Young Leaders at St Thomas’ C of E Primary, Kendal have been on a mission to try and combat isolation and loneliness within their community.

Due to the Covid restrictions, the pupils were very aware that there were lots of people, particularly the elderly, who were not able to have regular contact with others. They decided to contact a local care home and created ‘Bags of Happiness’ to make the residents smile and feel appreciated.

Each ‘Bag of Happiness’ was handmade and included a card of hugs with a special message inside, a happiness word search, a homemade puzzle, a paper flower and a joke sheet.

“The children really took care to create each item and we discussed that even though we would never meet the person or know who they were, they wanted to spend time creating something special for them.”

KS2 Teacher

The residents of the care home were delighted to receive the anonymous ‘Bags of Happiness’ and the children definitely achieved their aim of making people smile!

"I enjoyed decorating my bag of happiness because I knew it would cheer up the elderly."

KS2 Pupil

The Young Leaders also completed individual challenges to help out parents and grandparents at home. These included reading with younger siblings, cooking meals, washing cars and tidying bedrooms. They also took part in a sponsored walk and raised £243 for Save the Children.

“They were able to begin to realise that it was up to them to make changes in their local community and not just leave it up to someone else to sort out. The children learned that leaders don't always have an easy start in life and can often become inspirational because of the adversity they have faced in their lives.”

KS2 Teacher

To find out more about how you can embed the Young Leaders Award in your school setting, click here or send us an email.

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