WATCH: Inverness and Ross-shire parents launch campaign to build four schools
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Efforts are being made to offer school communities a new sense of hope after funding for a range of rebuild projects was dropped from council plans last month.
Parents groups and others involved with Beauly Primary and Charleston Academy in Inverness have come together with others based around Park Primary in Invergordon and St Clement’s school for children with special needs based in Dingwall to launch a crowdfunder campaign.
The Project Hope – Build 4 Highland Schools campaign on GoFundMe comes after Highland Council voted last month to withdraw 10 projects from its school investment budget saying it could only afford to spend in the region of £300 million while the actual budget stood at £475 million – with much of the projected funds not actually secured.
Funding to replace the dilapidated Charleston Academy – originally budgeted at £14.5 million – was reduced to just £1.5 million while Beauly Primary, which had been set on paper to receive £10.4 million will now only receive £800,000 for refurbishment work.
Park Primary was completely destroyed by two fires while parents have been campaigning for two decades for a replacement for St Clement’s where conditions have been described as “Dickensian”.
Youtube and TikTok videos tied in with the new fundraising campaign are already garnering thousands of views online.
Marion Rennie, who is leading the way on the campaign, said on the crowdfunder’s home page: “We value the incredible staff at these schools and recognise the importance of the environment they teach and care for our children in.
“Therefore, Project Hope invites us all to get involved to raise money needed to build four schools that inspire, enable our children to reach their potential, are safe, are equipped for educational needs in 2023 and to get it right for every child.”
She added that the campaign was “realistic” about how much money they were likely to raise through this route but added “we simply cannot afford to do nothing – these are our kids and our future – so we feel we have to pave the way and hope Highland Council will follow”.
She said: “We understand that these are difficult times but when you look at Africa and people fundraise for schools there because of similar issues that we have here – like water pouring on the desks – then that says something.
“Key to this is being positive just like the name of the campaign: Project Hope – Build 4 Highland Schools. We don’t want to get at anyone but we do feel more needs to be done and we are willing to do part of it.”
Avril Robertson, of St Clement’s Parent Council, said: “You have a special school that is beyond description, an academy with RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete), asbestos and leaking roofs, a primary that no longer physically exists and another that is too decrepit to describe.
“So it cannot be right that all we are told is ‘the money was never there’.”
Catherine Rait, a parent at Beauly Primary, said: “We cannot abandon the hopes of our children and must do everything that we can to provide a safe, clean, warm and inspiring place to learn. This is not too much for a child living in 2023 to ask surely, especially in a country as wealthy as Scotland.
“Currently, Beauly has inadequate toilets which are second hand and due to the state of the buildings, cardboard currently stops moss and debris coming from the roof down on the children eating their lunch.
“Their work cannot be displayed as the condensation and mould on the walls spoils their work and it falls to the floor.
“The council may not be able to find the money for these schools, but we, working together, can. Our children and the staff of these schools deserve better and fingers crossed, and with the support of our communities, we can reach our goal.”
All donations will be split equally between the four schools involved.
Donate here
