Adams' Grammar School's appeal hits £1m in under a year
A Newport school has raised £1 million in under a year to build a new sixth form and music suite.
Adams' Grammar School smashed through its target less than a year after launching its ambitious fundraising campaign, called Our Dreams – Your Future.
The money has come from donations and pledges from parents, former pupils, staff members, governors and local businesses. The school's trustees and the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers also chipped in.
The current music hall is being transformed into a plush sixth form centre and a disused 17th century coach house is being converted into a music suite.
Both buildings should be open by the start of the new school year in September.
Headmaster Michael Barratt said he was delighted with the news. He said: "I am immensely proud and grateful that we have raised so much in such a short period of time.
"The hard work, goodwill and generosity of many people, not least the campaign board members themselves, have brought us to this position far sooner that we would have believed possible.
"It is a wonderful example of people power and what can be achieved by collectively taking the initiative."
Mr Barratt is now keen for a further £350,000 to be raised to fund the next two phases of the project. That will see the construction of a new auditorium, and a foyer space linking it to the music building.
Campaign chairman Mike Osborne, who has two sons at Adams', paid his own tribute to his fellow volunteers on the campaign board.
"Like me, all the volunteers believe passionately in what the school is wanting to achieve for the benefit of the pupils," he said.
"They have given up a lot of time and energy to help make it happen.
"It speaks volumes that, having reached our initial target, all members of the campaign team had the opportunity to stand down, but not one of them wanted to do so."
Parents and former pupils were asked to make gifts of between £1,000 and £100,000, though smaller gifts have also been received.
Mr Barratt said the school's current sixth form and music facilities were "completely inadequate".
