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Guernsey sixth form centre ask the community for support

Guernsey sixth form centre ask the community for support

BBC News03-06-2025
Islanders have been urged to consider ways they may be able to contribute to Guernsey's new sixth form centre.The States of Guernsey said the centre's move to its new temporary home at the La Mare de Carteret site will take place in September, before it moves to a campus at Les Ozouets.Officials said the policy and resources committee approved £283,000 to ready the site for the sixth form, with £179,000 to fund equipment and bike shelters.Sixth form principal Kieran James said the vision was to create a "smart, professional" environment, adding: "We are asking Guernsey's incredible community to come together and contribute to this important project."
Officials said the revamp work includes remodelling parts of the building's interior, as well as transforming the current sports hall into a university-style lecture theatre and multi-purpose study area.Mr James said the centre would reach out to individuals and businesses who were keen to collaborate."This could include support through corporate social responsibility initiatives, from providing interior design advice or donating additional quality office furnishings, to offering mentoring support to our students or helping to fund motivational and inspirational graphic artwork to enhance the site," he said.Mr James added: "The students who graduate from the Sixth Form Centre they become our future doctors and our lawyers and our teachers and our journalists."What we're asking is that the community therefore gives some input into the sixth form to be part of that journey."Nick Hynes, director of education, said the relocation work was "on track and in budget".
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Dan Whitworth & Dearbail Jordan Reporting from Winsford, Cheshire Getty Images Few councils offer school uniform support, and one of the UK's largest debt advisers has called on the government to change that Low-income families in England struggling with the cost of school uniform should be offered grants as standard, one of the UK's largest debt advisers has said. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all families on certain benefits can claim between £93 to £200 per child for back-to-school clothing. But Money Wellness found only a fifth of councils in England offer any support and has called on the UK government to introduce a statutory school clothing grant. The Department for Education (DfE) said it was already changing the law to limit the number of branded items schools can insist on, saving some families over £50 on the back-to-school shop. 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But Carrie said there were other costs too such as shoes and football boots. "And Dillon will grow out of them so it is a continual issue really and with Christmas not far off, it is back-to-back for families with costs." Jason, with Amelia, Julie and Bobby, says councils should standardise help with school uniform costs With household bills such as energy, water and council tax rising in April, Mr Rolfe said the costs of the start of the school year was an added financial burden. Jason, who was at the Green Uniform and Baby Bank in Cheshire with his wife Julie and their children Amelia and Bobby, said it was not just low income families who were struggling with costs. "You might earn a lot of money however, bills are going up, the cost of living is going up. We're in a sort of crisis where everyone's trying to save or penny-pinching wherever they can," he said. 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