Haverhill Lions support helps Ashdon Primary School create a new reading area
A redundant storage shed at a village primary school has been transformed into a reading area for pupils thanks to some help from a charitable organisation.
The Ashdon Reading Shedhas been put to use at Ashdon Primary School with the help of a £150 donation from the Haverhill Lions Club, a group of volunteers that is, in its own words “committed to community service and fundraising to help the less fortunate”.
The new space for pupils was formerly a redundant storage shed.
It was transformed over the summer holidays, being emptied out and having new flooring laid and books and bean bags added, thanks to the efforts of Jemma Hume and Kristi Thacker, two members of the school’s Parent Teacher Association.
The school’s headteacher, Marne Reynecke-Raybould, explained: “They just asked me what colour bean bags and what colour flooring I would like and they just did it all.
“I think reading is very important.
“Every child in this school should love reading, if possible. Reading is the entrance to so many things in the world. “If children leaving this school can read and understand what they read then I think part of our job is done, because they have the tools to further their careers or pursue the careers of their dreams.”
Mrs Reynecke-Raybould added that since she joined the school in 2023 the pupils had ‘worked their socks off’ to improve their reading levels, which is now ‘amazing’.
David Cianciola, from the Haverhill Lions Club, explained that it was contacted by the school in connection with some Christmas lights that the organisation had said it was prepared to donate to a good cause.
From that initial communication, the funds for the reading shed were also offered to the school by the Lions, which has recently begun fund-raising again.
David, one of four Lions that went to the school to present it with the donation, said: “We just said ‘is there anything else that we can help with’.
“Because the Lions raise money for the community we had money to donate so we thought it was a worthwhile thing to donate to. We realise how essential reading is.”
