Shrewsbury School Wins National Award for Work with Local Charities

Shrewsbury School has won a national award for its work with local charities in the Education Choices Awards 2026.

At Shrewsbury School, charitable engagement is a defining pillar of its whole person approach to education. It is embedded in daily life School life and driven by a culture of “survival of the kindest”, inspired by famous Old Salopian Charles Darwin. Pupils are empowered to understand, engage with and actively respond to the needs of others, locally, nationally and globally.

Every Thursday, pupils take part in a structured volunteering programme, from Refugee Homework Club, to working with local organisations including FoodBank PLUS, Shrewsbury Hygiene Bank and family charity Little Stars. Alongside this, pupils are encouraged and supported to pursue their own charitable passions, leading initiatives from conservation in the UK and Africa to raising awareness for breast cancer.

Pupils build meaningful connections through regular visits to local care homes, where they design and lead activities that promote social connection and wellbeing among residents. A newer partnership with the Shrewsbury Hygiene Bank reflects the School’s responsiveness to local need, with pupils helping to sort and distribute essential hygiene products to families facing hardship.

Central to this work are long-standing, values-driven partnerships with organisations such as FoodBank PLUS, The Shewsy Youth Club and Restart Africa. These partnerships ensure that pupils develop a genuine understanding of the communities they support, moving beyond fundraising to meaningful, sustained engagement.

Shrewsbury’s Headmaster, Leo Winkley, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to receive this national recognition in the Education Choices Awards 2026 for our work with local charities.

"This award is a lovely validation of the dedication our pupils and staff bring to numerous local charities in Shropshire, and beyond.

“With Charles Darwin as a former Shrewsbury pupil, we often talk about 'Survival of the Kindest' at Shrewsbury and this award represents exactly that – our pupils contributing positively to the world around them as an integral part of whole person education done the Salopian way.”