Thursday 20 December 2007
School’s cash boost balloons

A Milton Keynes’ school has received a cash boost after helping to launch 2,000 balloons to celebrate the completion of new affordable homes.

Children at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Monkston Park, waved off the balloons in June to mark the completion of 537 new homes, provided by bpha for affordable rent and shared ownership in Milton Keynes and Peterborough.

A total of 38 labels, originally attached to the balloons, were returned to bpha by the deadline. The winning balloon travelled some 109 miles away to reach Chapel St Mary in Ipswich and won the finder £25 of shopping vouchers.

bpha had pledged to donate £1 to the school for every mile the winning balloon travelled, up to a maximum of £537.

As an extra boost, bpha decided to donate the maximum sum and presented the cheque, along with some commemorative photos from the original event, to the school on Wednesday (Dec 19).

Head teacher, Patricia O’Byrne, said: ”We were delighted to host the bpha celebration. Releasing the balloons on a lovely sunny day in June provided our children with a unique opportunity to marvel in awe and wonder as the colourful balloons quickly became small dots in the sky.

“The generous donation kindly made by bpha will be used to develop the recycling opportunities in the school.”

The bpha homes - built in Milton Keynes across 23 sites including Monkston and at two sites in Peterborough – were completed over the last two years through the Government’s Challenge Fund 2 programme.

bpha, together with integrated construction consultancy Avebury, worked with Milton Keynes Council and Peterborough City Council to provide the homes after winning an open competition to design, construct and deliver the £52m programme. The project was supported with funding from English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation.

Over half of the homes have been provided for key public sector workers - such as nurses, police officers and teachers – to meet strong local demand.

John Cross, chief executive of bpha, said: “We are delighted to be able to make this donation to the school, which lies at the heart of one of the new communities created through Challenge Fund 2.

“The homes provided at Milton Keynes and Peterborough meet the highest energy efficiency ratings, so it is entirely appropriate that the schoolchildren are using this donation to support an environmental project of their own. We look forward to hearing how the project develops.”