St Gabriel’s Junior School welcomed a special visitor on Wednesday 16 January, when Leila Ferguson, CEO of West Berkshire Mencap came into morning assembly to talk to our pupils and thank them for their recent donation.  The retiring collections from the Carol Concert at St Nicolas’ Church and the two nativity performances in December, raised over £522, this was donated to the Good Exchange appeal to help purchase a basket swing for the Mencap playground in Newbury.

During her talk Mrs Ferguson took the time to talk to our pupils about the services they offer local people with learning disabilities, and their families, and how the goodwill of local community volunteers, including St Gabriel’s pupils, provides vital help. As a charity, they are dependent on local support and Mrs Ferguson went on to thank us for our generous contribution. The great news is that this project is match funded so they were able to double our support.

The Junior School Council selected this worthy cause and discovered most swings are not big enough for the older children to access. This basket swing will however give the older children the chance to enjoy playing with their peers and experience the delights of swinging freely. Members of Junior School Council will be visiting the playground over the coming weeks.

"Our pupils and families are given frequent opportunities to show how they care for all members of the local community and I am really proud of their response to this appeal. Special thanks to our School Council who chose Mencap so wisely.”

mr peter dove, head of junior school