As the summer holiday looms, and another cohort of Shiplake pupils turn 18, a fun-filled few weeks is certainly on the cards. However, with that comes the need to be responsible, and aware of one’s actions. Head of PSHE Mrs Sarah Krause is keen to impart to Sixth Formers the gravity of their decisions, and organised two talks from external speakers to underline these points on Wednesday 15 June. Henry Maybury, accompanied by his mother Sally, visited the Sixth Formers to discuss alcohol addiction, and Abigail Wycherley visited to discuss violence against women and girls.
Henry’s story is an inspiring one; struck down at the young age of 14 with debilitating arthritis, dreams of a successful sports career were fading fast. However, with a keen interest and talent in music, Henry turned his attention to that, focusing on writing songs that spoke of his personal experiences. With a flourishing career in that, tragedy struck in another area of Henry’s life; his older brother, Tom, died of an alcohol-related illness. This motivated Henry to pursue song-writing with a renewed fervour; eager to spread the word of the consequences of alcohol addiction, and pay homage to his brother’s perseverance in the battle. Henry penned the song Lost Days, which has garnered over a million views on YouTube. All of the money made from the song has been sent to rehabilitation charities and support groups. Alongside this incredible feat, Henry now visits schools and prisons to discuss his experiences and his brother’s battle. Tom’s story was a sad, and poignant, one: he lost his job, driving license and confidence, drinking up to 40 pints a day. Tom’s mother, Sally, also spoke on the subject; she warned of the dangers of an unseen illness. Having someone young and relatable speaking to them about the potential dangers of alcohol was inspiring for the Shiplake Sixth Formers; sharing his story through words and music proved incredibly effective.
Abigail Wycherley, from the Oxfordshire County Council, visited in the afternoon, to talk about respect. This is a very topical issue; the view of men and women, and expected roles of each in society, is a prevalent issue. Inextricably tied to this is violence and abuse; Abi, as part of her role with the council, visits schools and colleges to discuss Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Despite the title, Abi made it clear to the pupils that she was discussing issues which affected men just as much. It wasn’t an easy topic to tackle by any means: domestic abuse, rape and consent and forces marriages were just some of the issues raised. The Shiplake Sixth Formers were respectful and attentive, getting involved with discussions and noting how these issues affect them in their everyday life. Abi was superb, dealing with the issues with integrity and involving the Sixth Formers well.
Mrs Krause was pleased with how the discussions had gone, commenting: ‘the pupils were brilliant, and I’m really impressed with how involved they were with the conversations. They appreciated the gravity of what we were discussing, and wanted to understand more about each issue. Thank you to our speakers for coming in and giving such well-received talks.’
You can see more from Henry Maybury here.