Upgrade School Furniture To Maximise Tight Budgets
By johnmce at 10 September, 2010, 12:00 am
With the large but necessary budget cuts which have been announced school building projects have suffered. Half of the fifteen hundred school building projects have been cancelled; however the other half, which already had signed contracts will go ahead. Many schools with hopes of renovation, extension and general rejuvenation will have lost out as a result of these cuts. Many areas which were hoping for new, fully equipped schools in the next few years will have to make do without, putting extra strain on older establishments. So what can schools do, with the limited budget that they do have, to improve their facilities?
Isn’t it always surprising to find how much the little touches can make a big difference? A nice new throw cushion can spruce up a slightly tired sofa. Some new children’s play furniture would certainly distract from a slightly worn carpet in a school nursery. Alternatively, a set of brightly coloured folding tables would raise the mood in the lunch room. These modest investments are also long term, as good quality portable furniture will last at least five years and if building work is commenced within that time then it can easily be relocated or stored. Furniture such as folding tables have a multitude of uses so the one-off investment can also facilitate a cake sale or craft fair to involve the local community more with the school. These activities could help to raise money for the school and any other investment projects it is planning.
This improvement of school equipment could be introduced gradually, with each department being addressed each school term, over the next couple of years. For example, in order to maximise the available space in a classroom select a range of folding tables, choosing a mixture of sizes to ensure that as class sizes grow you can accommodate all the pupils. In order to draw the creative side out of students you could invest in some portable staging. This hardwearing, high quality, portable equipment allows students to perform and will encourage them to do so more so than performing at floor level. Investment in new school play furniture before the Easter holidays should ensure that parents viewing primary schools for their children will be suitably impressed.
Portable furniture could also help to generate an additional revenue stream for a school. Businesses look for venues to host conferences, training away days and other events. High quality, portable equipment such as folding tables and portable staging would appeal to them and could lead to private hiring of school facilities out of term time. All of these things can help to stretch tight budgets and do the best for schools and students.
John McE writes articles on a number of subjects including folding tables, stacking benches, seating, portable staging and fundraising.
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