Last Friday hundreds of Samworth Church Academy students took part in Make A Difference (MAD) Day. MAD Day is more than just a day out - it's about giving a day of service, which is one of the Round Square ideals.

This year, students worked with the Forestry Commission in local woods doing real service to our local environment. We have particularly focused upon the removal of a harmful, non-indigenous species Himalayan Balsam. By removing or helping to reduce this plant species it has allowed our native plants and wildlife to thrive again and has helped to increase biodiversity in these areas.  

Both students and staff found the day to be extremely rewarding, and a highly enjoyable experience. 

Scroll our gallery of MAD Day 2024:

Amy from Forestry England explains the impact of MAD Day:

Himalayan balsam grows every year from seed so we have to be careful to get every single plant. We need to be persistent year on year. 

 

Me and the biodiversity officer from the County Council were out last week and we have checked, and we have definitely started to make a difference.

For students who stayed at the Academy, there were several activities including litter picking. Thank you for also getting stuck in, it's made a real difference to our fields and boundaries!

Round Square Ideal - SERVICE

In 2013, Samworth Church Academy became the first state school in Europe to become members of Round Square. Founded in 1966, Round Square is a worldwide network of innovative schools in 40 countries across 5 continents. It has already provided our students with some incredible opportunities, such as trips to India, Paris, Istanbul, Singapore, Romania and Germany and Kenya. 

One of the Round Square ideals is to provide service to communities, where the students’ hard work as a volunteer can be of real practical benefit.  MAD Day is a great opportunity for our students to give something back to the local community and to feel that they can genuinely make a difference. 

Thank you to everyone from Forestry England for supporting MAD Day!