Month: November 2022

Sedbergh School has, once again, been named in the latest edition of the Schools Guide by The Cricketer.

2023’s successful roll call of schools – which features both state-funded and private establishments – was finalised after an exhaustive selection process that saw a huge number submit entries for inclusion in the guide.

All entries were then judged against an extensive set of criteria, which included a compelling commitment to cricket in the curriculum, facilities, fixture programmes and coaching.

The Cricketer gathered entries and compiled the leading lists, consulting former England star Lydia Greenway and her coaching initiative Cricket For Girls to select the top 20 all-girls schools.

Cricket continues to grow and flourish at Sedbergh School, under the expert guidance of Director of Cricket, Martin Speight.

In recent years Sedbergh sides have reached National finals at under 15, 17 and 18 levels, winning both the under 15 and 18 T20 competitions. Currently three of the recent boys‘ captains play for Yorkshire – Harry Brook, George Hill and Matt Revis – whilst this summer’s captain Tom Aspinwall has recently signed his first professional contract with Lancashire.

Whilst boys cricket continues to flourish with eight teams in the senior school playing regular fixtures against Academies, Schools and Clubs, girls cricket has blossomed over the past two seasons. OS Becky Glen has represented Scotland whilst Ella Telford has played for both Lancashire and Yorkshire women. Most recently Harriet Robson plays for Yorkshire Diamonds Academy and was selected for the School Games in 2022 whilst OS Brianna Ray played for Loughborough University 1st XI against Durham in the womens’ university final and represents Lancashire Thunder Academy.

A full report from Jozef, following his recent trip to Lviv in Ukraine with Dan Harrison, Headmaster and Stuart Oliver, Housemaster and Director of Sport, can be read by clicking here. The article that appeared about their trip in the Westmorland Gazette can be read here.

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Below is an update following parent, Jozef Mycielski’s recent trip to the Ukraine and includes information about the next donation drive being organised at the end of October.

In May 2022 I wrote about my trip to Poland, to the border with Ukraine at Przemyśl. Aid here was desperately needed and welcomed, mainly by women and children, with emotion, gratitude and relief. The evacuation of Ukrainian refugees at that time saw emergency refugee camps set up along the Polish border to help assist with the mass migration of Ukrainians into Poland and Western Europe – an operation that helped avert a potential humanitarian disaster. The humanitarian mission has now shifted its emphasis to Internally Displaced People (IDPs) as the war in the east of the country has led to around 6 million people, again mainly women and children, seeking refuge in parts of Ukraine that are, to a large extent, currently spared the ravages of war; although nowhere in Ukraine can be deemed safe.

We could not have delivered this crucial support in May without the wider Kirkby Lonsdale community and the support of the Sedbergh Schools. We were inspired by the Tanzanian proverb, ‘Kidogo kidogo inakuwa nying’ which translates as, ‘Little by little, little becomes a lot.’ We wanted, no matter how little, to do something, anything, to help. Gratified by the response from family, friends, our children’s schools and often complete strangers, we became conduits for the ‘little’ and whilst it may well have just scratched the surface, it proved to be some scratch and some surface.

The sad reality, now, is that Ukraine is becoming less of a priority to many; news coverage is declining, funds are drying up and warehouses emptying. The pressure in Ukraine on services and society is extreme. All public buildings including village halls, sports centres and even libraries are housing families. Hospitals are only able to give critical care and schooling is patchy at best. The war rages on, Ukrainians continue to die, winter is coming and there is a desperate need for support.

As a result of our journey in May, we have been working closely with the family run, Dundee based, charity Siobhan’s Trust (www.siobhanstrust.uk) who have been tireless, with a team of volunteers, working under the slogan “Make Pizza not War!” David Fox-Pitt invited us to come back and travel into Ukraine to see, first hand, the work that he and his volunteers do from their base in Lviv. There is nothing so powerful as to witness in person the resilience and indomitable spirit of these desperate people and the sense of unity that drives Ukrainians to open their doors, hearts and minds in an almost overwhelming spirit of shared community, affection and love for their fellow citizens.

We have just returned.

David’s team is now based entirely within Ukraine. Siobhan’s Trust have 5 pizza vans (30,000 pizzas are donated per month from ITALPIZZA Bologna) and a refrigerated support van which go directly to where the most vulnerable families are; be it in and around Lviv, in Kyiv or as far east as Kharkiv and south as Odessa. The ever-changing nature of the war means that, in reality, the vans are able to track and respond to the need as it moves around the country, working in partnership with the police who see this vital work as a massive boost to their hearts and minds mission. On average 3,500 people per day are fed pizza, along with fruit, vegetables and ice cream (60,000 ice creams have been donated), with cuddly toys and sweets given to the children.

What Siobhan’s Trust give the people however, amounts to so much more than a warm, nutritious meal; it is about morale and togetherness. Whilst cooking the pizzas (a real aspirational food in Ukraine), music is played, there is dancing and rugby balls are thrown around with the children. This is an opportunity to engage, listen, sing, laugh, cry, support and show love towards people who are endlessly scared and anxious, displaced, on constant alert, worn down by war, exhausted and fearful of the future.

We went to four sites in Ukraine around Lviv, covering over 500km. We met families, children of parents killed in the conflict, orphans, children and adults with special needs, the elderly and vulnerable and injured military personnel. A mother we met said, “The help given to us; the food, clothes, the hygiene products that enable us to wash ourselves and our children, are priceless and help us survive day to day and try and maintain our dignity. But the experience is much more than this, it gives us hope in the future.”

We have committed to support Siobhan’s Trust in Ukraine with funds, rugby balls, footballs, cuddly toys and sweets.

Alongside our days in Ukraine, we made time to meet Kamil and Joasia again – the Polish aid workers we met in May (www.polandwelcomes.org) who look after 400 Ukrainian women and children in a disused school in Radymno, Poland, about 20km from the border with Ukraine. We met the team and this vulnerable group now look towards a cold winter anxiously, as food is running out and warm clothing is scarce. Most have nowhere to go back to. Their homes and towns have been destroyed. Their numbers will swell in the coming weeks to a capacity of 560 (260 women and 300 children), including 56 who arrived this week from Zaporizhzhya, where they were living in the shadow of the fighting around the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. More will come as trying to survive a Ukrainian winter living in a tent or outdoors is impossible.

We have committed to help this community at Radymno with food, clothing, toiletries and sanitary products along with colouring books and art products to engage the children.

Jozef said, “Being in Ukraine was sobering – we drove through military check-points, past barricades, saw bus stops packed with Molotov cocktails and heard air raid sirens before being directed into a shelter under the hotel with sand bags at the windows. We couldn’t help thinking how awful it would be to navigate this hell with your own wife and children. This was uncomfortable enough, but what was unbearable was seeing the human cost of this brutal conflict. It really is the poorest, weakest, oldest and youngest who always suffer most. These people are fighting for their lives. We sadly can’t help them all, but we can help the 560 in Radymno and the 3,500 that Siobhan’s Trust feed every day in Ukraine.”

The clearest message we received from the people in Ukraine, after seeing the realities on the Polish border, is that these displaced families need to know we are still with them, thinking of them, standing alongside them and practically helping them. This love gives them hope. Without hope they have nothing.

To conclude, we are determined to keep flying the flag literally and figuratively, whilst fully acknowledging that times are very tough in the UK too. We must not forget Ukraine and its people, not forget their incredible fight on behalf of all of us. Military aid is, of course, crucial but we have seen at first-hand how “small acts of kindness and love” will, more than anything else, help Ukraine endure Putin’s cruel ferocity.

Kidogo Kidogo inakuma nying really can and is making a difference.

How you may be able to help

Thank you so much for reading this, we are so grateful for your interest, support and any help, on any scale, that you may be able to give. Help = Hope.

Please do kindly consider helping the initiatives detailed above and the very people you see in these photographs by:

– Sending donations directly to Siobhan’s Trust, www.siobhanstrust.uk (Charity No SC049842) – you can Gift Aid your donations this way. Please kindly reference “Kidogo”.

– Making a financial contribution through Jozef.

– Donating unspent holiday money – US dollars, Euros and Polish Zloty especially welcome which Jozef can get to where it is needed most in a matter of days.

– By donating goods – we now have a direct route into Ukraine for goods through Simon Morris Transport Ltd in York. Please see below the list of items desperately needed, all goods can be donated through Jozef, who will arrange delivery to York:

To give you an idea (our operation has zero overheads and 100% of any donation goes to helping the most vulnerable in Ukraine):

Donated items make all the difference too – a can of veggie soup for example will prompt a smile and feed a mother and child. A winter coat keeps a little one warm. A rugby ball or football will make a child (and adult) smile – guaranteed!

Thank you for your consideration and our next collections will be at:

Casterton Sedbergh Prep School Sports Pavilion on Sunday 30th October from 17.30 – 19.30 and Monday 31st October from 07.45 – 10.00

Or please kindly contact Jozef at any time, if he can pick up donations directly from you or your company, at jjmycielski@gmail.com or call 07796 691832..

Report written by Equestrian Team Manager, Mrs Faye Barker

Our Team of 18 horses and 15 riders, which is our biggest team yet, had the most successful and fantastic time at the National Schools Championships at Keysoe International.  We had Prep and Senior School riders competing at every height from 75cm to 1m 10cm and every discipline from Arena Eventing to Show Jumping to Dressage over 5 days.  The team camaraderie was quite special with everyone helping each other every step of the way. Our 95cm Arena Eventing Gold Team were crowned National Champions against many qualified teams with Kate S taking the Individual National title. We also had two other 95cm teams competing in the same class, which both finished in the top 8 in the UK with 5^th and 7^th place respectively, so we were absolutely delighted.  This shows the huge depth of talent to our team.  

Other top results include our 85cm Arena Eventing Team and Show Jumping Team which were both Reserve National Champions against approximately 45 qualified teams, so we just missed out on two more National titles.  The 75cm Mini Arena Eventing Team finished 4^th Nationally, our 1m Eventing Team came 6^th Nationally and our older riders gained top 8 individual places in the UK in the 1m 10.  Finally, our Dressage Team finished 3^rd Nationally with individual places in Prelim, Novice and Elementary tests. Our results were phenomenal and testament to everyone’s hard work all year gaining qualifications.

“Every single one of our 15 riders finished in the top 8 in a team or individually so came home with a rosette and legendary NSEA bucket.  We were so delighted about and made some special memories together.”  

Thank you to the Team behind the team which included parents, family, grooms and coaches who all made this happen. The Sedbergh spirit shone throughout with Team Dinners each night and everyone helping out at the stable yard. Thank you to Hamish H for his huge efforts in helping the organisers with stewarding for 5 days too. It was lovely to have the Head of Girls Games, Miss Leach, and the Robertson and Lupton Housemistress, Mrs Christy and Mrs Macdonald, to come down to support the team as well.  A real Sedberghian effort. 

Results over the 5 days

Day 1

• 75 cm Arena Eventing – 4^th    

Penny V, Harriet Ba and Olivia M

Day 2

85cm Arena Eventing (2 teams finished in the top 8 in UK)

• Reserve National Champions  – Gold Team: Millie JP, Penny V, Emilia B and Olivia M.

• 5^th – Brown Team: Elsie B, Emilia B, Kate S and Rosie W

85cm SJ – Reserve National Champions

• Emilia B, Georgia B, Olivia M, Elsie B

Day 3

95cm Arena Eventing (3 teams in top 8 in UK)

National Champions – Gold Team: Scarlett H, Kate S, Katie W and Emilia B

Brown Team: 5th : Emilia B, Kate S, Rosie W and Tamsin S

Navy Team: 7th:  Elsie B, Millie JP, Ted D, Olivia M.

95cm Arena Eventing Individual Results

National Champion – Kate S

3^rd – Emilia B

7^th – Scarlett H

Day 4

1m Arena Eventing – 6th:  Ella T, Kate S, Katie W and Scarlett H

1m Arena Eventing Individual Results:

3^rd – Kate S

1m 10 Arena Eventing Individual Results

3^rd – Kate S

4^th – Scarlett H

7^th – Ella T

Day 5

Dressage Team – 3rd

Emilia B, Rosie W and Hannah C

Dressage Individual Results

Prelim Dressage – 5^th Rosie W

Elementary – 6^th Rosie W

We are pleased to announce updates to several campus developments at the Prep School, all of which will further increase pupil opportunities across different curriculum areas.

The Sports Hall started the academic year with a new floor and has now welcomed three new cricket nets, meaning more children can train and have a go at cricket throughout the whole year, come rain or shine. Pupils have several opportunities to take part in cricket activities in the off-season including early morning hard ball training with Mr Bunday plus a lunchtime cricket club open to all and group sessions with Mr Speight, Head of Cricket and Mr Hart from the Senior School. Increasing our number of nets means we can welcome an increased amount of boys and girls to the group sessions and pass on the Sedbergh passion for cricket to even more children. The much anticipated basketball goals will be next to arrive, in the not too distant future.

Excavation has started behind the music block ready for the arrival and erection of the Play Barn later this month, ready for use in the Lent Term. This large, open-sided barn will be a fantastic addition to our excellent Pre-Prep stage, allowing the youngest pupils to take part in outdoor learning whatever the weather. In the warmer months, the barn will also provide an attractive and unique performance space.

Finally, Mr Newman was very excited to hear that the topographical survey has been undertaken this week for the planned mountain biking track, following a visit from a landscape architect. This weather-proof, professionally designed skills loop, to be located behind the stables, was made possible through fundraising by ‘The Friends of Sedbergh Prep School’ and the matching of these funds by the School. We look forward to the ground breaking ceremony in the not too distant future.

All of the Sedbergh School community tuned in early on Saturday morning to cheer on England in the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which featured Old Sedberghian Abbie Ward who started at Second Row for her 61^st international cap.

Girls aren’t keen on being on camera this early but we are up and watching and cheering on @AbbieWard93 and the Roses #inspiringthenextgeneration 🌹🤎⭐️🦋 pic.twitter.com/S6aMyzV6ZJ

— Robertson House (@Robertson_Sed) November 12, 2022

In front of a record crowd of 42,579 inside Eden Park, in Auckland, it was reigning champions New Zealand who edged an enthralling game 34-31 to become world champions for a sixth time in their history.

Abbie is a well-established member of the Red Roses side, featuring heavily throughout the tournament following a strong season for Bristol Bears, where her husband, Dave Ward, is Head Coach.

It was a special weekend for Sedberghians on the other side of the world, with two Old Sedberghians playing in two World Cup finals. The following day, OS Harry Brook contributed an important score of 20 runs to help England win the T20 World Cup in Melbourne, Australia.

With the World Cup being delayed a year, there is now a shorter wait until the 2025 World Cup, which will be on home soil for Abbie and England, something that Abbie can’t wait for saying;

“You dream about playing in a World Cup as a kid, but imagine playing in a home World Cup. That’s once in a life time.”

An interview with Justine Mahon, Nurse Manager for Sedbergh School & Sedbergh Prep School as featured in Independent Schools Magazine – May 2022

Justine Mahon, Nurse Manager at Cumbria’s Sedbergh School explains why she believes cardiac screening in young people is so important and why it’s always been a key element of Sedbergh’s commitment to maintaining the health and wellbeing of students…

“We’ve been working with Cardiac Risk in the Young’s [CRY] screening team since 2016 and over that 5-year period, I know that a number of students have been identified with a potentially serious problem which warranted further investigation. And that is exactly why we’re so committed to providing this service and, in my opinion, will continue to do so.

“The statistics are scary – 12 young people every week in the UK will die suddenly from an undiagnosed heart condition and in many of those cases there won’t have been any signs or symptoms. So, I believe it’s really important that our students are offered this simple and non-invasive test. Here at Sedbergh, we encourage our students to be active and involved in all aspects of school life, which is a really positive ethos – but we mustn’t forget that it’s also our role to inspire them to look after and value their health. Teenagers often lead very busy lives and perhaps think of themselves as somewhat ‘invincible’ when it comes to making time for their wellbeing, so ensuring that health checks, such as cardiac screening, is accessible to them is really key.”

One of the secrets to Sedbergh’s success in terms of screening uptake amongst its pupils aged 14 and above is that the school has a strong heritage of looking after the heart health of students.

Justine explains; “For many, many years, we’ve held a pretty challenging event, known as The Wilson Run – 10 miles across the Fells and tough terrain. We were fortunate to have a very progressive and knowledgeable GP based at our local medical practice (which boasts a separate section for the students of Sedbergh School) and from there, we were able to offer basic ECG testing for pupils taking part in the run. However, when that particular GP moved on from the Practice, we knew we wanted to continue with this vital provision, and that’s when we reached out to CRY. At around this time, a student also experienced a serious cardiac event, so we were left in no doubt that we had a responsibility to carry on offering annual screening for eligible students and that’s when our successful partnership with CRY began.

“I’ve been involved from the outset, and I have to say, it’s such a ‘slick set-up’. Schools just need to provide the venue and help with promoting the session to students but otherwise, CRY bring all the equipment and expertise – it couldn’t be easier.

“We’ve got to know the CRY team over the years and really look forward to them coming up, usually at the start of the Autumn term – and I like to think we make a real fuss of them! Both parents and pupils are now really aware of CRY and the benefits of cardiac screening in young people so there’s never an issue filling up the slots once booking opens. For the most part, the ECG testing service offers reassurance and peace of mind – but in the rare occasions when a potential problem is identified and a student is referred for further investigations, it really brings home to us all why cardiac screening is so important and why our efforts are so worthwhile.

“I would absolutely encourage other schools and Nurse Managers within the independent education sector to explore engaging with CRY’s screening service as a matter of priority. It’s an extremely well-run and efficient service and I really do believe we have a responsibility to protect and look after the heart health of our young people (and if I hear of any of our younger members of staff, aged under 35 who might have slipped through the net, then I encourage them to head over to the Medical Centre to be screened, too!”)

Let us introduce you to Core i5, the Year 7 and 8 computer build club at the Prep School. The members are all passionate about understanding computers and meet during break times in our Design, Technology and Engineering block, to strip and rebuild the machines. This term they have been looking at ways to improve the performance of computers and understanding the value of upgrading and changing individual components.

The group have been using spares and repairs from obsolete computers with an aim to build a gaming computer on which to run Microsoft Flight Simulator. They have mined second hand working parts, RAM, motherboard and graphics card from the old machines to build a gaming case complete with cooling fans. The team have problem solved to ensure compatibility between parts from various computers and have already discovered that they need to upgrade and replace an overheating graphics card in order to run the simulator game in high definition across three monitors.

Using a flight deck console from Sedbergh School and with help from the Head of DTE and Computer Science, Mrs Thompson and the IT Team, Core i5 have created a unique resource for pupils and staff on which to test their piloting skills. However they are not sitting still and are already planning upgrades to their computer in order to improve the user experience.

Our Computer Science Department and Core i5 are always looking for unused computers to use for their future activities. If you have any at home that are no longer in use please do contact Mrs Thompson at vet@sedberghprep.org