with Islwyn AM Rhianon Passmore, present the cup to the winning team
Enterprising youngsters at Pontllanfraith Primary School have been awarded a prize in the name of former Bedwellty MP Sir Harold Finch.
Sir Harold was the Member of Parliament for the area between 1950 and 1970 and was Under-secretary of State at the Welsh Office from 1964 to 1966 during Harold Wilson’s first administration.
A cup named in his honour has ben donated by his family to recognise hard-working pupils at Pontllanfraith Primary.
Beverley Harmer, Sir Harold’s granddaughter, attended the school in the 1960s and offered to make an annual donation of £100 to the school.
Headteacher Angela Taylor explained: “Schools across Wales are already thinking about the [curriculum ] changes we will need to make and in Pontllanfraith we identified that we need to give the children more opportunities to be enterprising.
“This inspired the idea to run an annual enterprise project in the lead-up to the school’s summer fete that would be run as a competition – the winning class being awarded the Sir Harold Finch MP Legacy Cup.
“Each class was given £25 to fund their project and the winners would be the class making the greatest profit. All classes would come up with ideas for how the final amount would be spent and the winning class would get to choose the idea they like best.
“The family were very enthusiastic about the project, increasing their donation to £300.”
The family of Sir Harold, together with Islwyn Assembly Member Rhianon Passmore, attended the school on Friday, July 14, to present the cup to the winning pupils.
The seven classes came up with ideas such as selling jewellery, setting up ‘drown the drip’ stall at the fete, and selling artwork.
After successful sales at the fete, the final total raised, including the original donation to the school came to more than £700.