As a school, we have been involved with The Business Forum since its inception. We have always seen ourselves as being a central part of the wider Chipping Campden community. Our school has a long history associated with Chipping Campden, going right back to 1440. Throughout that time, the school has grown and changed with the town.

Many generations from the same families have been educated at Chipping Campden School, whilst all newcomers to the area have quickly found themselves a very welcomed addition to the school and the town itself.

Schools by their nature play an important part in any community. It is where parents send their children to become educated, to help them in their wider development, and to enable them to eventually pursue a meaningful and fulfilling career.

Schools have an enormous responsibility to every young person who comes through our doors. There is a real determination to ensure every student has the skills to access the world of work and engage in a career upon leaving our establishment.

That career often takes our students into positions of employment within the wider Chipping Campden area.  More times, students leave the area, but return at a future date. We are very proud of the fact that our school is a direct representation of the area we live in.  As the North Cotswolds continues to grow in terms of size, our school has also seen growth in terms of student numbers.  Just like our Community, we have a population from a wide range of backgrounds.   We pride ourselves on being a very inclusive school where a warm welcome is extended to all.  All students are encouraged to take an active part in their education, with our motto being to “Inspire Empower Excel”.

We hold our responsibilities towards the wider Chipping Campden area very seriously.

As a result, it makes perfect sense to sponsor The Community Award.

The CO-OP being presented with the Community Award by Loyd Grossman and John Sanderson, Principal of Chipping Campden School, at the 2021 awards ceremony.

This Award allows The Business Forum to honour the business or person who has made a real contribution towards the community we live in.  Ultimately, we are all dependent on other people, and local businesses, to help us.  There is a real pride for anyone in being in a position to be able to help people.  Being able to help others in our community comes from a wide range of sources.  As well as the importance of the Voluntary and Public Sector, there is also a need to recognise that profit making businesses also make a real difference to our community’s quality of life.

Reading through the many entries last year gave us a real sense of pride.  It really emphasised just what a wide and varied business community we have here in Chipping Campden.  It also helps Chipping Campden School to associate ourselves with an award that fits in perfectly with what we strive to be.  We strive to remain a key part of the wider community. We always aim to play as big a role as possible in terms of helping our wider area benefit from new generations of well rounded and educated young people.  These are young people who are then able to take their place in our community whether as residents, employees, or business owners.  We all benefit from living in an area where everyone within the community makes a positive and active contribution.  By sponsoring an award, it allows us to associate our name with a Business which has earned the right to be the winner of The Community Award.

Main image: Cidermill Theatre – the school’s new multi-purpose facility opening in autumn 2022.