The Chartering of 'Interact'

Date: Friday 1 May 2009

Today at lunchtime, dignitaries of both national and local branches of the Rotary Club visited St Edmund's School to charter, formally, a new club called 'Interact', the Rotary Club of St Edmund's School Canterbury.

The following overview, drawn up by the School's facilitator, Mr Charlie Mount, explains precisely the aims and objectives of this new School venture.

INTERACT

The Rotary Club of St Edmund’s School

Over the last term, the St Edmund’s Charity Committee has transformed itself into a school based branch of the Rotary Club, called an Interact Club. The Interact Club will be officially inducted into the Rotary family just after Easter. The aims of Interact are very similar to those of the Charity Committee and the pupils and students have continued to do sterling work in raising money to help those less fortunate than themselves. In addition to this work, the “Interactors” have taken on practical projects in the school and in the wider community. So far this year, the team has raised over £3,000.

The charities supported were:

• Odyssey, a charity supporting children suffering from cancer.
• Kent Kids, a local charity helping disabled children.
• The Pattaya Orphanage in Thailand
• HART, an international charity providing aid in countries where the large aid agencies cannot operate.
• The Scrine Foundation, a local charity helping the homeless
• Shelter, a national charity helping the homeless.
• Young Carers, a charity helping young people who are forced by circumstance to care for ill or needy family members.

The Interact team has been very busy, they have:

• Sold Christmas Candy Canes
• Organised a “Hunger Lunch”
• Offered refreshments at “Daisy Pulls it Off”
• Cleared undergrowth at the Canterbury Environmental Education Centre.
• Sold Valentine’s Roses
• Painted a multi-colour fence in the Abingdon House playground.
• Offered refreshments at “My Fair Lady”
• Cleared brambles in the St Edmund’s School nature area.
• Organised a non-uniform day and collections at school events.
• Adopted a beach to keep clean and manage

The St Edmund’s Interact Club is sponsored by a local Rotary Club (Canterbury Sunrise) and receives encouragement and support from their sponsors. The Interact Club is currently made up of pupils from the Upper Fifth and Sixth Form. We are considering asking for representatives from the Lower and Middle Fifth Forms from each House to join the committee. They coordinate the charity work of the Senior School, engage in practical volunteering activities in the community, raise awareness of the charities for which they raise money and foster international links. The committee meets monthly at lunchtime for strategy and planning. The Interact group uses Friday afternoons to carry out projects.

Through their efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of:

• Developing leadership skills
• Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others
• Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work
• Advancing international understanding and goodwill

The Interact Club is pupil led and pupil run, with support and encouragement from staff. The Interact Committee is made up of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and board members, who are all elected to post. Interact offers a varied and fun experience. Interactors are creative in coming up with ideas and solutions, plan their activities, manage their budget and work together as a team.