A CENTURY ON: ‘REFOUNDING’ OUR SCHOOLS
You may be aware that St. Mary Magdalen’s Junior School needs to be rebuilt over the next couple of years and that the Jesus and Mary Infant Convent in undergoing urgent refurbishment. The cost of rebuilding the Junior school will be around six million pounds. The Government have allocated ninety per cent of this figure. The Governors have to find the other ten per cent, over half a million pounds. They have inquired of the parish whether we might be able to support this important effort to the tune of £85,000.
In addition the Jesus and Mary Infant Convent are in the middle of a much needed restoration of some basic facilities. Their Governors will need to raise towards £80,000. Any help towards that would be greatly appreciated, perhaps £15,000. Our overall target for “The Schools Fund” would be £100,000.
We ourselves, of course, have recently finished a major fundraising effort for our own church. Through the generosity and sacrifice of you, our parishioners, it was very successful. Despite the recent completion of this, given the long and close relationship between St. Mary Magdalen’s Parish and our two schools, our Parish Forum and our Finance & Premises Committee feel we should look into the request of the school governors seriously. It seems that, in the Providence of God, a hundred years after or forebears worked to build our local schools, we are called upon to shore up their work for the next generation.
We are thus now requesting the feedback, and possible commitments, from yourselves. You might like to bear in mind the following factors:
i) (i) The Junior School which our own community built quite a number of decades ago now urgently needs to be rebuilt. Without it closure would probably result within a few years. The loss of its important role in the formation of our young people would be great indeed.
ii) As part of the Government sponsored rebuilding, it will be necessary for the school to make some of their facilities particularly their new hall available for wider use. The parish of St. Mary Magdalen’s would be primary upon this list. This new large school hall would be useful for us for some of our events and be available for that use.
(ii) To move forward we need to here your views before making firm commitments. Next weekend there will be a parishioner will speak on behalf of the schools and you will be invited to fill in a questionnaire. Next Wk: Continuing our Q/A on Preparation for Communion
In addition the Jesus and Mary Infant Convent are in the middle of a much needed restoration of some basic facilities. Their Governors will need to raise towards £80,000. Any help towards that would be greatly appreciated, perhaps £15,000. Our overall target for “The Schools Fund” would be £100,000.
We ourselves, of course, have recently finished a major fundraising effort for our own church. Through the generosity and sacrifice of you, our parishioners, it was very successful. Despite the recent completion of this, given the long and close relationship between St. Mary Magdalen’s Parish and our two schools, our Parish Forum and our Finance & Premises Committee feel we should look into the request of the school governors seriously. It seems that, in the Providence of God, a hundred years after or forebears worked to build our local schools, we are called upon to shore up their work for the next generation.
We are thus now requesting the feedback, and possible commitments, from yourselves. You might like to bear in mind the following factors:
i) (i) The Junior School which our own community built quite a number of decades ago now urgently needs to be rebuilt. Without it closure would probably result within a few years. The loss of its important role in the formation of our young people would be great indeed.
ii) As part of the Government sponsored rebuilding, it will be necessary for the school to make some of their facilities particularly their new hall available for wider use. The parish of St. Mary Magdalen’s would be primary upon this list. This new large school hall would be useful for us for some of our events and be available for that use.
(ii) To move forward we need to here your views before making firm commitments. Next weekend there will be a parishioner will speak on behalf of the schools and you will be invited to fill in a questionnaire. Next Wk: Continuing our Q/A on Preparation for Communion
posted by Sinead Reekie at 9:46 am