Fundraising for a new school minibus

Thanks to everyone who donated - the school took delivery of a new minibus on the 28th February 2024!

Hillhead High is a multicultural and diverse school in the west end of Glasgow. We have around 1,050 pupils speaking over 83 languages. Over a third of our students receive free school meals, there are currently 57 young people on the school roll who are asylum seekers or have refugee status, and nearly half of the students have an additional support need. As a result, the staff at Hillhead work exceptionally hard to keep the cost of the school day as low as possible for all families, and especially for those on a low income. The school is also located in a densely populated part of Glasgow and has no external sporting facilities and very small grounds. 

So where does a new minibus come in? 

Access to a minibus is what allows Hillhead High to offer free transportation to a wide range of learning, sporting and extracurricular activities which enrich the school experience of the pupils and provide lasting memories. Now that the current minibus is no longer serviceable, the school has to rely on costly, time-consuming and unreliable alternatives such as taxis and coaches - the costs of which have increased dramatically since Covid and with rises in fuel prices. Without a minibus, the options which can be offered to pupils either decrease or are only available at additional cost to families, many of whom cannot afford it. 

Hillhead High offers a wide range of activities which rely on affordable transportation. 

These include, but are not limited to: 

·    Access to PE facilities for curriculum lessons as well as sporting events and competitions. The lack of facilities on site mean that pupils have to travel to the majority of PE and sporting activity. In addition to core PE, the school has teams from S1 – S6 across a wider range of sports including basketball, netball, football, volleyball, gymnastics, dance and athletics.

·    Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Hillhead High prides itself on offering the Duke of Edinburgh award free to participating pupils, thus widening access to this valuable opportunity. Transport is essential to allow pupils to undertake the expedition and other parts of the award requirements. 

·    Exhibitions. Affordable transport allows the school to provide trips and opportunities which deepen pupil experience and understanding in a wide range of areas including science, art and drama.

·    Competitions. Pupils have the chance to compete in competitions wider than just the sporting arena including, for example, chess, language and debating. 

·    Participation in events, including climate action, diversity and equality.

Access and equality is another essential aspect of what the availability of a minibus provides. Pupils with mobility issues or additional needs should have equal opportunity to access events and trips but are often burdened with greater costs due to the difficulty of managing transport alternatives such as walking or the use of public transport. Access to affordable and immediately available transport in the form of a minibus levels the playing field and allows pupils of all backgrounds and abilities to take part in the full school experience. 

We would so appreciate your donation – however large or small – towards reaching our goal. It would mean so much to our staff and pupils. Thank you very much!