Pen Pals, 500 Miles and Britains Got Talent?

The Rotary Club of Billericay has been supporting the good work at Quilters Junior School for many years.  
We oversee its very active RotaKids club, and we fund the costs of the Pen Pals project by which pupils write to the elderly in the community to stave off loneliness, So, it was a pleasure to accept an invitation from Headteacher Mike Wade for our members to join a Pen Pals afternoon tea.

Homemade Food

On May 3 President Roger Kettle, President-Elect Patrick Rothon, Peter Greene and I were welcomed at the school by pupils who introduced themselves and issued us with name badges.  In the school hall we were offered tea or coffee, sausage rolls, sandwiches and jam biscuits.  They looked homemade and tasted very good indeed. 

The school hall was thronged with children eagerly chatting with their pen pals.  Some of the adults had only one pen pal, others had as many as four.  While nearly all the adults are local elderly or disabled people, one of the year sixes told me her pen pal lived in Scotland and from her letters she has learned a lot about life north of the border.

A Challenge

In case the conversation flagged, each table had a variety of board games. There was clearly a degree of serious competition mixed in with the fun and laughter. It was good to see the different generations mixing so well.  Peter Greene and a student were challenged to a game of Guess Who? by a pair of students, and the result … we’ll spare the blushes.

While we didn’t have pen pals, we did speak to a number of RotaKids, who told us about their fund-raising activities and visiting a Dementia Café, and the Men’s Shed in Lake Meadows. When I told one of the house captains that we help at the Soapbox Derby (May 5), she said she would be there to support the school’s soapbox (it is displayed in the foyer), and taking part in the dance routine. The school is very involved in the local community.

One lady to whom I spoke, had recently lost her husband to cancer and dementia. They used to go to the dementia café in Hillside Road. The Quilters children came there to speak to them and she said her husband ‘came alive’ and really loved interacting with the children. What a beautiful memory for all concerned.

It was remarkable that it took just a gesture from the Headteacher for all the children to fall completely silent. He then reminded them about the importance of being KIND in everyday life, before introducing the school choir.

An Inspiring Afternoon

At previous events the school choir has sung at the end of the afternoon.  It now includes some of the pen pals, and some people with dementia. This afternoon was to be the first performance of this “Inter-Gen” Choir.  What a success it was. The mixture of voices produced an extra loud, clear and beautiful sound.  As the choir approached the chorus of ‘Walk 500 Miles’ the noise and excitement increased until they were all stamping their feet and singing their hearts out. With just the same enthusiasm we heard ‘Sweet Caroline’, ‘Eye of the Tiger’ and ‘I’m a believer’. 

Headteacher Mike Wade summed up everyone’s feelings by say the choir could be good enough to enter the Britain’s Got Talent competition.

An inspiring afternoon at a great school.
By Steve King