School fundraiser ditches fireworks for ice rink (From The Oxford Times)

School fundraiser ditches fireworks for ice rink

7:00am Tuesday 24th January 2012 in Education By Fran Bardsley

Holy Trinity Primary School in Chipping Norton is having an ice rink to raise funds for new facilities. Pictured is Isaac Harrington, seven. Picture: OX49990 Antony Moore

A PRIMARY school has gone from fire to ice in an attempt to raise funds for new facilities.

Holy Trinity Primary School, in Chipping Norton, used to hold an annual fireworks display.

But following building work at the school, it was no longer safe for pyrotechnics to be held in the school grounds.

After putting their heads together, the school’s PTA hit upon hiring a synthetic ice rink and charging locals to take their turns on the ice.

Mum-of-two Tanya Harrington, who is on the organising committee, said: “We were thinking of new events that we could run to try to raise a bit more money.

“We were looking for a replacement for the fireworks which would be a good school event that could also be good for the community.”

Her son Isaac, seven, said: “I’m really looking forward to going ice skating with all my friends. It’s very exciting to have this at my school.”

For three days, an 8m by 9m rink will be available in the grounds from Friday, February 3, to Sunday, February 5.

Refreshments, donated by organisations including Starbucks, Maison Blanc, Co-op and the Fabulous Bakin’ Boys, will be on offer, with the stand decked out as a winter wonderland.

Mrs Harrington said: “It’s been lovely and cold and clear the last few days, so a weekend like that would be great, but the rink will be covered so really the weather doesn’t matter too much.

“We are trying to make it as nice and wintry as possible.

“Hopefully it will be a really good event for all the family.”

With a capacity of 25 for each half-hour session, up to 950 people will be able to take their turn around the rink.

Already 80 per cent of tickets, priced at £4.25 per person including skate hire, have been sold.

Organisers are hoping to raise at least £5,000 which would pay for a laptop trolley and 16 laptops, along with accessories, to fill it.

Mrs Harrington said: “The children do have some computers at the moment but a lot of them are very old and there are only a small number shared between all the children in the school.”

The rink will be open from 7pm to 10pm on February 3, and noon until 8pm on February 4 and 5.

Music will be played in the evenings, with organisers hoping to attract families during the day and teenagers for more ‘party’ sessions later on.

It is hoped that the event will become an annual occasion, and if successful, an even larger rink will be hired for next year.

* To find out more and to buy tickets online, visit chippingnortononice.com