The Dan Philip's Award

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The Dan Phillips Award was set up in memory of a Tower House old boy and is open to all Year 8 boys.  During their last year in School boys are encouraged to undertake and experience a variety of new situations and challenges which might include taking up a new hobby, theatre visits and backstage tours, helping on a regular basis in Junior School classrooms, coaching at a local club to which they belong, planning and running fundraising activities and assemblies, or collecting for a flagday.  The year culminates with their residential trip to Skern Lodge outward bound centre where they build rafts, canoe, surf, abseil and climb high ropes.

 

A significant element of the Award is work in the wider Community.  For four years we have been involved with the Environment Trust of Richmond Upon Thames (ETRUT) on their monthly Saturday morning working parties.  Parents and boys from Tower House join other volunteers at a variety of locations around the Borough. They undertake general clearance, removal of Japanese Knotweed, willow spiling on the banks of the River Thames near Kew, garden maintenance at Kilmorey Mausoleum and Grove Chapel, build nesting rafts for swans and help with river cleanups.  The boys not only learn new skills of using tools but also the satisfaction of giving their time and physical effort to tasks and to working alongside adults.  Such is the enthusiasm for the work that one yeargroup clocked up 600 volunteer hours between September and July.  Last year through their sale of 'hoodies' two Year 8 boys raised over £500 which was shared between Help for Heroes and ETRUT.

 

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