By Mrs Arrowsmith (CAS & Service Coordinator)

Throughout the Spring Term, the Lower Sixth students used their creativity and ingenuity as they honed their collaborative skills in the Campaign Challenge.

This project requires them to select an issue they care about in the world, and, working in groups, to create and run an awareness campaign to raise the profile of their chosen cause. They undertake research to establish baseline knowledge of the topic in the student body, and then go all out to get everyone thinking. This year’s students evidenced their real concern for the world, with issues ranging from children in care, to the gender pay gap in professional sport, to environmental issues, to the unethical involvement of big business in global conflicts.

The campaigns included all kinds of visuals around the school, as well as social media content and an inventive variety of pop-up events, competitions, quizzes, form time activities, a Bring-a-Can collection for Bedford Food Bank and a wonderful flash-mob pantomime in the lunch hall.

Anaya Kirtane (Year 10) said: “The big business unethically supporting global conflicts activity in the I-Create space was amazing. It raised so much awareness and I was so proud to be part of the activity. It was great to raise awareness for situations such as the conflicts in Gaza and Congo.”

Students throughout the school were invited to vote on which campaigns were the most eye-catching and which made them think most about the issues involved. The winners of both votes were a group from 12SCB, whose campaign on No to the poaching of endangered species very effectively used humour to highlight a deadly problem in a thought-provoking way. I will never see an elephant in quite the same way ever again!

Congratulations to the winning team: Olivia Davies, Deeksha Dinesh, Rachel Forbes-Laird, Franny Isherwood, Scarlet Jenkin, Maia Vethencourt and Harriet Whitbread.