Parents at The Arnewood School have
rallied together to help boost the school’s funding. A new Parent Staff
Association (PSA) has been formed to support The Arnewood School in New
Milton and has already scored a hit by attracting a £500 donation from
the Lions Club of New Milton to fund a new PC and monitor.
Now the PSA is appealing to other local organisations
and businesses to make similar donations. PSA co-founder Jo Ankers said:
“It’s been well publicised that there is a national school funding
crisis and schools in the New Forest are very much affected by this. As
parents, we wanted to do our bit to support the school so a few of us
came together to reform the PSA, which had been wound up a few years
ago. We are incredibly grateful to the New Milton Lions for being our
first community donor”
The PSA are now are urging other businesses
and organisations to make similar donations – effectively sponsoring a
new computer for the school and have set an ambitious target of £10,000
which would fund the replacement of equipment for one IT classroom. Many
of the computers are now nine years old and desperately need to be
replaced. Sadly, expenditure on IT equipment is not a high priority
given the overall economic constraints the school is facing.
Commenting on the Lions Club’s donation, Peter Bousfield, Chair of
Welfare Committee, Lions Club of New Milton said, “When we received the
funding application from The Arnewood School PSA and were made aware of
the financial hardship the school is facing, we were happy to get the
PSA’s fundraising activity up and running, and to make a positive
contribution to the school community”
New Milton Lions have donated a Shelter to the New Milton Dementia Friendly Allotments.
New Milton Lion President Jeanne Jackson presents a
Cheque for £700 to Viv Carter who is the Regional Community Fundraiser
for the Honeypot Children's Charity. Honeypot give seven children from
this area a weekend break at Honeypot House, the children are also
visited by the Honeypot play bus three times a year and receive birthday
and Christmas cards and presents from the group each year between the
age of 5 and 12 years of age. These children are all carers for someone
in their family.
Cheque for £2,500 for operational use.
Cheque for £600 for Play Equipment at the School.
Cheque for £1,000 to go towards the cost of equipment for a challenging expedition.
Grants totalling £3,000.
Cheque for £200 towards his travelling expenses while coaching young Rugby Players.
