Who are we?
AHS is the only girls’ grammar school in North Buckinghamshire. Dating back to 1849, we became a girls' school in 1959 and now serve c1350 students aged 11-18. Our vision is to develop uniquely talented young adults who are independent, strong, and confident, through an ambitious education that stimulates creative and critical thinking, values diversity, and facilitates dynamic personal development within a welcoming environment.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We urgently need to replace the surface on our existing sports courts (4 Netball or 5 Tennis), used by our students daily and the local community every evening and weekend. The uneven surfaces are now impacting the safety and enjoyment of these facilities.
This project directly supports three of the five priorities within our 5-year School Development Plan:
- Strengthening co-curricular opportunities to facilitate dynamic personal development for our students,
- Creating a welcoming environment by continuously improving facilities
- Embedding and developing engagement with the wider community, to draw the very best out of all
As a research-driven school, we are very aware that young women, in particular, have not recovered well from the COVID pandemic. Therefore, these courts which are vital for promoting physical activity and wellbeing, especially important for our community of young women, are incredibly important to us. Sport has proven positive effects on girls' mental health, boosting self-esteem, reducing stress, and fostering teamwork and resilience. High-quality facilities are crucial for encouraging girls' participation in sport and developing healthy habits.
AHS is leading a new county-wide initiative promoting tennis at all levels, not just tournaments. Our Director of Sport has designed a program for local primary and secondary schools to make tennis fun and increase participation. AHS would host many events, but our current sport courts are a significant barrier. Refurbishment would allow us to fully embrace this initiative and offer these opportunities to students across the county.
Furthermore, our Director of Sport plans to introduce sports carousels for local primary schools, giving their students access to our specialist teachers and facilities, and introducing sports like handball. This aligns with the DfE's aim for all children to have equal access to high-quality PE and a wide range of sports.
Refurbishing these courts will benefit current and future AHS students and the local community, creating a safe and inspiring environment for girls to participate in sport, develop their skills, and reap the physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise.
How we’ll spend the money raised
The cost of the Project is c £65,000 for refurbishment plus an additional £6,000 for equipment. We have already secured £35,000 of Funding, in addition Sport England have pledged £15,000 and asked us to match fund their donation via this crowdfunding campaign. We have therefore set a campaign target of £30,000 which will allow us to refurbish the courts, any additional funds raised will ensure we are able to purchase badly needed equipment for the courts (such as the lockable sockets). The money we raise here through your kind donations go towards the following:
- Asphalt Surface and Kerb Edging
- Netball Post / Tennis Net Sockets
- Surface Binder & Colouring
- Line Marking (4 Netball / 5 Tennis Courts)
Community impact
The sports courts are widely relied upon by the local community, we have approximately 400 players per year from the local community which use the facilities every week for both social and tournament activities.
Play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!