The much-loved school in Putney needs to raise £20,000 of the total £300,000 repair bill
South London parents and teachers are urgently appealing for help to meet the cost of fixing their primary school’s leaking roof. The repairs at Brandlehow School, in Putney, are desperately needed as it has been suffering from leaks and severe damp due to its 75-year-old flat roof falling apart.
The works began in the summer after Wandsworth Council agreed to cover most of the £300,000 repair bill, but the school needs to find £20,000 by April to meet the full cost. Brandlehow’s parent teacher association (PTA) is campaigning to raise this sum, so that it does not have to come out of the state-funded school’s budget and impact operations.
Dena Wixley, Co-Chair of Brandlehow School PTA, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “It’s really, really important for us to make the school watertight, so we’re really happy that this work has started. We’ve managed to raise just over £9,000 so far of the £20,000, so we’re doing well but we really need to make this last £11,000.”
Brandlehow’s Grade II listed building is one of only three schools built in the UK by famous architect Erno Goldfinger. It was built in 1950 to replace the school’s former building, which opened in 1902, after it was bombed in World War II.
Today, the school is dedicated to the community and has a specialist team to help children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Dena stressed the importance of protecting the historic building so that it can be safe and dry for generations of pupils to come.
She said: “We just really need the community to come together and recognise that it’s really important to have a community state primary school here in Putney, certainly on the east side of Putney… it’s really important for local residents for this school to survive and for us to protect this architectural building.”
The PTA is raising money through different initiatives, with plans to sell Christmas trees, host a festive fair and hold carol events. It is welcoming donations of any size to its fundraiser to hit the £20,000 target.
To contribute to the school’s fundraiser, visit the dedicated webpage.
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