Mansfield’s James Henry Blake Charity donate £2,000 towards costs of Flying High Academy children’s year six trip

Pictured are year six Teacher Robert Hughes with Michael Beeley and Maureen Page (Trustees of the JH Blake Charity) with children at The Flying High Academy, Ladybrook. Photo: Submitted

placeholder image — Pictured are year six Teacher Robert Hughes with Michael Beeley and Maureen Page (Trustees of the JH Blake Charity) with children at The Flying High Academy, Ladybrook. Photo: Submitted

Pupils and staff at the Flying High Academy, Ladybrook, have thanked a local charity for its generous support of their annual residential trip to Ilam Hall in the Peak District.

Mr Robert Hughes is a Year 6 teacher at the school and he explained: “Everyone at Flying High Academy, Ladybrook, is immensely grateful to the James Henry Blake Charity, which has once again donated funds to support the cost of a year six residential school trip for our children.

"This is the second year running that the Trust has provided this generous gift.”

In previous years, the charity has also contributed to costs for a pantomime for the whole school, and a year four residential trip.

Following their most recent support, the school has been able to reduce costs for all pupils for the planned year six residential, with children in receipt of pupil premium seeing their contribution fall significantly.

Mr Hughes said: “The impact of these kind donations is profound, and it has removed the financial barriers that might prevent many children from accessing such experiences.”

During previous trips, children were able to climb Thorpe Cloud and explore the countryside to consolidate their science topic of living things and their habitats.

Year six children at the school are now looking forward to their own adventure which is planned for June.

Mr Hughes says the residential is a cherished milestone for pupils at the school: “The year six residential is something of a rite of passage for our children, expanding their horizons in a beautiful part of the Peak District countryside.

"I am very grateful, as is the whole school, to the James Henry Blake Charity for enabling more children to join in and experience this for themselves.”

The charity was established under the terms of the last will and testament of James Henry Blake (1850-1909) to support local children to take part in educational and leisure activities.

Mr Blake, who was originally from Cambridgeshire, became a successful local businessman and Mansfield’s Mayor twice, and his legacy lives on through the work of The James Henry Blake Charity which continues to support the town’s children through grants.