Creating Opportunities Together
Enriching young minds with unique experiences and activities at Gibside School.
About Friends of Gibside School
Our charity is made up of a small number of Staff, Parents & Relatives of Pupils.
The aim of the charity is to raise funds to assist the school in exploring new opportunities that include experiences and specialist equipment. Due to the overwhelming capacity of Children in the school, the majority of school funding is allocated to staffing. Leaving a huge deficit to provide these special needs children with specialist equipment and experiences. We have numerous fundraisers throughout the year including Summer & Christmas Fayre’s, along with runners participating in the Great North Run. We are always looking to explore new fundraisers to help sustain a calendar of events for our wonderful children who attend the school.
Trustees
Meet our trustees and the reason they give so much of their time to our charity.
Margaret Morton:
“I have worked at Gibside School since we opened in 1997. When Friends Of Gibside School Charity started up in ???? I initially helped run there first few events. As time passed by I have gradually taken a more active role. I was registered as a trustee and quickly became involved in organising events, raffles and fayres etc. With this I was elected treasurer and have continued in this role throughout the years. In 2022 I ran my first Great North Run to raise funds for this amazing charity. Having spent nearly 30 years with the school I can truly say it holds a special place in my heart.”
Dawn Bell:
“16 years ago I started my role as a classroom assistant at Gibside School. One of my favourite things about this role is helping the children fulfil their potential. It is such an amazing journey to observe when you see the children developing in ways their parents couldn’t have imagined. The school doesn’t just impact the lives of the children, but the family as a whole. We get such wonderful feedback from parents/carers that it makes this job an absolute joy. With the skills I developed over the years I put myself forward to be a trustee of the charity. Over the last 5 years I have strived to provide our children with activities they would never have the chance to experience, along with equipment to enhance learning. This charity really means a lot to me and I will continue to dedicate my time.”
Peter Mulholland
“My son is a pupil at Gibside School. Parents of a non-disabled child starting school have anxiety about the situation. However as a parent of a disabled child I can’t begin to describe the level of anxiety you have about your child starting school. The school went way above and beyond contacting us daily to let us know how my son was getting on. This absolutely blew us away at how much understanding they had of our worries. To show my appreciation I wanted to give the school something back. After attending a meeting I quickly realised I could add some value to the charity with connections I had made through my working career. Numerous projects were set up with my assistance which are now a permanent fixture in the schools calendar. I will continue to drive the charity forward with the aim of creating various sustainable strategies to ensure this charity continues to thrive in the future.”
Help us make a difference
Join Friends of Gibside to enrich children’s lives with unique experiences. Let’s empower and inspire together!