Jennifer Hall is a Post 16 International Baccalaureate student at CTC Kingshurst Academy. (Jennifer 2nd from the left with 5 other inspirational students from CTC Kinghurst Academy), has an amazing track record of community involvement and volunteering work showing initiative and leadership skills. A truly inspirational person.
Read Jennifer’s amazing achievements and aspirations for the future.
I have been involved in helping within my community from a very young age. When I was eight, I joined a nature club run by the park rangers of Kingfisher Country Park, where I was able to learn and care for the wildlife around the park. In addition, from the age of 10 I have been involved in the Scouting movement. I have progressed through scouting, from scouts to explorers, helping my community along the way. Community involvement is a huge part of scouting, and scouting is a huge part of my life.
Over my 7 years in scouting, I have volunteered in my community through cleaning my local area, helping the elderly, countless fundraising events, and now in recent years, I have volunteered as a Young Leader in my scout group to ensure that I can help future generations to develop in scouting and receive the same experiences that I did as a scout. However, not only do I volunteer in my own scout group, I have also volunteered at another less developed scout group.
I was asked to help at an event run by the group scout leader in February 2016, to lend my navigational and other scouting skills in order to help the scouts develop their own skills. I did so very happily, and I have been keen to help them again ever since! What I found inspiring was children from varied backgrounds and each child showed an enthusiastic desire to learn new skills. It was their enthusiasm, despite not having access the same equipment as some other scout clubs, that made me want to help them receive the same scouting experiences that I have had in any way that I could.
Inspiring Children to Read Books
In July 2015, I volunteered at Shard End library as a part of their Reading Hack initiative. Every summer, libraries across Birmingham hold summer reading challenges for children in order to get them to read books, in 2015 their theme was “Record Breakers”. I myself took part in this when I was younger, and I jumped at the chance to be able to help children do the same and encourage children in Shard End to read. I was tasked with talking to children and parents, promoting and signing children up to the scheme, helping them to select books, taking note of the books they had read and tidying shelves.
Involvement In the NCS Programme to Raise Money for a Local Charity
During the summer holidays in July 2016, I took part in the NCS programme. During the second and third week of the programme, we had to promote and raise money for a charity in our local community whilst also learning a specific skill. My group was tasked with learning media skills, whilst helping a local charity called Solihull Carers, based in Solihull. We had to produce videos to promote the charity, as well as producing posters and social media adverts to promote a sponsored walk that the charity was holding in November of that year. In our third week, we had to plan and carry out our “Social Action Plan” to help promote and benefit Solihull Carers.
Help Charities Support Individuals with Learning Difficulties
In December 2016, during the Christmas school holidays, I volunteered for SOLO in Chelmsley Wood shopping centre, helping with their annual Santa’s Grotto. Myself and other helpers were tasked with dressing up and helping children that visited the grotto to write letters to Santa and create their own “glittery reindeer food”, but overall, ensuring that their meeting with Santa made their Christmas magical. The money raised from our efforts went to SOLO, a charity based in Solihull that helps individuals with learning difficulties and their families.
Trip to Zambia and Supporting in Schools
Also in 2016, I was picked along with 5 other students at my school to take part in their 2017 trip to Zambia that takes place once every two years. As a team, we had to organise fundraising events in order to raise money to use to buy resources for the schools that we would be working with. We sold ice creams, cakes, and doughnuts at lunch and brunch times during school (even to teachers in the staff room!) I organised a quiz night for my team, which resulted in us raising nearly £500. Overall, we raised nearly £2000 as a team, which enabled us to buy many resources for the children and which we took with us in July 2017 when we made the trip out to Zambia for nearly 3 weeks. This trip was probably the best experience of my life – we were able to work with some amazing children at the schools we visited, teaching them lessons and providing other services while we were there, such as helping teachers, painting signs and creating classroom displays. I hope to return one day in order to further help the schools that I visited. It is through this international community involvement that I feel a huge sense of achievement.
Fund Raising Marston Green Lions To Buy Resources For Children In Zambia
Since 2016, I have also been involved with my local Lions club, Marston Green Lions. I began my involvement with the as a result of my fundraising efforts for my trip to Zambia. My group teamed up with the Lions to raise over £1000 at a Lions sponsored Race Night, held at the club, which we used to buy resources for the children we visited in Zambia. I have since continued my involvement with the group, and hope to join as a member when I am 18.
CTC Kingshurst Academy Promoting The Development of Altruistic Young Students
The academy places great importance in promoting the development of altruistic young students who can play a role, in the wider community. The acadmey has linked up with Marston Green Lions to support this and have students completing their Young Leaders In Service awards. In the past we have had two students nominated as Marston Green’s Young Ambassador of the 21st Century who succeeded in winning the Midlands award . Both had praised the award in helping them develop the skills and personal qualities to succeed in life. Jennifer is this year’s nominee.
