With all of the wonderful opportunities available at St Helen's, it could be easy to forget the world outside. With this in mind, and as part of the school's Christian ethos, we have always made charity work an important part of the St Helen's experience.

Each year the entire school votes for three charities to support – one local, one national, and one international. Various fundraising events are then organised throughout the year by the girls, coordinated by a group of Upper School Charity Reps and the Chaplain. These include cake baking, making and selling crafts, sponsored events and the ever popular home clothes days, as well as a charity fayre in the last week of the academic year.

In addition, money is regularly raised for national campaigns such as Red Nose Day, Children in Need, Jeans for Genes, Ten for Ten and Macmillan Cancer Care.

The girls also support the Abingdon Foodbank to whom all harvest gifts are donated, and Operation Christmas Child by preparing shoeboxes.

Every girl is actively encouraged to be imaginative and to engage in raising funds for worthy causes – to exercise responsibility, leadership and, not least, to promote a healthy sense of compassion towards others. As a school we place a high emphasis on continually looking outwards in order to engage with and serve the needs of others. At the same time, all these activities bring with them a sense of fun and collaboration as the school unites behind a shared vision.