Caring for our carers
As part of our Service Learning program, we are always on the lookout for local community groups who need an extra helping hand, and in 2024 we are proud to begin working with the Warwick Branch of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRGWA).
“As a natural evolution of Service Learning, in recent years we have been helping out grandparents we’ve contacted through local churches. It was clear that our students can make a real difference to the lives of local grandparents, so we’ve sought out other ways to connect to people who could use some extra help around their homes,” said Service Learning Coordinator, Stephen Meagher.
“I discovered the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren group in 2023 and found the local branch was in real need of help, and after contacting Branch President, Loryn Cummings we’ve been able to set up a working relationship beginning in 2024.”
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is a peer-led organisation, established by volunteers in 1998 to support grandparent carers to provide an environment that nurtures their grandchildren. Sometimes children are unable to live with their parents for a variety of reasons so many grandparents take on the role of primary carers.
We were fortunate to catch Loryn and her colleague, Warwick Branch Vice President Carolyn Sackville for their thoughts about our new partnership.
“Grandchildren living with family is very important to give a sense of belonging and GRGWA allows children to realise there’s lots of kids living with Nan and Pop,” said Carolyn.
But it’s not always easy for grandparents to step back into the role of parent.
“There are many challenges for our members. For some, health issues crop up and parenting takes a lot of energy! Then there’s also the issue of income as many are retired or have to give up full time employment,”
“There’s also social isolation as well as a lack of knowledge of technology,” added Loryn.
GRGWA membership is growing weekly with more than 300 Grandcarers and at least 600 children in their full-time care.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming students from St Stephen’s School to GRGWA. This service will allow Grandcarers to have a treat, given to them by students from St Stephen’s,” said Carolyn.
Year 10 student, Olivia Robinson, is looking forward to helping out with GRGWA.

“As a student interested in Service Learning, I am extremely excited to work with Grandparents Raising Grandkids. This partnership makes it easy to help many more people around our community, which is, of course, amazing, and could also do a lot in teaching the students here about compassion towards the elderly, as well as the best ways to help their own grandparents and the older people in their own lives. It truly is very inspirational, and I cannot wait to see the effect of GRGWA on the community with my own eyes, as well as the effect on my own peers,” said Olivia.
“GRGWA is a cause that, personally, speaks to me a lot, and as a Service Learning student, I believe that this is a brilliant opportunity to get into the community and be a bit more practical with helping the people around us. This could help or somehow positively affect so many people, whether they be the “Grandparent” or the “Grandkid”. I am both interested, and invested, and cannot wait for the opportunity to work with this organisation.”
Our Service Learning program is quite clearly core to Oliva’s experience of school.
“Service Learning is full of wonderful opportunities to help and to learn. I consider myself very privileged to be part of the Service Learning program and am constantly excited for whatever could happen next. There are such a variety in things you can do to help, from sandwich-making in homeroom, to going to Salvos in Year 7 and the various activities you can complete throughout the year, the “Serving One Another” aspect of our motto has never been truer,” said Olivia.
We’re excited to begin what we hope will be a long-term working relationship with GRGWA and look forward to sharing some stories of our students in the coming months.