When Arundale School, a small independent school in Pulborough, was forced to close due to a falling roll, it was the beginning of a windfall for Gossops Green Community Primary School.  In line with Arundale’s charitable status, and unable to find a buyer, they donated their new outdoor play equipment to Gossops Green Community Primary, where the School Council had been asking for large, fixed play apparatus for some time, but the school premises budget has been swallowed up with mainitaining 50 year old buildings, leaving very little for resources that the pupils and staff can see.

This left the challenge of finding a way to remove the equipment from its Pulborough site, before the site was handed over to its new owners in July, and relocating it in Gossops Green.  The Apollo Group, which is refurbishing bathrooms and kitchens in local council properties, came to the rescue and Divisional Manager, Mr James Dickens, agreed that the company would relocate the equipment as a community project, overseen by Mr Tim Skiggs, Apollo Project Manager  and Mr Adrian Nind, Apollo Site Manager, and assisted by sub-contractors, Pilon Construction.

Gossops Green pupils now have a height chart, shop and chime bars in the Reception outdoor classroom and a large play area beside the upper playground.  In recognition of the level of voluntary community contributions which have enabled the project to be successful, the Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex, Mrs Susan Pyper, and the Mayor of Crawley, Councillor Lee Burke attended the formal opening ceremony on Monday 20^th September, along with Mrs Kay Lovejoy, Headmistress of Arundale School and Mrs Claire Gilks, Arundale’s Business Manager and the key people from Apollo Construction.  ‘My favourite bit is the monkey bars’, said one excited pupil.   ‘We are overwhelmed with the generosity of the support that both Arundale and the Apollo Group have provided to make our pupils’ dreams come true’, said Dawn Martin, Headteacher of Gossops Green.  ‘Thank you to everyone who has made this possible – happy playtimes are a feature of our school culture, with children acting as Play Managers and Play Leaders.  The new equipment will enable us to add another dimension to what we are able to offer’.
Source: Gossops Green Community Primary school

Crawley Happy Times were invited to witness this wonderful occasion and where privileged enough to interview the main participants in the opening of the play area. Not enough time to watch the video right now? Then see the journey through the pictures instead.

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