The Trustees of the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation (JTYAF) were delighted to make awards of £34,000 to 6 local schools in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Awards were made to the Headteachers with volunteers, students and trustees gathered to celebrate this fantastic achievement.

The Jubilee Funding was made available to schools in the Ferndown area for special enrichment projects aimed at supporting the mental health and wellbeing of the children. Presenting the cheques during Mental Health Awareness Week added an important focus to these awards.

Ferndown Upper School will use their award to fully fund a wall art project which will provide visual mental health support for all the students. The funding will also contribute towards the development of the student area in the Inclusion Hub for higher need SEND students.
Ferndown Middle School are creating a Tranquillity Garden and their award will contribute towards the ground works and planting. The idea is to make a quiet, peaceful space for children to reflect at break and lunchtimes. The space we also be used for counselling and well-being activities to support children's mental health

The funding will support the construction of an outdoor performance stage at Beaucroft Foundation School. It will provide a performance space for students informally at playtime, and more formally for the legendary Beaucroft talent shows. A space for outside learning and play with many benefits for the whole school community.

At Ferndown First School the School Council put together their bid for funding for a Play Trail and were very busy gathering ideas and researching equipment. They will use their award to pay for the centre piece climbing frame. The importance of outside play in early years can’t be underestimated and is invaluable for a child’s development.

Parley First School will install a Mongolian Yurt in the Forest School Area, which will be paid for by their funding. This will be used throughout the year to provide both shelter and a calming space for children to receive teaching and a range of therapies including Mindfulness and Yoga. In addition to this the funding will be used to support an enclosure for a small farm area.
At Hampreston First School an IT Suite will be converted to a Reading Room with help from the JTYAF. The new space will not only provide a rich literacy experience but also a quiet area suitable for the nurturing work necessary for children with anxiety and mental health issues.

The JTYAF was set up in 2008 in memory of John Thornton who was killed in Afghanistan. John’s legacy lives on making a real difference to the lives of local young people. In the last 14 years scholarships and bursaries of almost £850,000 have been awarded to over 2200 young people, encouraging and inspiring them to ‘climb as high as they can dream.’

Pete Thornton Chair of the JTYAF commented. “We continue to be humbled by the support that John’s Foundation receives. Any charity is the sum of its supporters, and we are so grateful to everyone whose generosity has helped the JTYAF to continue to do its great work with young people. The pandemic has disrupted the life of every child in our community and for many this has significantly impacted their mental health. This year’s special Jubilee Fund is providing vital support with these exciting projects and will touch the lives of many children in our community. We feel it’s a fitting way to pay tribute to our Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year.”