Through its enduring partnership with Anglicare, St Andrew’s Cathedral School is providing students with meaningful opportunities to grow in empathy, care and service — most recently through a powerful musical performance honouring resilience and hope.
For more than 12 years, St Andrew’s Cathedral School has partnered with Anglicare to support vulnerable members of the community through service, fundraising and volunteering initiatives. Across that time, generations of students have learned that compassion is not simply taught in the classroom – it is lived through action, relationships and care for others.
This year, that enduring partnership took on a powerful new dimension through music.
At Anglicare’s annual gala dinner, 20 students from the School performed Janet’s Song, an original composition written in honour of Janet – a woman whose journey from homelessness to safe and permanent housing reflects the life-changing impact of community support.
The performance was a moving expression of empathy and service, bringing together the talents of students and the mission shared by both organisations: to care for those in need with dignity and hope.
Long before receiving support from Anglicare, Janet herself was serving others through volunteering at music festivals. Her love of music became the inspiration behind the collaboration, with songwriters Jon Reichardt and Will Small composing Janet’s Song specifically for Anglicare’s winter appeal.
For students at St Andrew’s Cathedral School, participating in the performance was more than a musical opportunity – it was an opportunity to grow in compassion, understanding and purpose. Through experiences like these, students are encouraged to see how their gifts and talents can positively impact the lives of others.
Assistant Head of Music Andrea Kuburic said the project reinforced an important lesson for students: “It’s not just entertainment, music itself can be an act of service.”
“It’s not just entertainment, music itself can be an act of service.”
The School’s long-standing relationship with Anglicare has included volunteering at Op Shop warehouses, clothing collections and fundraising initiatives, all of which help students develop a deeper awareness of social justice and community responsibility.
Head of Philanthropy & Fundraising at Anglicare, Veronika Peters, reflected on the significance of the moment: “The moment at the gala was special because it was the fruit of a much longer partnership. We can’t wait to see how these young people continue to serve through their gifts.”
“The moment at the gala was special because it was the fruit of a much longer partnership. We can’t wait to see how these young people continue to serve through their gifts.”
As the partnership continues to grow, opportunities like this remind students that service can take many forms – through practical support, generosity, creativity and the simple act of standing alongside others with compassion and care.
Janet’s Song is now available on major music platforms and continues to raise awareness and support for women over 55, one of the fastest-growing groups at risk of homelessness in Australia.
