All Year 7s at one Brighton school attended school trip thanks to £10k donation

In the past, many Year 7 students were unable to afford the trip to Snowdonia National Park.

But this year more than 300 students took part in the trip, thanks to the donation from Big Yellow Self Storage.

Students took part in mountain biking and canoeing, abseiling and dry slope skiing, as well as being given the opportunity to socialise with their classmates outside of the school grounds at the outdoor activity centre in Dolawen.

Richard Bradford, headteacher at Dorothy Stringer said: “The school’s dream has always been for every student to have the opportunity to go to Dolawen and at last, with the help of Big Yellow Self Storage, this has become a reality.

“Many students have told us they have grown in confidence and are extremely grateful for the kind donation from Big Yellow Self Storage. Parents have also expressed their gratitude with many commenting that their children have had an amazing time.

"It has been fantastic to see the children bond and develop a sense of community over the school trip as they lived and worked together.”

One Year 7 form tutor echoed Richard Bradford’s sentiments: “Since returning from Dolawen a marked change has happened; most of the form have certainly grown in confidence and some of our more reserved students are comfortable sharing their opinions more openly in group discussions.

"The form is more respectful and tolerant of each other and it is really pleasing to see how social groups have diversified and expanded. It has certainly brought us closer together as a form. What a great trip and what an impact on the form.”

James Gibson, Big Yellow Self Storage CEO, said: “We believe in supporting local communities and were therefore delighted to help give all Year 7 students at the Dorothy Stringer School the chance to stay at Dolawen. We’re so pleased that the students had the most amazing week making new friends, learning new skills, and have returned to school more confident and ready for the next phase of their education.”