Result of the Interschools Community Challenge

As reported in the item below - Dec 2001: Interschools Community Challenge - the Province of East Kent launched the Inter Schools Community Challenge to celebrate this Golden Jubilee year and the ‘Freemasonry in the Community Week’ of the 26th June to 2nd July 2002. All the schools in the Province were invited to identify and propose a scheme or project to the value of £10,000 that would be of sustainable benefit to the community. The Province will pay for the successful scheme and award £1,000 to the winning school, the runners up will receive £500 each.

From the submissions received ten finalists were selected and on 28th June 2002 at the Ashford International Hotel presentations were made. The panel of Judges comprised Countess Mountbatten of Burma, the Very Reverend Roger Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, His Honour Giles Rooke TD,QC,DL, Mr Mick Price, Assistant Director, Education and Community Services and RWBro John Bonomy OBE, Provincial Grand Master of the Province of East Kent. These presentations were the last stage of a detailed selection process.

Each school made its own presentation, some by teachers but mostly by the children themselves. The standard of presentation was very impressive and it was clear that each scheme was dear to their hearts and something that they had all worked at hard. None more so than the Duke of York’s Royal Military School at Dover who were announced the winners.
The Duke of York’s Royal Military School has a close relationship with the Guston Primary School which is situated on a rather exposed site close to Dover Castle. The school is light, bright, colourful and very friendly.

It has a unique population of some 200 pupils, made up of local children and army families on short-term postings. It has children with special education needs and more recently there has been an influx of children fleeing conflict zones in eastern Europe. The numbers of non English-speaking pupils has escalated with the arrival of the Gurhka regiments. Currently 20% of the children at the school do not have English as a working language. Some foreign children join the reception class with no English at all.

The Duke of York’s Royal Military School has a number of pupil teams who visit Guston for one afternoon a week as classroom assistants. They listen to the children read, help them prepare for, and partake in, their PE and gym exercises. They assist them with computer studies and any other help they can provide to the teachers.

One such pupil team discussed the Inter Schools Community Challenge with one of the teachers at Guston Primary and it was her ‘wish list’ to develop the outside play area so that children could learn through play. The pupil team was attracted to this project and thought it complimented the large notice in the reception area that read ‘People smile in the same language’. They knew from their experience that children also play in the same language!

Their project, therefore, was to give Guston Primary ‘the stimulating playground it deserves’. This will involve a purpose built Play House with an ‘Interactive Learning Carpet’ in the secure area adjacent to the reception classroom, furnishing the main playground with permanent markings for group games, providing benches to enhance socialisation skills in the playground and then developing a science activity area which will include a greenhouse and a large paved area to allow children to work outside in good weather. Such a project can be achieved within the sum of £10,000.

The standard of submission and the presentations were most impressive. All applicants are to be congratulated on their appreciation and understanding of the intentions of the initiative and their awareness of community needs in their particular area. The prize of £1,000 and a commitment from the province of East Kent of £10,000 for the winning project was presented on behalf of the panel of Judges by His Honour Giles Rooke. The other nine schools received £500 each. All received a certificate of achievement.

The young ladies comprising the winning team have persuaded the head of the Duke of York’s Royal Military School to donate the £1,000 prize to another worthwhile project
A very happy and worthwhile conclusion to the ‘Freemasonry in the Community Week’.