Small Actions, Big Impact: How the St John’s School Community Walked the Talk for Stripey Stork

At Stripey Stork, we’re often inspired by the creativity, commitment and compassion of our supporters and the students, staff and families of St John’s School, Leatherhead, have truly blown us away.

Over the past school year, this remarkable school community has rallied around Stripey Stork in a way that’s made a real and lasting impact – raising awareness, collecting items, fundraising, volunteering and showing a deep understanding of the challenges faced by families living in poverty.

Our journey with St John’s began when the school contacted us in November 2024 with some great news: Stripey Stork had been chosen as the Christmas charity for North House boys. That same month, we were invited to deliver a school assembly, where we introduced students to our work and explained how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting families – even here in Surrey.

It was clear from the start that the message landed.

Just before Christmas, pupils from North House and Monty House delivered toys and essential items in person, had a tour of our site. St John’s even captured the moment in a short video showing sixth form students delivering and sorting the donations – a lovely, visual reminder of how small acts of kindness multiply when shared.

And then the PE department got in touch. Parents had heard about our charity from their children and wanted to help. A large collection of coats quickly followed all personally delivered to our warehouse, where we were able to give the group a tour and explain how donations like these are used. The perfect set of donations as the colder weather set in.

The connection deepened further when the school invited us to an Enrichment lesson. The students were participating in the First Give programme and, after considering a range of charities to support, had selected Stripey Stork. They wanted to find out more about the charity before deciding how best to raise money and awareness of the charity. After hearing our presentation – and asking some brilliant, thoughtful questions – they were full of ideas for how to support our cause.

From there, the momentum continued.

Year 8 students embraced the First Give programme with enthusiasm and heart. They participated in a 10-mile sponsored walk, ran four charity stalls at a school fete and created posters around the school to raise awareness about child poverty in the UK.

They also organised a ‘Go Without Day’, arriving at school without bags, snacks or essentials; a powerful act of empathy and solidarity with families who go without every day.

Their First Give presentation was heartfelt and persuasive, speaking with insight about the importance of dignity, the challenge of hidden poverty and how small actions can change lives. They won, securing a further £1,000 to help us support local families with essentials like nappies, beds and school uniforms.

Most recently, we received a meticulously prepared donation from the school – large bags of nappies, teen clothing sorted by age, gender and type (each labelled with handwritten notes), and stacks of teen books. The level of thought and care shown in this collection speaks volumes.

This wasn’t just about ticking a box. It was about doing things properly, and with kindness.

Support from school communities like St John’s gives us so much hope for the future. They’ve not only raised vital funds, but also awareness and empathy among their students and families. We’re incredibly grateful to them – and to the staff who’ve gone above and beyond to make it happen. Their energy, creativity and commitment have made a real and lasting impact.

Nicola Dawes DL, Chief Executive, Stripey Stork

To every student who walked, gave, packed, volunteered, questioned, collected or spoke up – thank you. You’ve shown us what’s possible when a school community comes together with compassion and purpose.

You’ve proved what we always say at Stripey Stork: small actions really do make a big impact.