Rougham Church of England Primary School's pool appeal hits £10k mark following support

A school’s campaign to bring its swimming pool back into use has reached a fundraising milestone - and preparations for the refurbishment have started.

Rougham Church of England Primary School, in the village of Rougham near Bury St Edmunds, has been trying to raise a ‘huge’ £50,000 to refurbish its leaking pool, which is used by the school and wider community.

School office manager Emma Thurlow said more than £10,000 had been raised so far, with generous donations including £500 from nearby business Ravenwood Hall.

She said: “We are really, really pleased. It’s a difficult time for everyone so to have the support we have had is really, really good.”

The school and parents have organised fundraisers including a race night, car washes, a lazy car boot sale and Father’s Day breakfast.

And it is hoped family event ‘Fund Fest’ on Saturday, September 24, will be a real boost to the fundraising pot. Taking place from 3pm to 9pm on Rougham sports field, Fund Fest will feature live music, a bouncy castle, raffle, barbecue and more.

Former Rougham Primary pupil Ryan Denton, marketing executive for Ravenwood Hall and Rougham resident, presented the cheque from Ravenwood Children’s Trust to the school last week.

“The remit of the children’s trust is to support opportunities for young people and I would certainly advocate for having the pool at Rougham and what the children gain from it,” he said.

Last weekend, volunteers got to work on clearing the pool area in preparation for the refurbishment work to start.

Local contractors T.W Garden Services & Landscape and AlmaTron Pools have been picked to carry out the project, with groundworks due to begin next month.

Fundraising is ongoing to reach the target and Mrs Thurlow said it was ‘definitely going in the right direction’. “We are adamant the pool will be up and running for next summer,” she said.

Previously, Rougham Primary headteacher Clare Clark said the pool was ‘such a fantastic asset for our school and the local community as well’.

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/FixourPool