Yeovil MP and mayor unite to urge support for schools bid

David Laws, MP for Yeovil Constituency, and Bridget Dollard, Mayor of Yeovil, today joined forces in a last minute attempt to urge local businesses to back the bid by Westfield and Preston Schools to apply to the Government for Specialist School Status.

The bids for the two schools must be in to the Department for Education by 15th March, and they have already been praised as imaginative and innovative by Department of Education officials.

But the two schools need £100,000 of sponsorship from local businesses, and with just two weeks to go they are still some £40,000 short of the necessary target.

David Laws MP:

"Westfield School and Preston School have put a huge amount of work into their bids for specialist school status, and it would be a great shame if these bids cannot be put forward due to a lack of sponsorship.

"I understand that fundraising by the two schools, combined with generous donations from firms such as Westland and Pittards, has raised over half the money needed, but there is still a long way to go - and not much time.

"I urge local businesses to come forward over the next 10 days and to back these important initiatives by the schools - which could bring as much as £1.2 million more into Yeovil schools over the next 4 years, and make a real difference to thousands of our pupils in Yeovil."

Bridget Dollard, the Mayor of Yeovil, commented:

"The Town Council supports the bids by Westfield and Preston Schools, but I am concerned that the schools are still some way short of the sponsorship target of £100,000.

"I know just how generous the people and businesses of Yeovil can be, and I ask people to come forward with the extra money so that our children do not lose out on this big opportunity for our area."

Anyone able to contribute a sponsorship pledge to the appeal (the cash is not needed until next year), should contact Reg Jones at Preston School or Marguerite Jackson at Westfield School.

ENDS.

Category: Constituency News