New Minibus gifts travel to Patterdale school
14th October 2024
School children in Patterdale can look forward to improved connections thanks to a donation from owners of The Ullswater Inn, The Inn Collection Group, that has allowed Patterdale CofE School to secure their very own minibus.
A 17-seater Peugeot Boxer, the minibus is set to provide the school with a reliable means of transport that will allow their pupils to enjoy enhanced education opportunities in the wider county.
From an annual residential trip to an outdoor activity centre to visits to local historical and cultural sites and beyond, the in-house vehicle will provide a reliable way to transport pupils to these experiences.
It will also be available as a wider community resource that people and groups in the local community will be able to hire on a not-for-profit basis, making it an invaluable asset for all.
Area operations manager Chris Liddell and assistant manager at The Ullswater Inn Zack Grisedale visited the school last Friday (October 11) to present the keys for the vehicle to headteacher Nicky Steels.
Joined by pupils for whom the minibus will provide a vital link to the wider county and enriching educational opportunities, the duo learnt more about what the donation has allowed the school to do.
After being presented with the keys Headteacher Nicky Steels said: "We are absolutely thrilled with our new 'Patterdale CofE School Community Minibus' and cannot thank The Ullswater Inn and The Inn Collection Group enough for this very generous donation.
“As a small, isolated rural school we have to constantly fundraise to make sure that our pupils have the best possible educational experience, and it would have taken many years for us to have raised enough to buy a whole minibus!
“Having reliable transport enables us to take the children out to enjoy sporting and educational activities around the county and beyond, and we have already planned lots of great trips for the rest of this academic year”.
Chris Liddell added: “Zach and I were delighted to have presented Nicky and the school the keys and to hear about the exciting opportunities that they offer to their pupils and that the bus will help them deliver.
“The school does a brilliant job and really makes the most of the opportunities its location presents to encourage their pupils to seek adventure and explore and the minibus allows that approach to expand to the wider area.
“Inns have always been about being at the heart of their communities and we’re thrilled to embrace that tradition and secure the minibus. I’m looking forward to seeing it out and about.”
For more details, residents and groups within the Ullswater Valley that are interested in using the minibus can contact the school via info@patterdale.cumbria.sch.uk