Save Bristol Steiner School

WE DID IT !

📢 It's the news we've been waiting for - WE DID IT! 🎉

Today Bristol Steiner School has successfully exited administration after 7 months of hard work and incredible community support. This marks the beginning of a new chapter of growth, innovation, and inclusivity.

For 50 years, our school has nurtured critical thinking, creativity, and practical skills; things we believe are needed more now than ever. Thanks to a remarkable campaign and nearly £1 million in loans and donations, we’ve secured our future.

But we're not just relying on a cash injection, we are in the process of transformation of our school. We’re thrilled to introduce a sliding scale fee structure and bursaries for families of African/Caribbean heritage. Exciting renovations, a planned middle school and a school bus are all in the works.

In the coming weeks we will be sharing more detail on our journey and the changes we have made to pave the way for a brighter future, so stay tuned. Please sign up to the PTFA newsletter to keep up to date with our school https://subscribepage.io/bssptfa

Thank you so much for all the donations to our crowdfunder - every single penny has counted and is so much appreciated.

As the legal process has taken so long to exit - 7 months - the fees will be covered by the money raised from the crowdfunder. Also £5,000 is being spent on our kindergarten outdoor play equipment to combine with an existing grant from Hermes Trust secured by the PTFA. 

These donations have been and are the vital lifeline the PTFA has needed in order to have the required legal expertise to ensure our school has a future! Thank you so much for all your support!

FUNDRAISING TARGET EXTENDED DUE TO UNEXPECTED RISE IN COSTS

Thanks to all your support we achieved our initial target of £30.000.

Administrators fees have been much higher than anticipated. Money that was earmarked for supporting the school to flourish and not just make it through is now required to cover the costs of administration. So we are raising our funding cap now we are on the final home straight in the hope that not only can the school make it through this ordeal, but can burst in to bloom in its new beginnings.  Please accept our ongoing gratitude for your support.

📣 WE DID IT! 📣

Well done everyone! We have met our £30k target in under 4 weeks!
Just simply amazing!
Thank you all so, so much from the bottom of our hearts.
Reading all your comments has been so heartwarming. To see the love for this school past, present and future is a wonderful thing.
Thanks to your support this school is well on its way to surviving and thriving into the future.
THANK YOU ALL AND WELL DONE 🎉🎉🎉

Here is a little update video from the Chair of our PTFA Lindsay Berresford about the wonderful progress so far to save Bristol Steiner School:

And please enjoy this lovely photo of some of our wonderful school community celebrating the end of term yesterday.
Thank you so much to Class 3 parent Chris Cornish for capturing this moment ❤️

Have fun zooming in and looking at those lovely faces!

WELL DONE EVERYONE!
Wishing you all a chocolately, restful Easter 🐣

Thank you awesome people!

Dear friends,

We have been absolutely blown away by the generosity of donations to the Save Bristol Steiner School Crowdfunder.

In just three days we have raised £12,500 and achieved 40% of our target.

This is amazing!!! You are amazing!!!

THANK YOU for everything you are doing to support the Crowdfunder and support the school.

Thank you for giving your money so generously, thank you for sharing the Crowdfunder with your friends, family and networks.

Thank you for your comments in support of this wonderful school. They have moved many of us to tears, and are really keeping us all going.

We are sharing just a few of the many, many truly wonderful comments to show just how loved this school is by so many, and how much support we have in Bristol and beyond:

‘Good luck to all of you. This school will survive. It has already had many lives. May it remain a beautiful centre for children to flourish and grow, for parents to learn and for teachers to share their loving work and skills.’

‘I went to a Steiner school from age 9 to 17. It changed my life for the better. Now that I live in Bristol I would like to help protect this one, despite having no direct connections to it. At the heart of the Steiner ethos is the importance of developing the whole human being, not solely the knowledge machine. We could use more of this in our world today.’

‘In the hope that my small contribution can help towards ensuring the continuation of an environment that is so nurturing of my friend’s child.’

‘My life was forged from my time at this school and I would hate for the opportunity to be lost for others.’

‘Both my daughters have been part of BSS since kindergarten and they have both thrived here. We actually moved to Bristol because of it from Australia. An affordable, alternative education is no longer a choice, for some it is a necessity, as we continue to lose creativity, imagination and movement in state-led schools. Please help keep Bristol Steiner School open for future generations to thrive - Donate Now.’

‘Bristol Steiner School has shown me that learning isn’t a race and we all learn in different ways. It teaches children at a very young age wonderful communication skills, kindness, teamwork and the love of nature and the world around them. Everything is created as a community, and children will hold onto these beautiful memories forever. My son is now at secondary school and talks of how much he misses his time at Bristol Steiner School and his fond memories and experiences at kindy; the smell of baking apple crumble and soup day. It would be absolutely devastating to allow this special, independent school that brings pure joy and confidence into children’s lives to slip away. Please, please help save this precious, beautiful school that has been open for 50 years. Let it live on for many more years to come to spread an alternative, deeper, more meaningful education, that spreads joy, light, creativity, warmth, love, a brighter education for all, a brighter future!!! Thank you so much to all who are able to donate.‘

'Like the Rowan Tree that inspired the name of the kindergarten, this school is hardy and tenacious and continues to survive in the face of adversity. But this extra bit of water and sunshine will allow this beautiful school to truly thrive! What a privilege to be part of this community and what an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to all of you who have contributed.’

Thank you everyone, your support is truly heartwarming and we are immensely grateful.

A note on Giftaid: Did you forget to select the giftaid box? If so you can fill out the 'Get in Touch' form at the bottom of this page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/contact-us and ask for your pledge to be cancelled so that you can repledge with giftaid. This is really worth doing. E.g if you gift £100 the campaign will receive an extra £25 in giftaid. £50 donation, the campaign receives an extra £12.50 in giftaid. £10 donation, an extra £2.50 in giftaid.

Keep sharing with everyone you can think of, and remember, no donation is too small, it is all adding up to a brilliant result.

Well done everyone. We can do it!

Much love to you all,

From the Save Bristol Steiner School Group