King's coronation: Edinburgh's Fettes College students join Big Help Out at park, food bank and crematorium
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Around 200 students from Fettes College spent a day clearing undergrowth, painting rooms, packing food orders or gardening as part of the King’s coronation Big Help Out.
Volunteering is a regular part of the school’s activities, but the students were also keen to take part in the UK-wide initiative to celebrate the coronation weekend. Across the country, most volunteers will be doing their bit for their communities on Monday, the Bank Holiday to mark Charles III being crowned, but some Fettes students will be taking their International Baccalaureate maths exam on Monday, so they went volunteering on Friday.
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Hide AdSome of the students – joined by teachers – helped clearing undergrowth and upgrading paths at Warriston Crematorium, others worked in the community garden at Lauriston Farm and another group packed food orders at the Cyrenians local food bank. Other volunteering projects for students included a park tidy and maintenance at Starbank Park, painting a couple of rooms at Fetlor Youth Centre and helping out at the Cramond Residence and Queen’s Manor care homes.
Fettes head Helen Harrison said: “I am sure our students will make a positive impact on each of the volunteering activities and I am grateful to these superb local projects and charities for welcoming us. Instilling an attitude of giving back is a very important part of the Fettes College ethos.”
The school also marked the coronation by ringing the Fettes College bells as part of Ring for the King from 6pm-8pm on Friday. Fettes is one of only five schools across the UK – and the only one in Scotland – to have a bell tower. The six Fettes bells, dedicated in 1956, have been rung over the years for selected special events.