A stunning array of student talent wows guests at Ilkley Grammar School’s summer fundraising events in the Rathbones Suite at Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club.
The relationship between a school and the local community it serves is a special one – and nowhere is this more true than in Ilkley, a town where almost everyone has a connection with Ilkley Grammar School.
In the current climate schools, like businesses, are having to work hard to make ends meet, requiring both creativity and a spirit of collaboration.
Ilkley Grammar School has had a longstanding relationship with Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, providing around 90 students each year as ‘ball crew’ for the annual tournament, but the incredible opportunity to put on a school fundraising event on the eve of the Lexus Ilkley Open, in the Rathbones Suite, enabled the school to take things to another level and offer students and the wider community a chance to celebrate while also raising crucial funds for the school.
The ticketed celebration events (an Afternoon Tea, and a Summer Soirée) on the 4th of June were planned to coincide with the climax of the Auction of Promises which had been running online for several weeks. With 205 separate items or services on offer, including some unique high-value items such as a signed Manchester City shirt and extremely rare Kaiser Chiefs memorabilia, hopes were high that the auction would gain momentum.
Jamie Gutch, Deputy Headteacher and one of the organisers of the events said:
"I would like to personally thank the staff, students, parents, carers, businesses and individuals from the wider community who donated something to the auction. To secure over 200 items for people to bid on provided us with an incredible foundation for our summer fundraising events and is testament to the incredible support of the community we serve."
He continued:
"We know that times are tough for businesses as well as schools, and so we urge members of the community to buy local and to support the local businesses and organisations that support us in so many ways."
Ilkley Tawn Tennis and Squash Club and Rathbones generously provided the venue and sponsorship for the IGS Afternoon Tea and Summer Soirée fundraising events and the welcome drink in the evening was sponsored by HB Clark. These ensured that all the money raised from ticket sales was able to benefit IGS students via the Enrichment Fund which has been set up to protect the school’s enhanced support for students and extra-curricular provision.
Over 200 tickets were sold for the events with some tables being sponsored and others filled by parents, staff and members of the wider community.
Mr Gutch whose role at IGS involves working with the wider community said:
"We would like to thank all the different individuals and groups who supported these events by buying tickets. With a new event it can sometimes be hard for people to take the plunge and buy a ticket and I would like to personally thank every individual and group who supported us, in particular Climate Action Ilkley, Jonathan and Alison Walker, the Rotary Club, Ilkley Town Council, Ilkley Great Get Together, Bulloughs (table sponsor), Turner-Price (table sponsor), Just Teachers, Chris Woodhead (table sponsor), the IGS PTA, IGS governors and all the IGS staff and parents/carers who said ‘yes!’ and joined us for this evening of celebration."
The undoubted stars, however, were the student, alumni and staff performers, many of whom performed at both the afternoon and evening events, as well as the team of dedicated student helpers from the IGS Creative Arts Council
[Photo of the Summer Soirée event]
Carly Purnell, Headteacher said:
"These events captured something really important about Ilkley. When the town was recognised as one of the best places to live by The Times, it was described as a community that tackles every challenge with gusto - and that spirit was very much in evidence here. We are hugely grateful to our student, alumni and staff performers, who showcased an extraordinary breadth of talent, to the brilliant Mean Business soul band, and to the many individuals whose hard work behind the scenes made the events such a success. While it is not possible to name everyone, I would like to thank Lucy White and ILTSC for their invaluable support, Rathbones for sponsoring the food and HB Clark for sponsoring the welcome drinks for our Summer Soirée, alongside Vic Chapman, Nick Peters, Adam Grayson, Drew Bentham, Caitlin Lowe, Bev Gale and Jamie Gutch. It was a genuine celebration of community, and of what we can achieve together.”
The grand total raised from the Auction of Promises, the raffle and the afternoon and evening events looks to be just over £16,000 which will allow IGS to continue to maintain and further enhance the school’s exceptional range of extra-curricular opportunities and other important aspects of school provision such as counselling.
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