Three Dundee schools have won our Pounds for Primaries top cash prizes.
This week we visited St Mary’s RC Primary School, Glebelands Primary School and Ardler Primary School to present them with their cheques.
And surprised and delighted children were already planning how their schools could spend the cash – with suggestions ranging from playground equipment to buckets of chicken!
Evening Telegraph readers collected almost 11,000 tokens from our newspapers for their local schools, meaning 16 schools earned prizes of at least £100.
St Mary’s RC Primary School collected the most tokens – 2,116 – giving it the top prize of £1,250.
P3 pupils Tobi Aluko, Kaira Achusim, Gianna Black, Rosie Fearn, Dawid Muskietorz, Macey Clark and Samuel Morgan had lots of ideas for spending the cash, including on play things and lots of jotters.
Head teacher Ali Curran was thrilled the school had won and said: “We were really surprised as so many schools in Dundee get involved.
“We will be spending the money on the playground to make it more enjoyable for the children.”
“They are just tiny little tokens you cut out of the newspaper then when you join them altogether they make £1,000.”
Mollie Davidson, P3, Glebelands Primary
Glebelands Primary School – also one of last year’s winners – was the winner of the large schools category, collecting 1,233 tokens and a cheque for £1000.
Pupils said it was “absolutely phenomenal” to win and Mollie Davidson, P3, was astonished tokens from the Telegraph had transformed into a bumper cheque.
She said: “They are just tiny little tokens you cut out of the newspaper then when you join them altogether they make £1,000.”
Head teacher Robert Gill is putting the cash into a playground transformation fund driven by Glebelands Family Group.
He said: “The children and their parents are making massive efforts to make playground improvements – probably much needed – to the school.
“We had some lovely fixed equipment which has come to the end of its shelf life and we are looking to get some replacement outdoor furniture and active fixed equipment.”
Mollie and fellow pupils Abdulsamee Zulfikar, P2, Max Adamson, P3, Harry Cowper, P5, Quinn Buchanan, P5, and Caitlynne Mullady, P7, hope this will include a slide and “loads” of swings.
Ardler Primary School earned £500 for being the small schools winner, collecting 527 tokens.
Lacey McGovern, P6, wanted to spend the money on a school dog she would name Dog which could visit classrooms.
But head teacher Louise Reid is considering using the cash for play equipment.
She said: “I’m really pleased for the children. This gives us a little bit of extra cash that we can spend on some things we need, possibly for the playground.
“We go through a lot of footballs in Ardler!”
Grange Primary School also won £500, while Murroes and Ancrum Road primary schools won £250 and 10 other schools £100.
The money was raised at our first ever Evening Telegraph Christmas concert, which we hope to repeat this December.
Editor Dave Lord said: “Pounds for Primaries is a tremendous initiative and something the Evening Telegraph is really proud of.
“It is, of course, all down to our readers who have made it possible by collecting tokens and sending them in in such huge numbers, so that local schools can benefit.
Well done to all the winning schools – I know the money we are handing over will make a real, meaningful difference.”
Evening Telegraph editor Dave Lord
“These are tough times and anything that can be done to help buy resources to benefit our young learners is really worthwhile.
“Well done to all the winning schools – I know the money we are handing over will make a real, meaningful difference.
“It has been brilliant to hear how some of the young people would like to see the money spent. There are certainly some fantastic, creative young minds out there!
“We want to help every single child in Dundee reach their full potential, and to that end I need to say a massive thank you to all of those who have made Pounds for Primaries possible.”
Schools will be contacted after the Easter holidays to arrange payments.
Conversation