On Wednesday 22 June, ten Year 11 Harrow Hong Kong students arrived in London for the third annual Harrow School Leadership Conference. After meeting all the other delegates from Harrow Bangkok, John Lyon School and Harrow School, students were given a tour of the historic school campus and an introduction to the main theme of the conference, ‘Volunteering.’
There was an inspirational talk by Hugo Chittenden, an Old Harrovian who spoke about his many volunteering projects around the world, that have taken him to Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines and Haiti to provide much needed help to communities. The students clearly valued his advice as he helped each group with their project ideas. He offered great insight into not only logistical requirements for charity work but also the passion and dedication that is required to make truly effective change. Dr Isis Dove Edwin, a governor of Harrow School, spoke about ‘Everyday Leadership’, addressing the advantages of shared leadership and the importance of a leader developing and demonstrating core values. On the final evening, Old Harrovian Jamie Sparks also spoke about his courageous ocean rowing experiences across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
As well as inspirational talks and leadership workshops, delegates also had the opportunity to develop their leadership and teamwork skills at Yellowfoot Lodge in Slough, taking part in some fun activities. With the sun shining, everyone showed enthusiasm and team work throughout, culminating in the finale that involved catapulting water bombs at a moving target. Some people did get a little wet!
At the weekend there was a chance for the delegates to relax and enjoy two very famous English past times: cricket and theatre. On the Saturday afternoon, they watched the Harrow versus Eton cricket match at Lord’s followed by The Phantom of the Opera in the evening. On the Sunday, everyone visited Oxford, where they were given guided tours of Oriel College and St Peter’s College, providing further insights into University life.
The conference was an intense five days with a varied and enriching programme that has given all the delegates a lot to think about and ideas that they can apply in the next few years as they develop their leadership skills further. Many thanks to Harrow School for organising such an enjoyable conference.