School nets £1,000 donation from crematorium
A Newmarket school has netted a £1,000 donation from West Suffolk Cemetery & Crematorium to pay for badminton equipment to help encourage pupils to take up the sport.
The donation to Exning Primary School was made after the crematorium’s office manager Janine Simonds, herself a Level 2 badminton coach, learned that the school was facing funding cuts.
She then suggested that a donation be made from the proceeds of the crematorium’s metal recycling scheme
With the consent of families, metals recovered during cremation are recycled, and any money raised is used to support selected charities, local activities and environmental initiatives which benefit the communities that the crematorium serves.
Exning Primary School’s sports coach Katie Nutter said the donation was part of an initiative to encourage children to become more active.
She said: “We are very lucky with all the wonderful sports equipment we have, but we were missing some badminton equipment.
“Thanks to this generous donation from West Suffolk Cemetery & Crematorium, we bought nets, racquets and shuttlecocks, and the children have had lots of fun having a go.”
West Suffolk Cemetery & Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 41 sites across England, Scotland and Wales, all set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide peaceful places for people to visit and reflect.
Manager Claire Butcher said: “Janine recently visited the school, along with crematorium assistant Charlotte Bower, to deliver a mini badminton lesson to the pupils, using the brand new equipment funded by West Suffolk Cemetery and Crematorium.
“We were only too happy to help the school, as part of our aim is to provide a positive presence within our local area, and to support charities, organisations and schools which help improve the quality of life for local people.
“Janine told us how much the children enjoyed the mini lesson she and Charlotte delivered, and it sounds as if the new equipment which has been bought using our donation has already been put to very good use, which is very satisfying.”
For more information about West Suffolk Cemetery & Crematorium, the exceptional care and services offered to local people, and regular events that take place there, visit www.westsuffolkcrematorium.co.uk
