Mary Hare School for deaf children in Newbury launches £5m fundraising bid for new sports facilities
A Newbury school has launched a campaign to raise £5million for new sports facilities, writes Grace Clift.
The Mary Hare Foundation, which supports Mary Hare School for deaf children, said it will be the biggest update for its sport facilities since the 1950s.
It will help tackle current obstacles that limit opportunities for team sports.
The Mary Hare Sports Appeal aims to revolutionise the way deaf young people at Mary Hare
School engage with sports.
Working with Architect NVB, the new space will be acoustically designed and engineered with deaf young people in mind.
The appeal aims to build a new sports hall with a climbing wall, fitness gym, dance and drama studio and sports classrooms, as well as a four-court sports hall.
There will also be four large changing rooms and a large external multi-use games area – allowing more students to join in with sports at Mary Hare School.
The launch of the appeal took place on the school’s annual sports day, with a £5,000 donation from Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club kickstarting the fundraiser.
Speakers at the event included Robin Askew, the principal and CEO of Mary Hare School, Harriet McCalmont, chair of the Mary Hare Foundation, current student Roman and alumna Katie Dening, a member of the Women’s England deaf rugby team.
Ms McCalmont said: “It is very exciting to have launched this appeal. We had a wonderful launch event; it was so powerful to hear from our students and their passion for sport, and we are so grateful to already have pledges made and money received on the day.
“Sports plays such an important part in the lives of all our students, so we are looking at every opportunity to raise the funds in order to get the project finished in good time.”
You can find out more about the appeal online at www.maryhare.org.uk/fundraising/sports-appeal.
The Mary Hare Foundation said it would welcome anyone who is interested in helping and supporting the campaign, through a fundraising challenge or event, to get in touch by email at foundation@maryhare.org.uk or phone at 01635 244 204.
