SECTION – Strap here
AGENDA – We did it!
‘One carriage is going to be the library, the other will be a wellbeing space’
T
he headteacher probably thought I was crazy when
I told her we should get a train for school. I just need your blessing, I said, and I’ll start chasing the dream. I had no plan and no money, but we needed the space. Our school was built for 90 children and now has 150. Through connections at Network
The best fundraiser was the loose change day. It was bonkers – we raised £1,000
bookshelf generated £300. Non-uniform days and break the rules days were successful too. The best fundraiser was the loose change
day (actually three days). We asked the children to bring in a couple of pennies they’d found down the back of the sofa or something from their piggy banks. The class that raised the most was awarded a non-uniform day. It was bonkers – we raised around £1,000. Our project manager contacted Taziker,
an engineering company who agreed to do all the groundwork, including laying the foundations and the track for free. It saved us £1,000s. Network Rail have given their knowledge and skill completely free, too. To get the carriages on to site, we had to
take out some bushes, cut down a tree and remove the school gates in preparation for their arrival. It’s early days, but we hope to get as much
of the renovation as possible done for free through sponsorship. We have arranged for college students studying to be electricians, plumbers and carpenters to help as it will be a good experience for them, too. Sarah Yeoland, teaching assistant, Upshire Primary Foundation School, Waltham Abbey, Essex (228 pupils)
pta.co.uk AUTUMN 2022 15
Rail, we managed to secure two carriages. One is going to be the library and the other will become a wellbeing space. We got a construction company on board early on. They supplied a project manager and spoke to other contractors who’ve helped with fencing, landscaping, electrical and mechanical work. Hitachi also sent a team of people to strip the carriages. This is all outside my comfort zone – I’m the school secretary – but once the project started, I had to get my head in gear. It feels like I’ve dropped a pebble in the water and the ripples created are greater
than I could have imagined. Climate Action North raised money for us to put solar panels on the roof and we’ve been supported by the National Lottery – a major learning curve for me to put a bid together. We also set up a Go Fund Me page. At school we’ve held a reindeer dash and elf dash, each raising around £2,500, which the pupils loved. Every week we have Cookie
Tuesday when I use the school meals contractor’s recipe to bake cookies which I sell for 50p each. When I take the trays down on a Tuesday morning, you can hear the ripple of excitement around the school: ‘Ooh, it’s Cookie Tuesday.’ We raise £1,000 a term. This project is going to create such a special place for our children. We call the carriages Dare to Dream and so far it’s been quite a journey. Lesley Smith, school secretary, Kirk Merrington Primary School, County Durham (150 pupils)
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