Fundraiser launched to build hall for Midfield National School

AN east Mayo school has launched a fundraiser to build a new general purpose hall.

Four-teacher Midfield National School, in Swinford, was built in 1965 and extended in 2010. It is the only national school in the area which doesn't have a general purpose hall. Midfield itself also doesn't have a community hall.

The pupils have made a heart-warming video appeal calling for people to answer their fundraising call which is linked to a GoFund Me page on Facebook. The aim is to raise €200,000.

With just under 70 pupils, enrolment numbers have held steady for the last several years. However, the school is not eligible for government funding for a hall as funding is only being made available for the addition of new classrooms for rising pupil numbers.

The school obtained planning permission for a hall in 2012, which was further extended but is due to expire at the end of this year.

Principal Jackie O’Rourke is firm in her belief that the school needs a hall. She explained: “The pandemic brought the need for a hall to our minds as a priority. Up to this point we have been making do. When it is wet, windy or frosty the children cannot go outside. This means they have to stay in their classrooms and their physical activity is limited.

“Why should our children just have to make do? Why should we be accepting less than the best for our children? Midfield NS are the only school in the area that doesn’t have a general purpose hall.”

Ms. O’Rourke noted that many of the similar smaller schools in the area have DEIS status, which means more money is made available to them. Some local schools recently achieved DEIS status and while she has flagged DEIS applicability with local and national representatives on behalf of the school, the awarding of DEIS status is based on previous census results and socio-economic demographics.

Based on the last census, according to the criteria, Midfield does not seem to qualify. And so the school has no choice but to fundraise.

Added Ms. O’Rourke: “Since the granting of the planning permission in 2012, the school has sought to obtain funding but to no avail.

“That’s a whole generation of Midfield children since 2012 who have passed through our school and have been disadvantaged. We don’t want the next generation to be disadvantaged too.”

A fundraising committee has been established by the parents in order to raise the necessary funds to build the hall. They intend to run a series of events over the next year to try to raise a target amount of €200,000.

If you would like to donate to their cause you can find their page on https://www.gofundme.com/f/midfield-ns-hall-fundraiser.