Letter appealing for local Funding.
THE
FOREST OF DEAN EDUCATION & LYDNEY INSTITUTE COMMITTEE
SCHOOL OF ART & SCIENCE,
LYDNEY,
GLOS.
30th October 1905
PRESIDENT: W. H. Marling Esq.
VICE-PRESIDENT: Chas. Bathurst Esq. Jnr
HON. SEC: R. Beaumont Thomas Esq
HON. Treas: C. S. Freeman Esq
Ladies & Gentlemen,
As you are no doubt aware in response to a considerable local demand the Lydney
Secondary School was started in 1903, accommodation being found temporarily
at the Lydney Institute. The School has from the outset, been well patronised
by parents living in the district desiring a good Secondary Education for
their children; and the decision which was come to by the Forest of Dean
Education and the Lydney Institute Committee to open such a school in Lydney
has been more than justified by the increasing demand made upon them by the
locality to provide such education. The number of students now exceed 100,
apart from the Pupil Teachers coming from the area of which it is the recognised
centre. The Institute premises have for a long time proved wholly inadequate
to accommodate our Secondary School, and both the Board of Education and
the County Education Authority have only recognised it as a public day school,
on the understanding and condition that sufficient accommodation, according
to modern ideas and requirements is at once provided.
The proposed new buildings to be erected on a site adjoining the Science Wing
and Institute, will together with the necessary furniture and equipment be
an expenditure of about £6,000. These buildings will include a large
assembly hall and two class rooms, which will together provide class accommodation
for about 100 children, a Domestic Economy room, a teachers' common room,
the usual offices and a manual instruction room (detached).
The Gloucester Education Committee as part of their ‘Scheme for providing
the County with an efficient system of higher education has recently adopted
the following resolutions:
"That a Grant of £160 per annum for 30 years be made to the Lydney
area, in order that the sum of £3,000 may be raised for building purposes,
provided that a similar capital sum of £3,000, or else a sum of £160
per annum for 30 years if found locally either by rates or voluntary subscription,
and that a further grant of £200 be made for the maintenance of the Secondary
School."
It will be seen therefore that the County is prepared to find half the estimated
cost of the new building, but only on the footing that the other half is provided
by the locality, either by local rates or private contribution.
The Lydney Rural District Council as representing parishes whose areas include
a considerable portion of the agricultural part of the district served by the
School, have decided to raise a sum of about £1,000 for the above purpose
by levying a rate over their areas of 1/4d in the pound for a period of 30
years.
Unless the local authorities in our educational area are prepared to afford
the same or similar assistance, there remains a sum of £3,000 to be provided
by local contribution and towards this balance the sum specified in the accompanying
list has already been either received or promised, which encourage us in the
belief, that thanks to the public spirited efforts of those living, or interested
in Lydney and its neighbourhood, the whole of the large sum required will be
forthcoming without leaving any debt upon our Secondary School, and that the
latter will be in every respect, a credit to the locality, and as good as any
similar institution in the County.
It is difficult to imagine any public enterprise more deserving of your liberality
and support, or more calculated to conduce, in the long run, to the prosperity
and happiness of our local trading, industrial and agricultural communities;
and we therefore appeal to you to generously provide the comparatively small
sum which has yet to be found as part of our local contribution.
We may mention that the staff of the school has recently been strengthened
and improved, and it will be our endeavour, with their valued assistance, to
secure for all children in the district, for whom it may be desired by their
parents, or who may be sent from local
Elementary Schools after obtaining County Scholarships, a good sound Secondary
Education at a very modest cost.
We are, Ladies & Gentlemen,
Yours faithfully
W.H. Marling, President
Chas. Bathurst, Jnr., Vice-President
R. Beaumont Thomas, Hon. Sec
Philip Bayliss *
James Lauder *
Wm. Jones *
Sidney J. Elson *
*Members of the Building Sub-Committee
Some of the Subscribers to this project to date.
Chas. Bathurst, Senr. & Jnr. The School Site.
W.H. Marling, Esq
R. Beaumont Thomas Esq.
Richard Thomas & Co. Ltd.
J. T. Smith (Chairman of Richard Thomas & Co. Ltd)
Mr. Richard Thomas (Founder of Richard Thomas & Co. Ltd)
H.M. Customs of Woods & Forests
Mrs. W. E Price
Sir Wm. H. Marling.
Mr. H. C. Bond (Director of Richard Thomas & Co. Ltd)
Sir Charles Dilke, Bart, M.P.
Colonel P. S. Marling.
The response was good and on January 17, 1907, the extensions to the Institute
buildings were opened, comprising an Assembly Hall (now the V1 form room and
Library, two classrooms (later converted into a Chemistry and subsequently
a Biology Laboratory) a Domestic Economy Room (in which school dinners were
later provided), and a detached Manual Instruction room near to the site of
the present boiler house.
(R.A.J. Bell and H.T. Pitt)
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