ALL students and staff at a Brentwood school will be abandoning their desks for a day next year in order to help the community.
The search is on right now for a variety of projects to which pupils and their teachers at Brentwood County High School can lend a hand next summer.
Head teacher Stephen Drew has declared June 20 as 'Community Day', when volunteers from the school will head out on a mission to make their locality a better place.
He told the Gazette: "It will be a day when every member of the school community will do something for the benefit of the wider local community.
"Whether it is weeding, litter-picking, painting, planting, tidying, or other such task, our students and staff will be out there helping make Brentwood a better place.
"This is about encouraging our young people to recognise their place in the community and give back. They all benefit greatly from organisations and clubs run for them – whether that is Scouts, Guides, youth clubs or sports clubs. I want them to see how they can give something in return.
"It is vital they understand they are part of that community. I see this as part of their education as much as sitting exams."
Mr Drew wants people in Brentwood to suggest ideas for projects for the Community Day. He envisages groups of about 10 to 20 pupils and a couple of members of staff will be assigned to each project, and he plans to use the school minibuses and charter buses to help transport the students to the venues.
He said: "I know the date is a long way off but this is a massive undertaking so we need to start planning for it now. I hope people from churches, senior people's homes, village halls, parish councils and other community facilities will let us know what work they have that needs doing.
"We will also be liaising with Brentwood Borough Council, whom we have helped with litter picking.
"By June we will no longer have the upper sixth-formers and Year 11s with us, but will still have about 1,000 young people and 100 staff ready and willing to help their community."
Anyone with ideas for projects is asked to e-mail staff member Hilary Berry at berry@bchs.essex.sch.uk, who is co-ordinating the event. She will arrange the details, such as equipment and transport.
Mr Drew hopes the day will become an annual event, like the school's Community Awards, set up last year.
The Awards recognise people in Brentwood who work hard for the benefit of the young. Nominations are open and awards will be presented at a ceremony in December.
