At Great Ballard, we talk a lot about service and leadership. Not in a “most confident person in the room" sort of way, but in the quieter, more meaningful sense that leadership begins with noticing others, rolling up your sleeves and doing something to help.
We believe young people flourish when they find connection and helping others can link them to their community, to the wider world and to the idea that their actions matter.
"When we care for others, it changes our biochemistry, activating systems of the brain that produce feelings of hope and courage." K. McGonigal, Health Psychologist, Stanford University
Service in Action
This year alone, our pupils have raised funds and awareness for a remarkable range of charities through events that combine generosity with enthusiasm (and occasionally cake).
Our Service and Leadership dinners have so far raised money for the Willow Foundation, which supports seriously ill young adults, and Extra Cover, a charity helping Sri Lanka’s poorest children grow up with hope and opportunity. These evenings are about more than fundraising; they are about learning that leadership includes hospitality, empathy and the confidence to stand up and speak for causes that matter.
Our latest Park Run - proof that fancy dress and philanthropy can coexist - raised money for the Sussex Ambulance Trust. Meanwhile, our Agents for Change have supported the Snowdrop Trust, which cares for children with life-limiting conditions, and Guide Dogs for the Blind. Each project reminds pupils that leadership isn’t about having a title, but about taking initiative and responsibility.
Community at the Heart
Service at Great Ballard isn’t limited to cheque presentations and finish lines. It also means sharing what we are so fortunate to have - our time, our beautiful grounds, our generous community spirit - with those around us.
We were deeply moved to receive a recent letter from the Mockingbird fostering scheme run by West Sussex Fostering Service. Their group, aptly named “Framily”, brings together foster families and relatives caring for children under Special Guardianship. They often struggle to find a welcoming space large enough, and flexible enough, for children with a wide range of needs. We were delighted to be able to open our grounds to them over the weekend.
They wrote to thank us for allowing them to use Great Ballard, describing an afternoon spent swimming, hunting for Easter eggs, making pizzas and toasting marshmallows. Most importantly, they spoke about children feeling safe, free to run around, and able to build relationships and create happy memories.
It is hard to imagine a better reminder of what community looks like.
Why It Matters
We don’t encourage service simply because it looks good on a CV (although it does). We do it because helping others gives young people something far more important: a sense of purpose.
When pupils experience their actions, however small they may feel, making a genuine difference, something shifts. They begin to understand that leadership is not about recognition, but about responsibility. That the world is not something that happens to them, but something they can shape.
They learn to be grounded. To develop a strong moral compass. To look beyond themselves and ask, “What can I do?”
A Lightness of Touch
Of course, this is Great Ballard. Purpose doesn’t have to be pompous. Service and leadership here is often accompanied by laughter, muddy shoes, burnt marshmallows and the occasional logistical adventure. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
What matters is that our pupils are learning to engage with the world generously and thoughtfully. They are discovering that leadership starts with kindness and that living with purpose is both deeply meaningful and full of joy.
And if they happen to have fun along the way? Even better.
