ARMED FORCES GRANT BRINGS JOY TO CORNISH SCHOOL

A Primary School inWest Cornwallis celebrating after receiving an Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant for £57,500.

PorthlevenCommunityPrimary Schoolnear to Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose is one of the leading schools in the Helston and Lizard Cooperative Trust. It is one of the largest educational Trusts in theUKand underpins 18 local schools and applied for a Ministry of Defence funded grant in April 2013. Over 30 children at the School come from service backgrounds and many of their parents spend long periods on deployments with the Culdrose based squadrons and support units.

Presenting the cheque to the school was Commander John Lea, the Executive Commander for RNAS Culdrose and Carole Theobald from Cornwall Council.

The money from the Grant will go towards a Multi-use Games Area (MUGA). Complete with all weather outdoor facilities with evening floodlighting that will benefit not just the School but has a much wider community reach. With RNAS Culdrose 3000 strong work-force living within a 20 mile radius of the new facility at Porthleven, it is estimated that over 4130 children and local communities will have access to the project.

Deputy Headmaster at Porthleven, Dan Clayden believes it will encourage a stronger identity and community integration with the Armed Forces and local people, "This promotes greater support and awareness between everyone. Some of our children are nurtured within a forces environment and this scheme will help form core values and philosophy linked with service life and their families."

The latest Community Covenant Grant comes after a successful phase 1 application, which brought a new playing facility to the school and was officially opened in spectacular style by one of the Royal Navy's senior Admiral's, Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral David Steel CBE in December last year.

"RNAS Culdrose's support has had such a positive effect and strengthened links between everyone," said Leigh Yates, Chairwoman of the Porthleven Parents and Teachers Association. "We want all children in our Cornish community to have access and truly maximise the multiple benefits that this facility will bring."