Can you help school project get up head of steam

A RENOVATION project at a dale school could be in line for £5,000 – if it gets enough votes.
Montalbo Primary School, in Barnard Castle, embarked on its Community Train Garden last year with help from the Friends of the School and money from Teesdale Action Partnership (TAP) grants.
Now the scheme is in the running for up to £5,000 of funding through the Tesco Bags of Help scheme run in association with outdoor project charity Groundworks.
The project set off by clearing the school’s overgrown gardens while donations from nearby GlaxoSmithKline allowed for three new benches to be put in.
Part of phase two of the project was completed before Easter and plans are afoot for a special “interactive feature” linked to the old railway line.
Abi Smith, from the Friends of the School, said the details of the completed project were under wraps for now but she added that the bag donations could make a big difference.
She said: “At first I didn’t think we had a hope but now we are at the public vote stage. We would be delighted with £1,000 but it would be amazing to complete it and be ready for the next stage.”
Plastic bag charges go into the charity fund and the school will either win £1,000, £2,000 or the top prize of £5,000 depending on how many votes it gets.
Deputy headteacher Amie Smith said the school would love the support of the community.
She added: “We are delighted with the hard work the Friends of Montalbo School have put into raising funds for the Garden Project. When the garden is finished it will provide an excellent facility for outdoor learning and is already developing very well.”
Votes for the Montalbo School project can be made at Tesco store in Bishop Auckland.