This is the line that I used when speaking to my daughter before she went to stay with her grandmother in the Easter holidays. She looked at me in a slightly confused way, wondering what I meant and why it was important. I explained that it comes from a line my father always used to say to me: “Whoever we’re with and whatever you are doing, we should try and add value”. I think this particularly applies when we are with those that need extra support. There is a of course a simple level of support, making a cup of tea etc, but there is also ‘going the extra mile’ to try and make a genuine difference – eg helping out with chores around the house or taking on tasks that they may find difficult.
I think this is something that can also apply to the school community. As we are constantly hearing through the media, the world is in a place of challenge on many levels. If we were all to try and go the extra step towards making a difference, however small, our world would certainly improve. The converse is to sit and wait for things to get better for us. Really at the heart of this is an encouraging call for us all to be givers rather than takers!