Thank you to everyone who attended G28’s Afternoon Tea on Wednesday, it was lovely to welcome so many new members of our community into our school. The event was a roaring success and really demonstrated the power of connection and community.

I have included here some of the poignant extracts from the students’ answers to the guiding question which were read out yesterday at the event. We were all blown away by the maturity, the reflection and the passion portrayed in these words.

Well done to all of the students for their beautiful work on this and thanks again for supporting our students and our school.

Sabrina – In this expedition our guiding question was ‘is charity enough?’. In my eyes I would say no. Charity is all about providing resources, food banks and funds to those in need and while that is a necessary step to ending poverty; I feel that relationships and bonds also play a key part. Without them, someone can be free from material poverty but still be in deprivation in regards to relationships and feel a sense of emptiness – the exact same emptiness that someone with lack of money would feel. While reading A Christmas Carol, we see in stave three that when Scrooge visits the miners, although they had absolutely nothing, their company and togetherness made up for it. This shows us that relationships are near enough the equivalent to a fortune and we even see Scrooge (a solitary miser) admit this when telling the ghost of Christmas Past about how Fezziwig had the ability to make the affection and the happiness he gave be quite as great as if it cost a fortune. Scrooge was a man of many riches yet was deprived of friendships and family, proving to us that someone who is financially whole still has the capability to not fully be whole as a person. 

Katie W – Charity is good, it’s so important, but it’s not enough. People shouldn’t have to depend on others’ kindness just to survive. We need to do more, not just to help right now, but to fix the bigger problems. Everyone deserves to live without having to hope someone else will save them and maybe be in constant worry that someone won’t. Also people should feel like they have enough and to be comfortable with what they have and how they are living. 

Emily – Bonds transform lives! Charity is not just about giving- it is about seeing humanity in another person. It is the smile that is exchanged, the hand offered, the simple words ‘you matter’. These bonds create ripples of hope and healing for beyond the material provided. When we build connections, we nourish not only our body’s but hearts and spirits.

Evan – This expedition had the guiding question: ‘Is Charity Enough?’ We looked at Charles Dickens’ famous novella A Christmas Carol, which covers the story of a ‘covetous old sinner’, Ebenezer Scrooge. Throughout the tale Scrooge undergoes an amazing transformation that Dickens aimed to show the reader, is possible for anyone to experience. The start of the novella introduces Scrooge as ‘a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone … a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! … self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.’ who rejects invitations for Christmas dinner and to donate to the poor. Scrooge had the typical Malthusian view of many Victorians that would have read the book at the time; the idea that the only way to decrease the excess population, hence Scrooge’s infamous quote; ‘if they had rather die …  they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population’. At the end of the novella, however, Scrooge vows to ‘honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.’ saying that he will be more generous and jovial all year. Christmas is shown to Scrooge all through the book, as three spirits; the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Christmas Yet To Come, show him how it is celebrated in different ways and by different people, but that overall, what matters most is family bonds and the time spent together with others. By showing Scrooge this, Dickens allowed him to be redeemed and transform into a much kinder, more generous man, and by showing the reader Scrooge’s transformation, he would hope that they could find it in themselves to change.

Danny – In the novel we were told lots about charity and Scrooge represented rich people in this time. He refused to donate to charity in the first stave which summarised how they treat the poor in Victorian society. As the novella goes on, Scrooge’s attitude towards society changes for the better and he begins to support charity workers which we can see in stave 5. Dickens’ message was to show that the rich people have the power to change their attitude towards the poor but it’s down to them to decide if they will or won’t. 

Louie – This entire interaction links to the common views that many people of a greater wealth would have during the victorian era, with many people believing that the poor were only poor because they were lazy, which is why scrooge asks if there are “no prisons” or “no workhouses” in order to avoid paying the charity collectors. The common views of Scrooge are the direct antithesis, or opposite, of Dickens’ own views towards the poor in Victorian England. Dickens was known to be a compassionate philanthropist, often making donations to charities at the time, along with this he was a massive activist who stood up for human rights.

Lily – Workhouses and prisons were available for the people who were living on the streets but the conditions were appalling and as we see in the book “many can’t go there; and would rather die” and Scrooge’s response to this was “If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” This very much displays the point of the upper classes’ ignorance. Dickens’ main aim of A Christmas Carol was to display people’s ignorance to poverty and problems in the world. I wonder if A Christmas Carol made an impact then? Because if it did, maybe we could use this now.

Holly S – In the period that we live in, we have places like food banks and different charity places. This is a large improvement on the Victorian times as people nowadays are seen as struggling and in need of help, rather than lazy and a waste of space and money. However, this does not change the fact that people are still struggling with loneliness and often spend Christmas without their family or friends. People often overlook loneliness during Christmas time and focus solely on giving away money and gifts. This causes issues because someone could have all the money in the world but could also feel like the loneliest person in the world at the same time, which is exactly what’s happening to these people at Christmas time. Therefore we must try to feel empathy as to how they would feel for the other 11 months of the year, where they are receiving less charity and less help. Giving items and money to those in need isn’t enough for them to fully thrive emotionally and will only help them through Christmas. It won’t get rid of the feeling of loneliness.

Bella – This very same ideology can be applied to the world we live in. The struggles of those around us are comparable or maybe even significantly worse than those seen in a christmas carol however they are far from fictional. There are more than 170,000 charities in the UK and yet more than 13 million people are living in poverty. Over 300,000 people have nowhere to call home. Over 3 million people are malnourished. How can that be? I believe that more effort, thought and time needs to go towards preventing these problems rather than throwing loose pennies at those suffering the consequences. A food bank would not have impact without the donations of kind hearted people with food to spare, a coastal cleanup would not have impact without the hard work of volunteers, a charity itself would fail to function without the people truly passionate about making a difference who organised them.

Liam – This is still seen in today’s world. Homeless and poor people are being rejected and ignored. The play I, Daniel Blake shows this very well from the poor’s point of view. That very play caught the attention of governments. Things are beginning to get better with more help to those who need it. However, even with money anyone can suffer from loneliness. Loneliness can severely impact a person’s mental state and is more common than you may think. Some people find Christmas to be a sad time with no one to be with. This is why bonds are so important. To always have someone to talk to is something no one should ever go without. Friends and family will always be there when you need them and without it, it’s something that I think must be handled.

Will – In my personal opinion, I think charity is nowhere near enough and it is so far away from being enough. I think that people should never be in the state of having to use charity. Personally, I think that it should be used as a last resort. Charity does not help people being lonely, paying the bills and the food they need to get the feeling of fulfilment. People use charity to survive and we need to help them to thrive. 

Beth – Around this time of year, especially those who cannot afford Christmas, find themselves to be quite alone, as maybe they can’t visit family or friends. Maybe they feel inadequate as a parent because they couldn’t get their child a gift. Without bonds, families can be lost and friends can fall apart. This is why now, around Christmas time we not only have to try our best to give to those without much on Christmas, we have to always, no matter what, be kind, thoughtful and polite when speaking to anyone.

Ruby – But charity is still essential. It reminds us of our shared humanity and plants seeds of empathy that can grow into movements for change. Charity is the beginning of something greater—a way to inspire hope and call people to action. Charity is only a stepping stone, essential to the path to total equality but not the whole path itself. Charity, while powerful, is not enough on its own. It can soothe pain, bring comfort, and remind people they are loved, but it must be paired with systemic reform to create lasting change. As individuals, we must give generously and care deeply, while demanding a society that lifts everyone up. After all, the true measure of charity is not just in what we give but in how we change—ourselves, our communities, and our world.

Daniel Dav – No charity is not enough until we have everyone thriving, and even then people will make it difficult for people to live a sustainable life.  Charity can ease the pain of individual people, offering kindness in the face of hardship, but it’s not enough to create a fair and just world. True change demands addressing the systems that keep people trapped in cycles of inequality. This would ensure dignity, opportunity, and fairness for everyone. Charity gives relief, but justice creates hope.

Tomorrow during break and lunch is the last chance to buy tickets for 2 of our Christmas charity events. All details on the posters below.