Why service matters: Stu Oliver on humility, character and giving back
Service is often thought of as something pupils do. At Sedbergh, it is something they become.
As Assistant Head (Co-Curricular), Mr. Stu Oliver leads the Service strand of the Front Four, Sedbergh’s framework for personal growth. Built around the School’s value of Humility, Service encourages pupils to look beyond themselves, contribute to their communities and understand that privilege brings responsibility.
In this SED Talk, Stu reflects on why service is embedded in everyday life at Sedbergh, how it shapes character long after pupils leave School, and why the most meaningful acts of service are often the ones no one hears about.
The Service strand of the Front Four is closely linked to our value of Humility. We want our pupils to understand that making a difference isn’t about recognition or being the “big I am”. It’s about giving your time, your effort and your energy because it’s the right thing to do.
When pupils experience that for themselves, they discover that helping others is rewarding in its own right. Service becomes less about completing an activity and more about developing a mindset: contributing because you want to, not because you’re expecting something in return.
We hope that mindset becomes part of who our pupils are, so that when they leave Sedbergh they continue to contribute positively to their universities, workplaces and communities throughout their lives.
Being at Sedbergh is a privilege, and with that privilege comes responsibility. Our pupils have access to extraordinary opportunities, but we also want them to understand that they have a responsibility to look beyond themselves.
Service encourages pupils to step outside their comfort zones, develop humility and recognise that there is a wider world beyond the School gates. Whether that’s within our local community or through international projects, we want them to understand that they can make a meaningful difference.
It isn’t an optional extra. Service is embedded in everyday life at Sedbergh, so every pupil has the opportunity to contribute, whether they’re here for five years or joining us for a single term. Giving back is simply part of what it means to be a member of our community.
Service strengthens the relationship between Sedbergh and the community around us. One of the things I value most is seeing our pupils recognised not for what they achieve, but for how they contribute.
During Challenge Week this year, pupils worked alongside the local Parish Council on community projects. Afterwards, we received a lovely email thanking them for everything they had done. For me, that’s exactly what success looks like.
We want local people to see Sedbergh as part of the community, not separate from it. If people look at our pupils and think, “Those are good young people who genuinely care about their community,” then I think we’ve achieved something worthwhile.
The important thing is that we don’t do it for praise or recognition. We do it because contributing to the community is simply the right thing to do.
Service is something we want to grow across the Sedbergh Schools Group. As the Group develops, there are some exciting opportunities for schools to work together and learn from one another.
One of the things I’m particularly looking forward to is creating opportunities for our older pupils to work alongside younger children across the Group. Whether that’s through leadership, outdoor learning or community projects, our pupils can become role models while helping younger children discover the value of contributing to others.
The projects themselves will look different depending on the age of the pupils. Many of the opportunities available to Senior School pupils, such as volunteering in care homes or supporting local primary schools, naturally require older students. But the principle remains the same: helping young people understand that they can make a positive difference to the communities around them.
That’s something we want to develop together as the Sedbergh Schools Group continues to grow.
My belief in service started long before I came to Sedbergh. I went to a day school where giving back was an important part of school life, and it was something my parents encouraged as well. When I left school, I was honoured to receive the Bolton Award for Contribution to the Community, and that inspired me to keep volunteering.
At university, I continued working with charities, and when I joined Sedbergh I naturally carried that with me. Over the years, fundraising and community projects have become part of every tour I’ve been involved with. Whether supporting local communities in South Africa and Kenya or working with charities here in the UK, I’ve seen first-hand how powerful service can be, both for the people receiving support and for the young people giving it.
It’s something I’m genuinely passionate about because I know the impact it can have. I get a huge sense of reward from working with charities, and I hope our pupils discover that same feeling for themselves.
The most inspiring acts of service are often the ones you hear about long after they’ve happened. One of the things I love most is discovering what our pupils have quietly gone off and done without expecting any recognition.
A few months ago, three girls were recognised in assembly after raising £20,000 for charity through a 24-hour challenge. I had no idea they had been doing it. They hadn’t been posting about it online or looking for attention; they had simply got on with it because they believed in the cause.
Moments like that make me wonder how many other pupils are doing similar things during the holidays without anyone knowing. For me, that’s exactly what we’re trying to achieve. We want service to become part of who our pupils are, not something they only do because school asks them to.
When I hear that a former pupil has spent part of their university holiday volunteering, or that a family tells me their son or daughter has quietly raised money for a cause they care about, I know we’ve succeeded. Service has become part of their everyday life, and that’s exactly what we hope they take with them long after they leave Sedbergh.