Power NI’s helping hand to local school

STAFF and pupils at a rural primary school outside Sixmilecross have become the latest to benefit from support through Power NI’s long-running ‘Helping Hands’ charitable initiative.

Cooley Primary School has used the £300 cash boost to purchase a selection of protective clothing for Year One and Year Two pupils, which will help keep them warm and dry when taking part in outdoor learning lessons, especially in bad weather.

‘Helping Hands’ is a scheme that allows Power NI employees to nominate an organisation they believe is deserving of funding.

The school – which first opened its doors in March 2005 – was nominated by Power NI employee, Charlotte Heatherington.

Cooley Primary School was established after Dervaghroy Primary School, the Hutton Primary School in Beragh and Sixmilecross Primary School merged.

knowledge of nature

Part of the new school’s curriculum centres around developing the children’s knowledge of nature and the great outdoors, which this donation will help facilitate.

Joy Carrothers from Cooley Primary School, said, “Without this funding, pupils simply would have had to remain indoors during wet days, and would have lost out on many valuable outdoor learning lessons.

“The £300 received from Power NI through the ‘Helping Hands’ initiative has really benefited our pupils in helping them to get outside, into nature, no matter the weather.

“This extra time spent outside has benefited the children’s mental health and wellbeing, helped in the development of their social skills and supported the classroom learning that takes place indoors,” added Joy.

Charlotte Heatherington expressed her thanks to the company, saying, “The funding Power NI has given has very much helped the school and will allow teaching staff to offer more outdoor-based activities to pupils to improve their wellbeing and help their skills development.”