Making a Difference Locally (MADL) is a charity launched to help independently run local stores to add value to their communities #MakingADifferenceLocally.
Our school vision is rooted in the belief that when we all work together, we can achieve so much and we have worked tirelessly over the past 4 years to build connections and offer support to our community where we can. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. Recently, we found that we reaped some of the seeds that we have sown with a kind offer from Cy, from the Dartington Village Stores.
Cy came in to visit the school and understood the challenges that we face with budgets and provisions for children. He offered us support through NISA, one of their main suppliers, who run a scheme called ‘Making a Difference Locally’. When you, as customers, buy certain products, Cy and his team accrue funds from those products which are saved and donated to local good causes enabling them to make a difference in the community.
As a result, we were gifted £500 from Dartington Village Stores. We asked our Pupil Voice group what they wanted to spend the money on and they decided that playtime and lunchtime equipment needed an update. They felt that the resources we had were aged and many felt they lacked inspiration at lunchtimes and they wanted more sport equipment to encourage them to all be active. This money has been allocated to buy some more lunch time and playtime equipment to really help them to flourish during playtimes. We have even trained up some sports leaders who will be sharing these out across the school and training the children on how to use it all. It will provide more activities and choice in lunchtimes and enable our children to see our school vision in action: working together as a community really can make a difference. A big thank you to Cy and his team from the Dartington Stores who have helped to make this possible!
Mrs Charlotte Huish, Dartington Academy Headteacher said “Working together with our communities really helps us as schools to provide the best possible provision for our children. This money has really made a difference to the enjoyment and agency of our pupils leading the outdoor playtime sessions.”
Harry, a play leader for Dartington Academy, told us, “It feels amazing to be a play leader as we get to be out in the fresh air helping other children to be happy. We have used the new equipment to lead dodgeball games as well as providing children with hula-hoops, skipping ropes, tennis racquets and much more. We even have little turtles for people to throw, but don’t worry: they’re not real! I can socialise much better now as a play leader and it also makes me do more exercise which also makes definitely brightens my mood.”