A primary school that had dozens of windows smashed by vandals has received a makeover to prepare it for the new school year.
A total of 45 volunteers helped to repaint Church Hill school in Barnet – and each earned themselves designer jewellery in return, under a groundbreaking scheme designed to reward good deeds.
In May, The Standard revealed how Church Hill had been twice targeted by vandals, causing £200,000 of damage, while its sister school, Brunswick Park, suffered four attacks.
Lauren Scott-Harris, founder of Earnt, an organisation that links brands with an “army of volunteers”, said the Standard’s story “stopped me in my tracks” and was a “bleak kind of low”.
She said: “Reading about a primary school being repeatedly vandalised—essentially targeted for gang initiation—was heartbreaking.
“And while insurance might cover the physical damage, the emotional toll on staff and students can’t be patched up with money.”
She got in touch with Jo Porter, head of school at Church Hill, and offered to help. Earnt’s aim is to connect people who want to help with the places and people who need it most.
On Sunday, a team of Earnt volunteers arrived, and set about repainting the school’s communal areas.
Though insurance covered the cost of replacing the smashed windows, the internal redecoration was something the school could not afford due to the cost of providing round-the-clock security to prevent another vandalism attack.
Ms Porter said the help from Earnt and its volunteers had been a huge help. “I feel like they are angels,” she told The Standard.
She said: “The school looks so clean and bright. Our very sad-looking and tired magnolia walls are now a lovely clean white.”
She added: “It’s a nice thing to know there are really good people out there. We have been affected by some not very nice people, but we have also been affected in a beautiful way by some lovely people who were prepared to get up early on a Sunday morning and came to help us.”
The jewellery firm Mejuri offered to provide the “ETY” – the earned thank you – that is provided to volunteers who agree to take part in community tasks organised by Earnt.
This meant that each helper received a pair of pearl earrings for their efforts on Sunday.
Ms Scott-Harris, who was accompanied by co-founder Lavina Liyanage, said: “We rolled up our sleeves, cranked up some country music, and painted everything in sight.
“It felt like hitting reset. At the end, everyone got a beautiful pair of Mejuri pearl earrings. Not because anyone was in it for the reward—but because sometimes a little recognition goes a long way.
“A reminder that they’re the kind of people who get up early on a Sunday to help strangers.
“We knew our community would feel as we did and really want to show up for this school in particular.”
Earnt was launched three years ago. It enables people to unlock exclusive rewards from brands—tickets, discounts, VIP access—only by giving time to their local communities.
“It was symbolic more than anything—saying to the staff and students: you matter, and your community has your back,” Ms Scott-Harris said. “But it totalled 200 hours of work, so we did make a tangible impact.”
