A Harrogate school hit by an arson attack earlier this year has had a new CCTV system installed, thanks in part to support from a North Yorkshire County Councillor.
Saltergate School suffered an attempted break-in and arson attack in May. The fire caused severe damage to the Early Years outdoor learning area. This is not the first time the school has suffered from vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, member for the Harrogate Saltergate division, has supported the school with his full locality budget, making a contribution towards the cost of the CCTV, with the rest being funded by David Barclay of Barclay LED Solutions LTD.
Cllr Mackenzie said:
There have been several incidents of anti-social behaviour on the school grounds in recent years. The whole local community has been adversely affected.
Enhanced CCTV surveillance around the school grounds should reduce the risk of continued incidence of such attacks and help everyone to feel much more secure. Additionally, highly effective surveillance will deter those who have been engaged in anti-social and criminal activity.
The school received huge support from fundraising campaigns and businesses. This support means the school now has a system with 26 cameras. David Barclay, who is a parent at the school, led the project; Louis Dawson from Thornbrook Construction provided workers to assist with installation; and Matt Houston from the Electrical Centre provided discounts on the CCTV kit.
Headteacher Linda Mortimer said:
I am delighted to say that our new CCTV system was installed over the summer. The help of the wider community has been a huge support to us following the arson attack on our beautiful school.
We’re extremely thankful for this financial support. Don was highly proactive in supporting our cause. The fundraising campaign set up by Dave Burns, a parent at the school, has really helped us to move on and unify as a community and the new CCTV system initiated by Dave Barclay have all made us very proud to be part of the Saltergate Family.
Each county councillor has a budget of £5,000 a year to allow them to respond to local needs by recommending the allocation of funding to support specific activities. These activities promote the social, economic or environmental wellbeing of the communities they represent. Funding can be used for projects undertaken by external organisations or for additional services provided by the county council.
