St Mary’s Students Support Pupils Parliament Action Day at Strawberry Hill House

BA Physical and Sports Education (PSE) students at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, supported a Pupil Parliament Action Day held at Strawberry Hill House on Thursday 26^th March. The PSE students led workshops for local Year 6 pupils inspired by former Strawberry Hill House resident Horace Walpole’s passion for country dancing, walking in his beloved gardens and watching cricket. The traditional ‘Strawberries and Cream’ country-dance was taught in the gallery of the house and activities based around cricket skills were held in the grounds. The children were also involved in designing a walking circuit around the restored historic garden and woodland trail in the grounds, which will become a Richmond Health Walk. The Pupil Parliament is a Richmond Borough initiative set up in 1997 for school children, which gives an elected body of Year 6 pupils the opportunity to discuss issues that interest them and contribute their views to the borough. When the Pupil Parliament last met, pupils from each school presented ideas on how to advise head teachers on promoting sport for all in the borough, as well as raising the profile of healthy lifestyles. The Action Day gave them the opportunity to explore how young people can achieve this aim. Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture and Sport for Richmond upon Thames Council Councillor Meena Bond said, “I was totally bowled over with the enthusiasm of the children and commitment of the students from St Mary’s.” PSE Graduate Assistant and MA Pedagogy and Professional Practise in PE Student Jess Boyd, who organised St Mary’s involvement, said, “The excellent work from St Mary’s PSE students along with the Strawberry Hill House staff and volunteers allowed the day to run like clockwork. All involved in the planning and running of the day have received extremely positive feedback from the 40 schools involved. Well done to all those who captured the imagination of the 50 year six pupils that came on the day, showing them a variety of ways to make ‘sport accessible for all’.”