Dalbeattie High School pupils heading to Edinburgh thanks to community donations

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Dalbeattie High School S1 pupils are heading to Edinburgh thanks to a £1,500 gift from the town’s Lions Club.Generous donations from Dalbeattie Rotary Club and the community initiative’s Pre-Loved shop are also helping to fund the trip.Covid wiped out the 2020 and 2021 expeditions, making the S1 outing to the capital the first in three years.A total of 61 students are now looking forward to enjoying a two-day whirlwind tour of the sights.Their itinerary includes Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish Parliament, the National Museum of Scotland, the city mosque, the Camera Obscura and more.Highlight of the evening entertainment will be a night at the Edinburgh Playhouse to see Bugsy Malone the Musical.The school put on record its appreciation for the support it had received to help families afford the cost in particularly challenging times.Jenna Whalen, principal teacher of student support and trip co-leader, told the News that the cash aid had made it possible for some children to take part who would not otherwise have been able to do so.She said: “Asking families to put up money, even for an ‘extra’ like this, is always difficult for a school.“But in the current climate it is so tricky – we know many of our families are being hit hard by cost of living increases.“We really wanted the young people to have the opportunity and now the generosity of local groups has brought it within reach.” Acting head teacher Stuart McGougan also paid tribute to funders for making another round of generous donations.

He said: “Once again we recognise the value and the benefits that come from working closely with partner organisations.“We are grateful for the ongoing involvement of so many in the community who support us in such a wide range of