Cash boost for school sports pitch appeal

A Lancashire sporting group has received Â£5,000 after becoming a finalist in a national competition run by a leading housebuilder.

Garstang Community Academy received the money through the Persimmon Homes Healthy Communities scheme which saw the housebuilder give away Â£435,000 to the finalists.

22nd March 2018
Persimmon Healthy Communities Final, York Racecourse. — A Lancashire sporting group has received Â£5,000 after becoming a finalist in a national competition run by a leading housebuilder. Garstang Community Academy received the money through the Persimmon Homes Healthy Communities scheme which saw the housebuilder give away Â£435,000 to the finalists. 22nd March 2018 Persimmon Healthy Communities Final, York Racecourse.

The school’s plan to create a multi-sports facility for all the community as well as feeder primary schools, was chosen as regional finalist in a national competition run by Persimmon Homes.

A total of 30 finalists battled it out in a public vote to scoop Persimmon Homes’ Healthy Communities competition top prize of £200,000.

The finalists were invited to attend a gala dinner at York Racecourse and Garstang Academy was among 27 groups from all over the UK receiving £5,000 for making it to the final stage of the contest.

Tracey Jones, business development manager at the Bowgreave academy said: “It is contributions such as this which are enabling us to push forward with the build so that the pitch is ready for use in September .”

Fund raising for the pitch, estimated to cost more than £50,000, has been going on for more than two years with people from both the school and community staging and taking part in events.

Tracey added: “We still have some work to do and are continuing to fund raise to meet our goal, but we are confident that with the support of our school and local community we will achieve the target over the next few months.”