Heritage@Herschel Girls School

Community Service (1952-1982)

During the 1950s, the community service at Herschel consisted mainly of monetary contributions to organisations in the community. This aimed to uplift and improve the lifestyles of those less privileged living, in Cape Town. The Charities Committee and Fund-Raising Committee were established specifically for this purpose. These two committees were designed to raise funds which went to the community in the form of donations to charities. Funds were raised through fêtes, shows and performances. The money would first go to the Herschel Charity Fund and from there, would have been divided and donated.

The girls improved their people skills through projects like The Citizenship Course which was held at Wynberg Girls’ High School. This aimed to equip girls with the tools to become actively involved in community service initiatives. Herschel girls were actively involved in this programme during the 1950s.

The most remarkable charities supported by Herschel girls during this time were the 1955 Children’s Day Fête, the numerous school-feeding schemes for underprivileged schools, the 1958 Helpers to Newlands Fête, service to St. Saviour’s Church, the SPCA and various soup kitchens and children’s homes. This prompted the establishment of the Barnardo Helpers’ League which was another community service initiative which aimed to raise funds for worthy causes.

During the 1960s, the continuation of the Herschel Charity Fund ensured the continued support of charities recognised by Herschel prior to this decade. The growing support of Herschel girls was shown through the increased amount of money raised for the fund which enabled Herschel to include charities such as Cape Mental Health, Save the Children Fund, Child Life and Peninsula School Feeding Scheme to the list of charities in the Herschel Charity Fund.

The Chapel Committee became more involved in this as they began to find innovative ways of raising money such as cake sales run by the girls themselves. Volunteer work included helping out at the annual St Saviour’s Fête and the introduction of home nursing classes which enabled girls to volunteer at the SA Red Cross Society.

Being a Christian establishment, Herschel recognised their spiritual ties with the community and the 1968 Herschel Magazine reported, “We have special privilege and therefore we have a special obligation to (serve) the community.” In addition to this, the Barnardo Helpers’ League organised events such as the Barnardo Prayers to pray for the daily problems people living in underprivileged communities faced.

By 1972, the Herschel Charity Fund donated money to the Bantu Scholars Fund, the St Mary’s Mission, Cafda and the Peninsula School Feeding Scheme. In 1972, the Social Responsibility Club was started which paved the way for the modern forms of community service at Herschel as it aimed to increase the direct interaction between Herschel girls and the community. It aimed to bring joy to underprivileged communities in as many ways possible.

By the end of the 1970s, the most significant growth of charity initiatives in community service at Herschel was the Social Responsibility Club, the Home Building Fund, the Herschel Charity Fund and the involvement of Herschel girls in the Community Chest.

By the beginning of the 1980s, the community service at Herschel had reached a turning point: Herschel girls had begun to accept their social responsibility by interacting and communicating directly with the community and the charities that were part of the Herschel Charity Fund. It became less impersonal and more about the relationships built through community service.