Sark School gets a new playground
A NEW tailor-made playground and outdoor learning area has been unveiled in Sark.
The new playground, which has been designed and project-managed by the Friends of Sark School, caters for children aged 3 to 13.
The project has taken a year to complete and was opened by Sark’s new head of school, Michelle Brady.
Costing more than £60,000, the site was funded by Guernsey Community Foundation, Social Investment Fund and other generous donors.
The playground includes a large climbing frame with slide, buddy board, basketball hoop and target board, play train and station, mini three-piece trim trail, sand box, outdoor play kitchen, bespoke planter benches and wet-pour safety surfacing with an integrated mirror me floor game and bespoke track design for bicycles.
The Community Foundation and SIF each contributed a third of the funding, and the foundation helped secure a further third from a private charitable trust.
Foundation chief executive Jim Roberts said: ‘Having agreed to donate £20,000 through our grants programme, we helped raise further funds by calling on other grant-givers.’
Friends of Sark School raised the remainder of funds, with help from several other corporate donors and supporters.
Chairwoman Rosalie La Trobe-Bateman said: ‘The lack of outdoor play facilities at the school had been highlighted for some time, and initial efforts to tackle the problem were made by our former head of school, Nicholas Roberts, and FoSS member Adam Turner, who completed a running challenge last year to raise funds for outdoor play equipment.
‘However, the Friends quickly recognised that if real change was to be brought about, we would need to set our goals higher.’
Over the next few months FoSS worked alongside former acting head, Nick Wolfe, on developing a comprehensive plan to completely transform the outdoor area of Sark School into a playground to meet the children’s needs.
In December the group presented its project plan to members of Sark’s Chief Pleas and received support to proceed.
Further on-island fundraising events and grant applications then took place, and by May the Friends had reached its funding target.
‘We couldn’t be more delighted with the end result and thank our generous donors and all those who have contributed to help make this dream a reality.
‘To see the children so excited for school each morning makes all the hard work worth it,’ said Mrs La Trobe-Bateman.
