On a stunning Autumn morning, all the nursery and Pre-Prep children at Great Ballard School enjoyed taking part in their Harvest Thanksgiving on Thursday 24 September in the school’s chapel, St Margaret’s, Eartham and were joined by parents.
For some children, this was the first time that they had taken part in a school church service and they loved it. From the time they walked in and saw the fantastic display of harvest gifts for the charity Stonepillow, they enjoyed the occasion. Canon David Nason was taking the service and Richard Wilding from Stonepillow came along to meet the children.
Head of pre-prep, Edward Bryan said: “The children have been looking forward to the service and have been learning about helping others in the community. We have now been supporting the local charity Stonepillow for several years, and the children will be visiting the charity next week.”
The service was a celebration of harvest and also one of the first opportunities in the term for new parents to come and be involved in the Great Ballard Community, something that is so important in the life of a small prep school. From the time children join the nursery, they are fully integrated into the Great Ballard Community and are able to take advantage of facilities and specialist teachers during the week.
After the service, Mr Wilding from Stonepillow thanked the children and parents for the wonderful donations and said how much he looked forward to seeing them when they visit next week.
Headmaster, Richard Evans, is keen to support local charities and instil a sense of community spirit in the children from a young age and commented: “Occasions such as the Harvest Thanksgiving Service bring together pupil, parents and staff with the wider community which is an important part of the development of young children in today’s world”.
For more information about Stonepillow or Great Ballard do please visit the school website www.greatballard.co.uk and follow the link to Stonepillow.
