School fundraisers hit £10k target in just a year

When fundraisers supporting a rural Shropshire primary school were set a £10,000 target to help pay for a new demountable classroom, they thought it would take them several years to secure the money.

But the Parents, Teachers and Friends Association for Moreton Say CE Controlled Primary School, near Market Drayton, put in some concentrated efforts and managed to achieve their total in just over a year.

Now after arranging a blitz of fundraising events like fairs, cake sales and band nights, the PTFA has handed over the final £2,000 of the £10,000 it pledged to raise for school bosses.

Rita Erwin, a mum of two pupils at the school and PTFA treasurer, said the group was approached by school managers to see if they could help pay towards the new facility, which has freed up a fourth classroom in the main building since it opened.

She said: "We thought £10,000 would be achievable over several years, but we've actually managed it in just over a year.

"It was in May 2010 when the PTFA agreed to fundraise for the classroom, but we didn't really get going with the campaign until the end of 2010, when we started holding our events.

"We held cake sales, made Christmas cards, did summer and autumn fairs and one of the best events we had was a beer, band and balti night at Calverhall, which raised £3,500.

"We want to say an absolutely huge thank you to all friends of the school and people from the community for their ongoing support."

Other fundraising efforts have included an Easter egg hunt, a bag packing event at Morrisons in Market Drayton and private donations.

The recently-opened building has been named the Harrison Centre after farmer Richard Harrison who donated the land on which it is situated.

The classroom now houses the Goslings pre-school nursery and extended schools clubs before and after lessons.