Winner of the BSA Best Community Work Award 2026, Haileybury integrates service into daily life, empowering pupils to lead sustainable local and global change.
At Haileybury, we place a strong emphasis on the importance of service and volunteering in shaping the development of our pupils and nurturing their sense of global citizenship. Service is core to the Haileybury ethos. All our pupils, from the Lower School all the way through to the Upper Sixth, are encouraged to participate in volunteering and fundraising initiatives that foster collaboration, leadership, and empathy.
Volunteering is a vital driver of sustainable development, engaging people of all backgrounds and ensuring no one is left behind.
- Giovanna Iorio, Head of Service
By linking our initiatives directly to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we provide our pupils with a practical framework to understand the interconnectedness of global issues. Whether promoting environmental sustainability or advocating for social justice, pupils are encouraged to identify their passions and develop a deep sense of civic engagement.
Our Community Action Volunteering programme is a core component of the Sixth Form experience on Wednesday afternoons and throughout weekends.
The programme broadens horizons and delivers hands-on experience through long-term partnerships:
Food Security & Family Support (SDG 2: Zero Hunger): Partnering with Hertford Pantry, our pupils help provide vital support systems and prepare lunches during school holidays for local families facing food insecurity.
Horticulture & Mental Health Partnerships (SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being): Pupils work alongside Mudlarks, a Hertford-based charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, by assisting teams at their community allotments, developing infrastructure like polytunnels, supporting the Forest School, and volunteering at the Mudlarks Cafe.
Literacy & Book Collections (SDG 4: Quality Education): In addition to serving as regular reading mentors through the Bookmark Reading Charity, providing one-to-one support, our community unites for major book collection drives, gathering over 1,000 books for The Children’s Book Project to distribute to regional schools and disadvantaged youth.
Classroom Mentoring (SDG 4: Quality Education): Pupils volunteer directly within local educational settings, supporting teachers and mentoring peers at Hertford Heath Primary School, Roseland Primary School, and Hailey Hall Boys School.
Environmental Citizen Science (SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation): Operating as an official regional hub for Drinkable Rivers, Haileybury pupils conduct ongoing citizen science by monitoring, testing, and protecting the health of Hertfordshire's River Lea.
Global Educational Equity (SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities): Working with Humanitas, pupils support crisis response and international education equity by creating customised video tutorials for children worldwide who lack access to physical classrooms.
Sustainable Communities (SDG 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities): Pupils take practical local actions to lower carbon footprints and minimise waste. Activities range from local litter picking and managing school allotment spaces to teaching British Sign Language at the local Village Hall.
Beyond weekly schedules, our pupils engage in creative projects that leave a visible, positive mark on our local surroundings.
These initiatives include crafting interactive local fairy trails for families to enjoy, restoring commemorative charity benches, handcrafting customised "Get Well Soon" cards for patients at Leinster Hospital, and knitting for the Francis House Children’s Hospice Easter Appeal.
Haileybury pupils are also actively involved in both of Haileybury’s charities: Hearts & Wings Holidays, a one-week residential summer holiday at Haileybury for young people with disabilities, and the Haileybury Youth Trust, a charity dedicated to developing environmentally sustainable building projects with local villagers and craftspeople in Uganda.
