Flourishing@Wycombe: Community and Chapel
18 October 2021 - All
Community is at the heart of what we as humans need to flourish. Here at Wycombe Abbey, Chapel is at the heart of our community.
Our beautiful chapel building proudly stands at the centre of our campus for us all to walk past on our way to School each day. The building is a physical reminder of the role that Chapel plays in our lives and the life of our community, and how we can flourish here at Wycombe Abbey. Our latest Flourishing@Wycombe podcast is a conversation with Rev. Penny, our wonderful School Chaplain. You can listen to this and all previous episodes by clicking below.
Our time in Chapel embodies so much of what is important to us as a community. Since returning to School in September one of the great joys of the term has been the opportunity to gather together in Chapel, whether to hear a thought for the day or to sing together during assemblies, evensongs and whole School singing. Being gathered together in one place, sharing our experiences and joining in a communal activity is a wonderful way for us to boost our wellbeing and to flourish. The sound of the School as one voice brings with it a myriad of benefits and it is an important memory that pupils and staff treasure from their time at Wycombe Abbey.
The wellbeing benefits of Chapel extend even further into our community. We want each and every pupil to know that there is support for them in whatever direction they turn and our chaplaincy is an important part of this. This year, Mrs Julia Hyde joined Rev Penny as our Assistant Chaplain and pupils know that they can speak with them both about any issues with which they want support; they will always be a listening ear for them. The Chapel itself is a place where pupils can go in order to have a period of quiet reflection during their busy school lives; the ability to find times of tranquillity amongst the bustle of our every day is a wonderful opportunity to allow us to focus upon ourselves and our own ability to flourish.
Whilst our community is there to support us and help us to develop, our ability to reach out to others is also vitally important in allowing us to grow and to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be. Once again, Chapel is an important aspect of this part of School life. It is inextricably linked with our charity provision and our community service programmes. Whilst there are many ways in which our pupils give back to School and our wider community, the opportunity to take part in House and School charity events, and the lessons that we learn from these projects through our Chapel services, are important reminders to us all about the importance of giving, of service and of engaging with the wider community. This brings benefits not only to others but is also an important part of pupils’ own personal journeys.
Whilst we celebrate the importance of community this term as our Flourishing theme, I am sure all of us will reflect upon the importance of Chapel to our Wycombe Abbey community. It is somewhere that we all treasure whilst we are here at School and our memories of Chapel are held dear for many years afterwards.
Mr James Jones
Deputy Head (Pupils)