Business steps in to give primary school a helping hand

Pupils at Cliffdale Primary Academy in Battenburg Avenue, Portsmouth, will return to a brand new assembly hall and reception area when they come back to school in September, after a team from H+S Aviation decided to come into the school and take on some renovation work over the summer holidays.

The work began last week '“ and project team leader Gary Fitzjohn says that the progress made already has been very encouraging.

He said: '˜It's going very well indeed.

'˜We're at a stage where the materials we need have pretty much all arrived and we're perfectly on course to get everything done by the start of the new term.'

But the aviation firm hasn't done it alone.

A number of companies have provided the supplies needed for the project; Homebase, Brewers, Covers, Lift and Shift, Dreamline, PMC, JRG, 2Teck and Maidenhead Aquatics and Interpret have all donated things for the renovation.

Gary said: '˜Everyone has been so incredibly kind and helpful in getting everything together '“ we wouldn't be where we are with this if it wasn't for the generosity of so many different companies.

'˜The work has been going great and that is due in large part to their help. I cannot thank them enough.'

The project itself is part of H+S Aviation's corporate and social responsibility project '“ which the firm does every year.

But this year's project holds a special place in Gary's heart.

He explained: '˜The reason why I nominated this school is because my daughter-in-law had sent me photographs of my grandson swimming. 

'˜The school has just done so much for my grandson '“ he's come a long way ever since he joined the school, so it's a very proud moment to be able to give something back to people who have done so much for him.

'˜