A pupil-led initiative to renovate a prominent facility at Rydal Penrhos has surpassed its fundraising target.
The school’s Annual Fund Campaign centred on the renovation of the Ferguson Centre, and after a host of generous donations from people associated with Rydal Penrhos it now has enough to put the project into action after raising a total of £90,487 in just over four months.
Duncan Kenworthy, who attended Rydal School from 1957–67, has been revealed as the lead donor behind the success of the fundraising initiative to renovate the sixth form centre, which raised more than £90,000 in total. Consequently, he will have a room named in his honour after making a significant donation. The Kenworthy Room will provide an important space for pupils as they prepare for life after Rydal Penrhos, with zones for both independent and group study. After leaving Rydal School, Duncan Kenworthy received a first in English at Cambridge, was a Thouron Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, and began his career on Sesame Street in New York. He then went on to produce three of the most successful British films of all time – Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Love Actually.
Headmaster Simon Smith said, “This school, its pupils, its history and its ambition deserve world-class academic and social facilities. Our refurbished Ferguson Centre will be one such facility. It will provide a space flexible enough for all the school’s needs but most importantly be an area which allows our sixth formers, particularly, to live and learn together.”
“I am immensely proud of our pupils who have led this project from start to finish but I am also extremely grateful to all our supporters be they current families, former pupils, governors and staff or just friends of the school. I cannot wait to see the project unfold and be ready for September,” added Simon.
Duncan Kenworthy
The project was instigated by Rydal Penrhos pupils, led by Morgan Roberts and Anna Richardson, who had a “clear vision of how they wanted the centre to be”.
This included bright and vibrant areas for independent study, collaborative learning zones and social areas designed to inspire creativity and to provide a suitable working environment for each pupil using the space.
In addition to sixth form use, the centre will also be utilised by the entire Rydal Penrhos community and will host social events, concerts, drama performances and charity events.
Alumni and Development Director Sarah Ritchie commented, “The Rydal Penrhos family came together, with alumni, parents, staff, governors and friends of the school pledging their support to make sure that this vision could become
a reality.
“We are grateful to all those who supported the campaign, at whatever level they were able to. Not only are we now in the position to proceed with the project, we are also able to clearly demonstrate to our pupils the strength and support of the Rydal Penrhos community – a community which we hope they will be proud to be part of for many years to come.”
See here for more: rydalpenrhos.com.
