Money does grow on trees for Redhills

The community at Redhills NS has set an ambitious target of raising €40,000 in just eight weeks to develop new sports facilities at the school.

It’s in addition to a much larger €1.8M project at the school, which will see a special education needs unit and a fifth mainstream classroom built.

Parents of students, those with former links to the school, businesses in the area and people in the wider community are all being urged to contribute to the unique fundraising initiative, which will see a beautiful mural painted on one of the school’s exterior walls.

The school reopened little over a week ago and already €10,000 has been raised towards the development.

Principal Kenny Kerins explained that it’s intended to build a multi-use games area. It will feature a 4G state-of-the-art pitch, which can be used by both students and the wider community. Construction work has already commenced.

The new games area will be 40 metres by 30 metres and will have an Astroturf shock-proof surface adhering to European standards. It will be fully enclosed by a fence and feature LED lighting.

€120,000 in LEADER funding has already been sanctioned for the games area but the school must raise an additional €40,000 in order to draw down the funding.

“This new facility will be brilliant for the school because it will allow us to get away from having pupils at the front, side and the back of the school in terms of supervision,” explained Mr Kerins of one of the many benefits.

The school has grown in the last six years from 67 pupils to a rollbook of 115 in September 2020.

“We have gone from a three-classroom school to five classrooms mainstream and we opened a special classroom for children with autism two years ago and we have since opened two more and those three classes are full at present,” outlined Mr Kerins of the school’s growth in recent years.

“Obviously with the growth in pupils, we required more space. We put four prefabs on site, which has decreased the space in the yard. We purchased one acre of lands two years ago from a local farmer to facilitate the €1.8 million build that will go onto the back of the school to house the special educational needs unit and a fifth mainstream classroom will also be included in the build,” continued the principal.

Mr Kerins informed theCeltthat the school extension is at the design stage in relation to that building project.

“Prior to lockdown, we had Seamus O’Rourke booked for the Kilmore and we had 1,000 tickets ready to go and that did not proceed,” said Mr Kerins of a previously planned fundraiser.

Now the school has come up with another unique fundraiser, which offers the public the chance to purchase leaves on a tree painted as a beautiful mural on a wall of the school at the entrance.Leaves are on sale at €150 each or €100 for families who have children attending the school.

The impressive mural covers the entire wall, and the 3D leaves that will be fitted come in a variety of autumnal hues of yellow, orange and red and will carry the donating family’s surname and townland.

“You don’t need to have attended the school to have the opportunity to purchase a leaf.

“We are also establishing a corporate donation section and this affords the option to purchase the trunk of the tree and purchase branches. Companies and local business people who have an interest in the school development will have that option,” Mr Kerins further explained.

If you want to purchase a leaf, go onto the school website and all the methods of payment are outlined there - www.stbrigidsns.ie – or email info@stbrigidsns.ie