A Greenwich secondary school has received new sports kit for its students thanks to sponsorship from Bellway Thames Gateway.
The housebuilder, which is delivering new homes across London, donated £1,000 to Ark Greenwich Free School, off Shooters Hill Road, to buy equipment for its sports department.
Around 44 per cent of the school’s students – who range from Year 7 to Year 11 – are from low-income families and struggle to fund extra-curricular activities and kit.
Emma Connolly, Associate Assistant Headteacher for Co-curricular at Ark Greenwich Free School, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the support Bellway has given our sports department this academic year. As a school with incredibly high numbers of pupil premium grant students, our mission is to ensure that our scholars can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anyone they meet.
“As of September this year, we have invested heavily in an elite sports programme and we have a team of around 30 elite scholars who train twice a week. They have shown a real commitment to their training but have struggled to cover costs such as the sports vests and running spikes which would give them an extra advantage at major upcoming competitions.
“Due to Bellway’s support, we will be able to provide all our elite scholars with the necessary equipment to compete at the highest levels and look forward to celebrating their achievements.”
Bellway Thames Gateway has recently completed work at The River Gardens in Greenwich and has also received planning permission for further new homes at Sun Wharf in nearby New Cross, which is a joint venture with Peabody.
Emma Hamlett, Sales Director at Bellway Thames Gateway, said: “As part of our commitment to support the local areas in which we build new homes, we are proud to sponsor a school that plays such an important role in the community.
“We are aware of the importance of funding for activities such as sport, and hope this sponsorship helps the students compete in future sporting events and achieve at the highest level.”
Bellway Thames Gateway is building new homes across London, Kent and Essex. For more information, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/thames-gateway.
