Clubbing together

He celebrated the raising of over £85,000 by the combined effort of the school and the local Wiltshire community, including contractors, benefactors, fundraisers and alumni of the school.

Many of the fundraisers attended the service of thanksgiving and praise for the Clubhouse at the local parish church.

A packed St Mary’s Church heard that pupils at the school had raised more than £1,000 for the project with initiatives including 'Grow Your Fiver'.

The scheme saw pupils devising imaginative ways to make their £5 ‘grow’, including craft and cake sales and a pop up shop. Additional fundraising by the children consisted of sponsored runs and asking tooth fairy and pocket money donations.

The Chilton Foliat Community Association, which administers the Clubhouse and pioneered the fundraising for the building, also received a grant of over £9,000 from National Lottery Awards for All to kit it out with new furniture, kitchen appliances and kitchenware.

Picnic tables, outdoor games and a wooden shed will be bought for its garden in the spring, providing pleasure for young and old, both indoors and out.

The Clubhouse currently houses Chilton Club Childcare which runs the school’s Early Birds Club, After School Club and Holiday Club, and the space is also available for use by all of the local community.

Sam Wolcough, chair of governors and trustee of Chilton Foliat Community Association said:

“We are hugely grateful to the school, local community and many generous contributors for all their hard work and enthusiasm in fundraising for the Clubhouse, which is a fantastic resource for all.

“The service of thanks was a fantastic way to celebrate this and to also acknowledge the work and dedication of the contractors, who went above and beyond to ensure that the classroom was operational for the start of the school year.”