Friends of Severndale Academy, Severndale at Mary Webb and Futures

Friends of Severndale (FOS) is a group of mainly parents, but also staff, carers and friends of students at Severndale Specialist Academy, Severndale at Mary Webb and Futures.

We became a registered charity in 2003. Our main aim is to enhance the lives of our students and their families. Each term, we arrange inclusive events for families to socialise and have fun! We raise money to fund school projects and provide a platform to enable family members, carers and friends to connect in person and via social media. We aim to share ideas and listen to problems, improving resilience and strengthening bonds between families. We meet for monthly committee meetings and warmly welcome new members.

Who’s on the FOS Committee?

Jayne Parry – Chair (Staff)

I am a lead Teaching Assistant at Severndale Academy where I have worked for over 20 years.

I began my working career as a nurse but after initially volunteering at the school, I was pleased to take on a role as a TA there.

I’ve been a member of the FOS Committee for 19 years and enjoy the role, meeting parents and carers and fundraising to support the school.

 

 

 

Francesca Cawood – Secretary (Parent)

My daughter is in Middle School. I joined the FOS committee when she started Lower School.
I wanted to be involved with the school and do something “positive”. I didn’t know anyone else on the committee when I first went along, but I was warmly welcomed.

I have made some brilliant friends on the committee – some are parents of children a similar age to mine who are going through similar issues at the same time as me, and others are parents of older children who are a really useful insight into the issues to come. I love being part of the events we organise because the fundraising is so important if we want to continue to be able to fund treats for the children like the panto or Chester Zoo.

 

Robin Cox – Treasurer

I have just taken early retirement from a 35 year career in engineering and project management in the Automotive sector. My son attended Severndale as a PMLD student from 1999 until 2015 and also attended Hope House for respite care. My wife Sarah has been on the FOS committee for many years and we have both helped out at many fundraising events. I am Shrewsbury born and bred and believe passionately about giving back to the local community that helped us so much.

 


Committee Members

Jayne Parry – Chair
Robin Cox – Treasurer
Francesca Cawood – Secretary
Sarah Downes – SLT Link
Ella Baines
Amanda Coull
Sarah Cox
Dawn Griffiths
Victoria Iremonger
Claire Jones
Verity Nettleton
Sarah Russell
Annie Taylor

Want to Get Involved?

Do you have a bit of time to spare? Do you want to help fund-raise to fund projects like the school mini bus; last year’s Chester Zoo trip; outdoor playground equipment; the annual Panto experience? These have all been funded by FOS.

We are looking for people to help organise and support our fundraising events to ensure that projects like those continue to go ahead. Whether you want to help plan and organise the events and be part of the committee, or are just able to help on the day of our events, please do get in touch. The more people can help, the better the events we can organise, and the more money we can raise to support projects to benefit your children. It’s as simple as that!

At the moment the committee is made up of a mixture of current school parents; former school parents; grandparents, and teaching staff so we are a varied bunch and we look forward to welcoming any newcomer. We meet once a month, usually at school, and we consider and vote on funding requests from the school. These can be as small as a particular range of books that a class teacher might request, or as large as contributory funding towards a new school mini bus.

Even if being on the committee isn’t for you, we ALWAYS need help on the day of our events – particularly the Summer and Christmas Fairs. We will gratefully take any offer of help to bake/sell cakes; flip burgers; sell raffle tickets; set up; tidy away… the committee simply can’t do it all without additional help.

Contact us through social media (see details below) or by email – [email protected]

What’s going on:

Easter Afternoon Tea (To be rearranged)

FoS Ceilidh (To be rearranged)

FoS Charity Golf Day (To be rearranged)

 

Committee Meetings

Due to Covid19 social distancing measures, until further notice, committee meeting will be by Zoom.  All welcome, so please contact [email protected] for the Zoom link.

Meetings will be at 6:30pm on:

Monday 11 January 2021

Monday 1 March 2021

Monday 26 April 2021

Monday 14 June 2021

Monday 5 July 2021

 

Funded Projects

Over the last couple of years FOS has funded, for the benefit of the Academy children, Pantomime experiences, bikes, a sensory garden, playground equipment, a whole school trip to Chester Zoo and contributed to the cost of a mini bus.

Leavers gifts for the Students
Covid19 has meant not only that our fundraising events have been cancelled, but the school activities that FOS would usually support have also not gone ahead.  In particular, FOS usually contributes towards the cost of tickets for students at their Leavers’ Ball in the summer term, which had to be cancelled. Instead, FOS was delighted to have been able to fund gift bags, including Leavers’ Hoodies, which were delivered by school staff to the students’ homes at the end of the summer term.

 

School mini-bus

(May 2019) FOS were delighted to have fundraised £20,000 to contribute towards the cost of a new minibus, for taking students to forest school, swimming and other activities off-site, helping to make them feel more active members of the community.

 

 Wheelchair Swing

The wheelchair swing has been the focus of fundraising done by FOS over the last couple of years, with events such as the annual FOS Golf Day; a Spring Ball and Summer and Christmas Fairs raising a large proportion of the funds needed. The fund was then most generously supported with a grant from the Shropshire Welfare Trust to enable the purchase of the swing during summer 2020.

FOS Chair, Jayne Parry, said, “it was lovely to be able to fund something that would enable wheelchair users to access playground equipment at the Academy. Whilst delayed by Covid19, we were so pleased to hear that the swing was able to be fitted for the start of this term. Outdoor play will be so important over the coming months. We are very grateful to everyone who has supported our fundraising events.”.
Pictured: Jayne Parry – FOS Chair; a happy Severndale Academy student, and Judith Williams – Trustee at Shropshire Welfare Trust.

 

Newsletter

FOS Newsletter Spring 2020>

FOS Newsletter Autumn 2019 >

FOS Newsletter Summer 2019 >

FOS Newsletter Spring 2019 >

FOS Newsletter Autumn 2018 >

FOS Newsletter Summer 2018 >

FOS Newsletter  2017 >

 

Find us

facebook       Friends of Severndale, Severndale and Mary Webb, and Futures – a closed group for parents and friends

facebook     Friends of Severndale  – a public group for promoting events

Twitter   @ FoSeverndale