Today, the Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, came to visit one of the country's very first Free Schools - in Bristol. Here we are, with new head , Richard Clutterbuck and one of the parents behind it all - Blair King.
It was a very odd ( in a good way) feeling. Back in Summer 2009, when a group of distraught parents ambushed me while I was having a quiet pint in my local, to demand "What I was going to do about getting a local secondary school for this area", the idea of actually achieving that school was just a dream.
It was one of those things that seemed a great idea at the time, cooped up in the office with paper-work towering overhead... An abseil down one of Bristol's tallest buildings in aid of St. Peters' Hospice.
I've fundraised for St. Peter's before, because they do simply exceptional work, funded mainly by donations, for local people. They are a charity of which the city can be incredibly proud. Previous fundraising has involved running along the flat, for some miles. This involved just a few feet - but they were vertical. The people at Outer Edge were superb in making us feel, and be, safe. And despite my trepidation, it was a great experience tripping down the Premier Inn at Haymarket. (Especially once I'd landed)... There's still time to give - This really is a fantastic cause, which deserves all the support it can get. A one off abseil is one thing, but the daily work that the unsung heroes at St. Peters' do is quite another. Even if it's only the cost of that chocolate muffin or Starbucks coffee you're trying to resist, please support the hospice and donate!
Today, the Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, came to visit one of the country's very first Free Schools - in Bristol. Here we are, with new head , Richard Clutterbuck and one of the parents behind it all - Blair King.
