With current COVID restrictions, our boarders have been unable to leave the School for activities they usually would do every week, for example going shopping in Guildord and to Sainsbury’s in Godalming. Without these shopping trips, boarders have been missing this fun bonding time with their friends and even the ‘normal’ experience of going to the supermarket. This lead to the brainwave that, if King Edward’s pupils couldn’t go to the supermarket, the supermarket could come to King Edward’s.
The idea was first brought forward by Lower Sixth pupil Kokoro, who has been boarding at King Edward’s since 3rd Form. When we met with Kokoro, she explained how much she used to love going on trips to the local Sainsbury’s with the other girls in Elizabeth House to buy snacks, toiletries and anything else she may have needed. This kind of shopping had to moved online, and Kokoro found she and her fellow boarders were really missing the experience of the trips.
Thinking about how to get around this, Kokoro decided to see if there was a way to bring Sainsbury’s to School. With the help of Elizabeth Housemistress Miss Condy and Queen Mary’s House Housemaster Mr Gardner, they started planning ‘Bringing the Supermarket to KES’. The aim was to hold an event that would create a “happy kind of place to have fun even on weekends when we’re stuck in School”, said Kokoro. It was a real test of teamwork with Miss Condy helping to pick up the Click and Collect order in the school minibus, an extra “supermarket sweep” by Mrs Davies, and Facility Manager, Mrs Lloyd’s, team helping move several tables in Piccadilly. Finally, on Saturday 14th November, the “KES” supermarket was ready to open just a little after a week the idea was first mooted.
The supermarket opened at 2pm, and offered everything from sweet treats and fizzy drinks, to pot noodles and pasta sauce, to crisps and fruit. To ensure that current COVID-19 guidelines were followed, each House had a half an hour slot for the pupils in their bubbles to come and browse, all staff running the supermarket wore masks and gloves while setting up and selling, and all payments were made via card.
‘Bringing the Supermarket to King Edward’s’ is due to continue every weekend until the end of the current UK lockdown. For information and the rota for each week, pupils should please check their emails or their Housemaster or Housemistress.
