A Wrexham school has improved its cash flow thanks to the generosity of shoppers.
Nine pupils from St Giles’ School headed down to Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre to help empty coins from the centre’s water feature.
Shoppers have been treating the shallow pool at the top of the centre’s Spanish Steps like a wishing well and throwing in their loose change
Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchley invited teachers and children from the school to come and help him collect £500-worth of copper and silver coins.
The money was then donated to the school to be used to buy equipment or support school activities.
Mr Critchley said: “It’s amazing how many coins people throw into the water and we always try to ensure the money collected from the fountain goes back to the community and is used to ensure schools such as St Giles are able to afford trips out and other treats.
“It’s always a pleasure to invite pupils down to collect the coins themselves. The money is thrown into the water mainly by Wrexham people so I guess so it’s only right and proper it goes back to a local good cause.”
He added: “I know the money they have collected will be put to a good use. And the pupils certainly had a great deal of fun collecting the coins from the water.
“It was good to see their teacher, Andrea Weeks, actually use the occasion to teach her pupils all about coin recognition and also use the experience as an exercise in numeracy.”
St Giles School teacher Andrea Weeks says the school were grateful for the donation of the coins from the Eagles Meadow water feature.
She said: “It’s a fantastic gesture from Kevin Critchley and his team. There are an amazing amount of coins and it’s going to be a task to clean and bag them all. The donated cash means we take our pupils on more trips away from school.
“Some families with multiple children struggle to pay for trips so donations such as this really help. We are currently doing a topic all about dogs and having a chance to visit the Dog’s Trust would be great.
“And our Year 5 pupils have been working on a World War Two topic and are looking to visit RAF Cosford.”
She added: “There is no doubt the families of some of our pupils will have thrown money in to the water feature so in a way they are getting it back thanks to the Eagles Meadow management team.
“We will take all the coins back to school and clean them up before bagging them and taking them to the bank. There are so many buckets full it going to take a while but I suspect the estimate of £500 can’t be far wrong.
“All the pupils, we brought along are from our Resource Provision Unit and have additional needs. Byron Jones, for example, has impaired vision and was on the lookout for silver coins which he could see more easily.
“We did turn the event into a lesson in its own right by teaching coin recognition as well as adding a numeracy element. However, the children did enjoy getting their feet in the water!”
Pupils Keira Buckley and Callum Bruton say they enjoyed the task of getting the coins from the Eagles Meadow water feature.
Keira said: “It’s been good fun. There are lots of coins. We had to put plastic gloves on and try and find them all. We enjoy going out of school on trips and Miss Weeks has told us the coins will help pay for more trips and treats which is good.”
Callum added: “I’ve enjoyed it. There are so many coins and they get into all the cracks in the rocks. I found loads and there were quite a few silver ones too. It’s been good fun and better than being in school!”
