We
look back in amazement and gratitude at
what has been provided since the school opened. Our
first ever donation was £40 in March 1988 and literally hundreds of thousands
of pounds have been donated since then, ranging from sums of 50p from a child’s pocket money to
£17 000 when a Dutch school sold surplus property.
An immeasurable sum has been given in kind: - books, equipment, computers, classroom furniture, and much, much more, plus the countless hours of voluntary service in a whole range of areas of school life – practical, instructional, administrative, spiritual and pastoral.
There are many individuals who give regularly or occasionally. There have also been two significant unsolicited gifts of £10, 000 from trust funds. There have also been increasing links with Dutch supporters.
The Vrienden
van Mannafields (Friends of Mannafields) has been established as a charitable
foundation in the Netherlands. They have organised a lot of activities to support
Mannafields, such as sponsored volleyball competitions, selling special
Mannafields mugs and piggy banks, and a 'sing
- in' evening in the Dutch Reformed Church in Veenendaal (with the chairman of
the Friends playing the organ). The singing was recorded and a CD has been
produced for sale. Three members of the Friends committee came over for the
tenth anniversary dinner in March and presented us with the first CD ('Singing
for Mannafields') and a cheque for £1500.
We
have build an link of mutual blessing with De Driestar, the Reformed Teacher Training College in
Gouda. The annual visit of nearly one hundred student has become a regular
feature of November. They have raised large sums for us and we in turn have been
able to let them see a fresh vision and received them for student training.
Without such giving the school would not be able to operate as it does being open to all who seek Christian education. Anyone wishing to join these supporters should contact the treasurer, who can arrange tax-efficient gift aid for those qualifying.