Volunteering Day at Vauxhall Park

This weekend our students and staff supported the Friends of Vauxhall Park to set up their community party as they celebrate six years of work to restore the park to its former glory.

The students were fantastic on the day and brilliant ambassadors for DLD – the feedback we have received has been amazing. Thank you to all those who participated!

Here’s a recount of the day from Year 12 student, Kirsty:

“My mum has always been a volunteer for the Friends of Vauxhall Park, to the extent that I could never tell you when the park came into our lives: I went to nursery there, every Summer since I was a child there have been Summer fairs there, after school I used to lose hours to the playground and lunch at the cafe has always been a staple of our Summer holidays. The park actually has a really interesting history, originally it was the garden of Henry and Millicent Fawcett (an important suffragist who now has the title of being the first woman honoured in Parliament Square.)

The park recently had a free reopening event for the local community after undergoing an amazing makeover (they put in an entirely new playground, redid the paths and tennis courts to make them more accessible and even a replanting and construction of a sensory garden especially designed with mental health and disabilities in mind). The reopening event was a wonderful celebration of the hard work of the Friends of Vauxhall Park and everyone who has worked so hard to get the park to the beautiful state it is now.

For the event my mum asked me to email school to round up a team of volunteers to help put up gazebos, supervise, steward and lend a hand wherever possible. DLD did not disappoint, even Jan (Head of Psychology) and Gareth (Assistant Principal (Lower School)) volunteered! They were all brilliant. In the morning Gareth and Jan walked over a huge team of Lower School students all dressed with smiles. They carried tables, chairs, put up gazebos and bunting, and when they were finally given a break from all their hard labours – were quick to offer their help again. When the event actually began, a team of Year 12 and Year 13 arrived to take on the unenviable task of stewarding. Two were assigned to the bouncy castle, four of us to the children’s game section, and four to the teacup ride. Everyone I spoke to gushed about how helpful and wonderful DLD students were when dealing with parents, grandparents and squealing children.

The whole event was a total success and even left my mum letting out some happy tears. At that moment I had never been more proud to be a student at DLD, and to represent a student body that is kind, helpful and there for their community.”