Some schools encourage their pupils to help in the community outside the school. This is often offered as an alternative to sport, CCF etc for senior pupils – occasionally it is compulsory, sometimes it is incorporated in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. School community service involves a variety of activities – visiting old people (talking to them, entertaining them, doing odd jobs such as decorating or gardening), helping in local primary schools, and sometimes more demanding work with eg special needs children or training and volunteering with the St John’s Ambulance Service. A handful of schools take it much further and organise local emergency services such as mountain rescue and fire fighting.