Could Farringdon School Playground Charity benefit your family?

You probably know that Farringdon once had its own railway station and general store. But did you know Farringdon had its own school in Massey’s Folly? When it closed in 1987 through falling intake, pupils were redirected to Chawton and Selborne Primary Schools. Today, Farringdon School leaves one valuable legacy, Farringdon School Playground Charity, which continues to benefit the residents of Lower and Upper Farringdon and Newton Valence.

The charity raises modest funds every year from rent paid for the use of a field, once the school’s playground, tucked away in the heart of Upper Farringdon. These funds are managed by a committee of five volunteer, local Trustees and the money is used to make small donations to assist the education of young people in the school’s former catchment area.

Every year, villagers are reminded of the available funds in an article for Farringdon & Chawton Village Magazine and Farringdon.net, and from this year on the websites www.farringdonpc.org, www.mynewtonvalence.org, and www.farringdon.biz. In most years one or two suitable recipients are found. The trustees have donated up to £300 each for villagers up to the age of 25. Funds have helped to meet the cost of music and dance lessons, and school or club sports trips.

If someone in your family might benefit please contact me, Jeremy Cowan, the committee chair, via email at [email protected] . We welcome applications from residents of these villages and all applications are considered on their individual merits.

The charity recently saw the retirement of the longstanding chair, Tim Charrington, who has led it for no fewer than 30 years, and is stepping down with the grateful thanks of all the Trustees. I am taking over as the charity’s chair, with the vital support of Nadine Farris, Rob Ahearn, Mark Kemp-Gee (representing Hampshire County Council), and Marianne Prynne (for Farringdon Parish Council).

If you know of someone living in Newton Valence or Farringdon and aged up to 25 who might benefit from a one-off donation (with no strings attached) given at the discretion of the charity, let us know. We do not disclose the names of beneficiaries, but we do ask the family concerned to tell us the result of the donation so we can ensure it continues to be effective. Could this funding benefit someone close to you?

Report by Jeremy Cowan, chair of the Farringdon School Playground Charity. For more information and a short application form contact [email protected] (Applications will be shared for confidential discussion only by the Trustees).