As part of our recent Notre Dame Week, our staff and students organised a variety of charitable activities, as well as a student-led service.
All our tutor groups competed to see who could collect the most items for the St Vincent’s Centre foodbank in Leeds. They thought about the food most needed, such as breakfast cereals, tea bags, tinned fruit and vegetables, rice, and pasta sauce.
The winning tutor group received free hash browns from our canteen. Congratulations to Pauline Trusselle’s group L6F9-PTR3, led by lower sixth student rep Aparna Syam, pictured below.
Two other tutor groups put together such lovely food hampers that our Head of Catholic Life Catherine Herring brought them each a box of biscuits.
On Notre Dame Day, the college sports teams captains hosted a Fun Sports Skills Team ND Challenge. This included a penalty shoot out, cross bar challenge, basketball free throw challenge, table tennis targets, a netball challenge, and many more. The overall winner was awarded a Team ND Hoody. This event was in aid of the Rob Burrows MND charity, with a suggested 50p donation to enter. £59 was raised.
On the same day, a group of thoughtful and determined students led a service in our chapel. Aimee Dixon sang In Christ Alone, Cornelius Shepherd told those gathered the story of the order of Notre Dame de Namur, and Michael Anyoka read from the Gospel of Luke. This was followed by Vanessa Freitas Do Espirito Santo who commented on the scripture, then a prayer from Annabel James, and finally Aimee sang again.
Thank you to all staff and students who made this such a week to remember, and ensured that our celebrations reflected Notre Dame’s Catholic ethos.