Central Integrated Primary School in Carrickfergus raising money for outdoor play area

Central Integrated Primary School, formerly Carrickfergus Central Primary, is this year marking seven decades of providing high quality education in the east Antrim town.

Among the activities planned to mark the milestone are a 70th anniversary dinner, to be held in Carrickfergus Golf Club on June 1, 2024.

Anyone with any connection to the school, past or present, is welcome to attend.

While reflecting on their journey to date, Central Integrated PS is also actively planning for the future with the aim of creating a vibrant play area to benefit all children at the school.

The school will be working with Messyplay NI as they plan to turn their vision into reality, with the overall cost estimated to be in the region of £15,000.

Mrs Nuala Hall, principal of the Thomas Street school said: “The education budget in Northern Ireland has been cut by £66.4million (2.5 percent) in 2023/24. This means that there is no funding available from within school budgets to pay for schemes such as this one, to enhance the outdoor play area, so we have had to plan strategically and think creatively so that we can give our pupils the outdoor area that they deserve.”

Central has a dedicated PTA who regularly fundraises for the social and educational benefits of the school’s children.

The PTA recently embarked on a mission to generate much-needed funds towards the project with various events. Among the fundraising efforts was a GoFundMe page, launched with an initial goal of reaching £2,000.

In the first two weeks, donations to the GoFundMe page raised £765 towards the project, while the school also received a £500 donation from both Fleming and Cuthbert, funeral directors in Ballyclare and GB Mechanical.

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about Central Integrated Primary can contact Mrs Hall by telephone on 028 9335 1272.

Meanwhile, for those who would like to make a donation to help develop the outdoor area, donations can be left into the school office or by using the GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/e20fb25f

Lucie Millar, PTA chair said: “Outdoor play activities such as swinging, climbing and sliding are much more than ‘just fun’. Outdoor play allows children to develop their social skills as well as improving their gross motor skills all while having fun with their friends.

"The outdoors can provide space and freedom for a type of learning that is difficult to replicate indoors. We have a big challenge ahead of us, but I am confident with the support that we continuously receive from other parents and the wider community we will be able to transform our play area into a safe place for our children to explore and learn."

The School Council, made up of pupils from P4-7, have also been helping to raise money for the project. They recently held a Movie/Duvet Day which raised just over £100, and plan to hold another fun event before Easter.