By Lucy Russell (Lower Sixth)

On Friday 30th June, we hosted a delightful Lunch Club for elderly residents in our local community. The purpose of the Lunch Club is to foster social connections between Sixth Form students and the elderly residents, as they come together to enjoy a shared meal.

The Lunch Club has been a tradition at our school, and we were so pleased to revive it after a pause due to the pandemic. This time, we had the pleasure of hosting it in the Compass Room at BGS. In the weeks leading up to the event, Alice Toone (Lower Sixth), Mrs Thompson (PA to the Assistant Heads) and I worked to prepare a range of engaging activities, ensuring that the day would be truly special and memorable for all attendees.

The event exceeded our expectations, and it was heart-warming to see everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves. We had an array of games and raffles, providing every attendee with an opportunity to participate and win exciting prizes. Additionally, we were grateful to have dedicated volunteers who joined us throughout the afternoon, assisting with food service and creating a delightful ambiance with their music.

Looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate organising this event again in the upcoming academic year. It is our hope that this tradition will continue to thrive and bring joy to both our students and the elderly residents for many years to come.

Ellie Stokley (Lower Sixth) who volunteered during the Lunch Club said: “It was an honour to be able to help out with the Lunch Club last Friday alongside Lucy and Alice who had organised the whole gathering themselves. Right from the start of the event everyone got along so well and were reminiscing over old stories. It was very amusing to hear the funny stories of people who had been former students at our school and their memories of their time as a pupil here. The best part definitely seemed to be the raffle which allowed everyone to be involved and everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. I would definitely look forward to the next lunch club as many of the elderly visitors expressed how much they had enjoyed this one.”

View photos from the Lunch Club here.