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Sharing compassionate values at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred

(14/02/25)

Posted by : Honor Hayes – Youth Engagement Practitioner – Global Action Plan

Students from Harris Academy in Chafford Hundred, Essex create meaningful change in their school community.

Students from Years 8 and 9 at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred (HACH) in Essex, made a meaningful difference through the Transform Our World programme, demonstrating their passion for positive change and creating a lasting impact on their school and community. From tackling discrimination to spreading joy and supporting those in need, these young changemakers showed incredible dedication and creativity. Here’s how they brought their inspiring ideas to life:

Stopping discrimination at HACH

A group of students took a stand against discrimination, focusing on raising awareness about disabilities within their school. They created a powerful presentation titled, ‘Stopping Discrimination at HACH’, which they introduced to their Headteacher, developing their leadership skills and confidence. Their campaign also featured an informative and eye-catching poster about different disabilities including autism and bipolar disorder, displayed for all students to see.

These young changemakers, who formed new bonds through their shared mission, demonstrated remarkable dedication by collaborating on their project beyond scheduled sessions. Their initiative is helping to foster a more inclusive and compassionate environment at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred. Reflecting on the experience, Noor said:

“It’s made me really proud because I worked in a team and we all had the same opinion about the same thing and we actually understood each other.”

Three students hold up a poster each, saying

Bringing more joy to the playground

‘The Sustainable Squad’ (see their logo designed by Ayla below!) set their sights on brightening students’ days. The group devised a plan to plant vibrant flowers in the playground and display positive affirmation messages. After much thought on how and where to display their messages, they decided to laminate them and hang them from a tree to ensure they would withstand weather and remain accessible to everyone. This heart-warming project brought instant happiness to the playground, creating a space for all students to enjoy and as Davydas said, “make them have a better day and try and believe in themselves”.

Collecting donations for a local foodbank

Guided by their shared value of ‘helping others’, this group of students organised a whole-school foodbank donation day to support those in need in their local community. They began by researching local foodbanks and discussed how they would engage the entire school community in their initiative. The team worked collaboratively to design posters, compile a shopping list for supplies, and draft a letter to parents with the help of their Head of Year, Mr. Doherty. Their efforts led to a successful donation day, bringing together students, staff and families to make a difference.

Foodbank fundraisers from Harris Academy Chafford Hundred

With some remaining budget, the group decided to extend their generosity by supporting Freedom4Girls, a UK-based charity dedicated to fighting period poverty. Here’s why:

“We chose this amazing charity for many reasons. First of all, we believe girls should have access to sanitary products anywhere in the world. Secondly, we believe that everyone should be educated about periods and understand the pain women all round the world go through.”

Inspiring Future Changemakers

The projects carried out by these remarkable students reflect the compassion, teamwork and creativity of young people when given the opportunity to lead. Head of Year 8 and 9, Mr Doherty praised the students’ efforts, saying:

“As a Geography teacher, it is really easy to discuss the importance of sustainability within the classroom. However, it is projects like this that allow our students to really experience what sustainability is and see how sustainability initiatives can make a real difference for themselves, our communities and our planet. The project instilled such enthusiasm in them for sustainability around the school and the ideas they created allowed them to actually implement their ideas which had, a profoundly positive impact on the school. Well done to everyone who participated. What an achievement!”

If your school is based in Kent or Essex and would like to get involved in the Transform Our World programme, please email [email protected]. We still have spaces left to join in the Summer Term!

Transform Our World is a Global Action Plan programme supported by the #iWill fund. Through their involvement with Transform Our World young people are becoming more able and more motivated to take collective action for the good of people and planet.