Parkside Community College - Refurbishment of the kitchen and dining facilities

Background
Parkside Community College is a relatively small school of about 600 boys and girls with an annual intake of about 120 pupils covering the complete ability range. This non-denominational, comprehensive school is situated in the heart of Cambridge within 5 minutes walk of the historic centre. Parkside plays an important role in the field of lifelong learning, as the only community college serving central Cambridge. It is a designated Arts College specializing in media technology.

The Problem - Refurbishment of the kitchen and dining facilities

The kitchen and dining facilities had become very outdated and in urgent need of refurbishment. Pupils were discouraged from eating in the unattractive surroundings with the result that many went off site at lunchtimes with the attendant problems that encouraged. Parkside faced the choice of "saving-up" the required £90,000 that even with a supportive PTA would take a number of years to raise. Catering contractors were not interested in taking on the contract with the existing kitchen nor in providing new facilities due to the size of the school.

The Solution

Education Rentals provided a facility, which funded the entire refurbishment of the kitchen and dining facilities. The result is that a catering contractor was keen to take on the contract and provides appealing and healthy food. Pupils are keen to use the new facilities, which are bright and friendly. The catering facilities are also open in the evening when they are used by students attending community learning programmes. The availability of funding from Education Rentals has enabled students to benefit with improved facilities and created the opportunity of deriving income for the College.

Andrew Hutchinson, Principal of Parskide Community College commented: "The Education Rentals funding has enabled the significant improvements to our catering facilities and has also allowed us to budget the cost of this facility and the revenues generated from it over a number of years"

For more information on Parkside Community College visit www.parkside.cambs.sch.uk