Sixth formers from Bruton School for Girls have just returned from spending five weeks in India, teaching English and helping in a local school and orphanage.
Joybells’ is an orphanage and school foundation based just outside Dehradun in the foothills of the Himalayas.
It was founded and set up by a woman called Joy in 1983, to care for and educate children whose mothers were labourers or destitute and could not care for them.
Originally located in Gangtok, Joybells grew to become a school for 400 children and an orphanage for 50. The rural location of the original orphanage made its day-to-day running very hard, so in 2000 the orphanage and the school moved to its current home of Dehradun.
The girls from Bruton School gave up their summer break to visit ‘Joybells’ and learn about the life and culture of India, to experience what it is like to give time and energy to others and to pass on knowledge they have had the privilege of receiving.
The school trip was organised by Andy Reid, Head of Geography, and was the second visit for the school but the fourth for Andy. “I first visited this amazing place in 2010 after seeing a lecture about the orphanage, and with the help of some funding from the Parent and Staff Association we arranged a school trip the following year,” said Andy. 
“It has been such a humbling experience to once again visit this amazing place. This trip has been exceptional with the added bonus of having the opportunity to work with street and slum children in Dehradun. I hope that we have been able to add value and enrich the girls’ education with such an experience that will stay with them forever.”
Joybells runs on the principle that we should all grow up to be good human beings whatever our faith, and as such accepts children of all faiths. It aims to give children a home and education – equipping them for life.
Bruton School for Girls is passionate about education and believes in offering every girl a well-rounded education in an environment with the space to inspire, challenge, encourage and support to develop her full potential to become the amazing person she can be…. the Joybells experience aims to do exactly that! Visit www.brutonschool.co.uk for further information.