A Belgrave school has been handed £1,180 from a doorstep support scheme which sees shoppers donate their ‘divi’ money to good causes.
The cash from the Tamworth Co-op Community Dividend Fund will help St Gabriel’s Primary to communicate its principles with signs expressing aspects of the Catholic life of the school.
Annette Brindley, manager of the Tamworth Co-op convenience store in Glascote, hands over the cheque from the Community Dividend Fund to pupils from St Gabriel’s Primary School. Looking on are (left to right) Clare Nelson, a member of the Friends of St Gabriel’s, Louise Vernon, the group’s chairperson and head John Hayes.
Head John Hayes said the money, raised by customers at the Co-op’s Glascote convenience store, was particularly welcome at a time when education funding was tight.
“We have various signs around the school to do with Catholic virtues which encourage the children to consider the way they conduct their lives and are a reminder to them to live out their faith in every day actions.
“Thanks to this money from the Community Dividend Fund, we will be able to buy more of these signs. So we really are grateful to the Co-op and its shoppers for this help, especially when there is increasing pressure on school budgets,” said Mr Hayes.
The store’s manager, Annette Brindley, presented the cheque to the Friends of St Gabriel’s, which holds regular fundraising events throughout the year for the school.
She said: “Each year we ask our customers to give their dividends to a worthy cause. I’m delighted this money will be put to such good use.”
Louise Vernon, chair of the Friends of St Gabriel’s, said: “The Community Dividend Fund is a fabulous scheme because it enables us to provide things we couldn’t otherwise afford.”
The Community Dividend Fund distributes around £10,000 a year to schools, churches and charities in the Tamworth Co-op trading area which includes North Warwickshire and others parts of Staffordshire.
This year 13 organisations are benefiting from the fund.