Fundraising for school's new sports pitch has a long way to go

MUGA

Alderley Edge Community Primary School is planning to construct of an artificial grass sports pitch to support the PE curriculum and help them to have happy and healthy futures.

Building a Multi- Use Games Area (MUGA) on the school playing field will provide a sporting facility available throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions. Usually, the field is unusable during the winter months, so the school is very excited about the prospect of having not only an all-year-round sporting facility but also additional recreational space - which will benefit the children now more so than ever with classes required to stagger break times in order to adhere to social distancing measures.

Mrs Walsh, Head Teacher said, "Our MUGA is designed to accommodate the widest possible range of sporting needs and abilities with pitch markings for football, netball and hockey, but we believe that it will provide so much more for our children. As we slowly emerge from lockdown, our children need access to suitable outdoor space, encouraging physical activity not only for fitness, but also for their mental wellbeing. It will be a secure area where not only AECPS children will benefit, but also the wider community, including sporting and community clubs, scouting organisations and holiday clubs."

When Alderley Edge Community Primary School PTA embarked on the huge task of raising £120,000 to build a fully accessible Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) for the school, little did they know that a worldwide pandemic would hinder their efforts!

The team has been working tirelessly finding alternative ways of fundraising and the local community has really pulled together to support them too. However, their efforts have been seriously hampered due to ongoing restrictions as the big events that generate the large funds - such as their Easter and Summer Fairs and Fireworks Display - have been unable to go ahead.

Mrs Walsh added "Our MUGA is designed to accommodate the widest possible range of sporting needs and abilities with pitch markings for football, netball and hockey, but we believe that it will provide so much more for our children. As we slowly emerge from lockdown, our children need access to suitable outdoor space, encouraging physical activity not only for fitness, but also for their mental wellbeing. It will be a secure area where not only AECPS children will benefit, but also the wider community, including sporting and community clubs, scouting organisations and holiday clubs.

"So far, our fundraising total stands at an amazing £69,000 and we are currently awaiting confirmation of grants which we have applied for. But we still have a way to go if we are to achieve our target of building it this summer! If anyone would like to contribute towards this project, however big or small, please contact us at [email protected]."

Plans for the artificial grass sports pitch, will be located on the current playing field ca be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning reference 21/1550M.

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Alderley Edge Primary School
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

David Alexander Connor
Tuesday 6th April 2021 at 4:53 pm
May I make a point about your fundraising. I was so taken with this initiative that over 12 months ago I effected a Direct Debit for £10 per month.

During that period I received not a word of thanks nor any communication on progress towards your target. Last week I cancelled the direct debit
.
From a marketing and public relations perspective I feel you should be thanking donors and making sure that they receive updates on a regular basis.

Many people will support this cause but it's human nature to feel appreciated.
Anna Baker
Friday 30th April 2021 at 7:55 am
Dear Mr Connor,

Firstly, let me thank you profusely for signing up to the AECPS donations for the school MUGA which was advertised in the Parish Council News back in September. We are incredibly grateful for those much-needed funds and appreciate your kindness and regret that you did not feel appreciated and have felt the need to stop donating.

Unfortunately, you are one of a couple of people who must not have seen our update in the last Parish Council Newsletter requesting donors to get in touch with us so that we could thank them personally.

Please let me assure you that everyone who donated as a result of the article in the Parish News and who left their details with us, received a personalised Thank You from the PTA on behalf of the school. Unfortunately, we were not able to track you down (despite asking friends and neighbours if they knew who you were and even trying the bank to pass on a message to you for us, to no avail).

If you would be so kind as to contact us at , we would like to rectify the issue as all of our donors are important to us no matter how big or small their donation is. We really have been amazed at the generosity of the local community.

If you would like to follow our updates online, this can be done on our Facebook Page or Twitter account: http://www.facebook.com/AlderleyPrimaryPTA Or @AlderleyEdgePTA

We would appreciate anyone who knows Mr Connor to ask him to contact us in case he does not see this message, as we do not have any other way of contacting him.

Many thanks,

AECPS PTA