Building Society Boosts Local School’s Push For Sporting Achievement

Press release published on 22 February 2006 by Scarborough Building Society

Scarborough Building Society is helping to kit out Scarborough’s young sportsmen and women of the future to hit the sporting heights.

For it has signed an agreement to provide sports tops for every pupil at George Pindar Community Sports College for the next three years.

Staff from the School approached the Scarborough for financial support after winning specialist sports college status last autumn. The new status was granted to GPCSC because it was identified as excelling in the teaching of this subject.

It brings benefits such as enabling the school to access additional funds for sports equipment and top class teaching resources. These in turn give the above-average number of pupils who excel in sport a better chance of reaching their full potential.

Staff wanted pupils representing the school in local, regional and national competitions - in sports ranging from netball to hockey and football - to look the part, and approached the Scarborough for help.

In response, the Society has agreed to give a total of £20,000 to the school over three years to purchase dark blue training tops for all 830 pupils. The tops, which will be delivered in March, are in keeping with the school’s uniform. They will display both its, and the building society’s, logos, so that pupils can feel proud to represent both their school and their town.

In addition, the intake of Year 7 students for the next two years will also receive the new tops.

Andrew Holmes, Resources Director and Secretary at Scarborough Building Society, said: “We are always looking to invest in our local communities, and to support the education of Scarborough’s future talent. We believe that this donation is the start of an exciting relationship with the College which will continue for years to come.

‘Sport is particularly important to the Society as it allows us to encourage the talent of pupils who excel in this field. But the great thing about sport is that everyone can ‘have a go’ and involvement in sporting activities gives all pupils a whole new dimension to their lives, in terms of social activities and a healthier lifestyle.’

George Pindar Community Sports College was awarded specialist sports status at the beginning of this academic year, September 2005 – after much hard work to secure the required match funding from a range of local businesses.

Hugh Bellamy, Headteacher of GPCSC, said: “We are very grateful to the Scarborough for this investment. It is so important to us that businesses like Scarborough Building Society are supporting and investing in schools. These sports tops will help us to further promote the healthy lifestyle and sports college ethos. We look forward to furthering this partnership in the future.”

This donation is part of a wider commitment to corporate social responsibility at Scarborough Building Society. It is also engaged in a number of community and charitable partnerships with organisations including Graham School, Saint Catherine’s Hospice and the Rotunda, The William Smith Museum of Geology in Scarborough.

---