It nearly didn't happen - Shropshire community spirit saves primary school's end-of-year colour run after last minute hitch
Rallying efforts by a local community ensured that an end-of-year colour run at a Shropshire primary school went ahead after it had to be cancelled due to a paint delivery that failed to arrive.
School is officially out for summer, and to celebrate, Much Wenlock Primary School decided to end the academic year with a colour run.
Coloured paint was ordered well in advance for the celebratory event. However, with weeks to go, staff were left scrambling when the supplies didn’t show up.
With no response from the business from which it had been ordered and with the colour run looming, headteacher at the primary school, Rachel Howell-James, was forced to take the difficult decision to cancel the event last Monday (July 14).
However, thanks to the response and generosity of parents of pupils and the local community, the school was able to source the required coloured paint, and the colour run went ahead as planned.
Mrs Howell-James said: "It’s definitely been a bit of fun!
"We are really community-focused here at our school, and we like to end the year with something really fun. I’m a new leader here, so there have been lots of changes at the school, and it was Year 6’s last day so we wanted to end the year on a high.
"We ordered the paint a long time ago. But, when it didn’t arrive a few weeks ago we contacted the relevant business phoning and emailing constantly, but they never got back to us and the paint didn’t arrive.
"Last Monday, I had to unfortunately send a letter out to parents saying that the event was cancelled.
"However, from that point, our wonderful community got together and found an overnight freight service to get the paint. And in order to make sure that we weren’t out of pocket, the wonderful DLM Electrical Maintenance and a parent have donated to the school.
"The event was the culmination of such a great community coming together."
The event, that took place on the school's grounds on Friday (July 18), saw pupils and staff doused in clouds of colour, in what was a joyful end to the school year that almost didn't happen.
For Year 6 pupils, including Sam Parkes, partaking in the colour run with fellow pupils and staff was their final act at the school.
He said: "I have loved how everyone at the school has supported me. I have been at the school for nine years since nursery and all the staff have been so helpful and kind."
