More than just a school motto, By Love Serve is infused into the ethos of life at St Cuthbert’s and after 104 years the concept still has relevance and currency for our students and Old Girls.

Regardless of when we went to St Cuthbert’s, By Love Serve means something important to us. We have all been taught to recognise how fortunate we are and that we each have a responsibility to give back to our community. We know the importance of By Love Serve and also of Faith, Hope and Love.

We leave St Cuthbert’s with faith in a positive future, whatever path we choose to take, and knowledge that life is a wonderful adventure. We know that service is as important as leadership and that empathy for others and love for the people around us will make a different to our world and our communities.

“By Love Serve is more than a motto; it is a proverb for all of life’s stages. It serves in times of joy and in times of tribulation. At its heart is selflessness. It is to help others without expectation of gratitude or reward. It is to serve others without the feeling of subservience. It leaves no room for the vanity of grandstanding. Instead it gives a profound meaning to life and brings quiet joy, deep satisfaction and purpose.” Margaret Merilees

“Whilst at school, I could never have imagined just how relevant the sentiment behind By Love Serve would become to how I see the world and what my values in life are. To me, By Love Serve is about keeping respect, integrity and empathy as guiding principles in my words and actions. It’s about choosing to adopt a mindset of gratitude and recognising that we all have the capacity to give in different ways. Generosity and kindness cost us nothing, but their impact can be priceless to those on the receiving end.” Simran Saseve-Dale