes and sing some music,” Daniel explains. “The charity has been affected massively by COVID, as people aren’t allowed in other people’s homes.
“So Dara did a Victoria sponge, Sharon did a lemon marzipan and an apple crumble and me and my Mum made some brownies and a cherry Bakewell. We put the cakes in boxes from our local bakery and sent them off. These drivers who would usually drive the elderly to our house for tea were there. They each took one box and drove back to the elderly people’s houses where they were surprised by five delicious types of cake.”
Contact the Elderly was recently renamed Reengage. It is the only national charity solely dedicated to tackling loneliness and social isolation among older people. The drivers remain the same which means that over the months and years, acquaintances turn into friends. In normal times, it runs over 900 social groups and other activities for isolated older people with over 12,000 volunteers running and supporting these groups.
Mrs Carey, Deputy Head of Lower and Middle Schools says: “When we teach RS we are always hoping that students can learn from religion rather than just about religion. In the First Year course it’s a real privilege to look at the six major world religions and how their ethical values play out in the real world. Marking their acts of kindness really made me smile and gave me a much needed feel-good boost for the new year.”
On the website, www.randomactsofkindness.org, kindness ideas for kids include starting a piggybank for a cause, donating used books, and making a handmade card.
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