Saturation Trust

I can’t even remember when and where the vision was born, but when we found out that some of the teachers at South Borough School in Tovil rather spent the lunch breaks in their cars than in their staff room we knew we wanted to do something about it.

Their staff room had been in a state for quite some time already but there was no money nor manpower to change that soon.  So as a surprise for the teachers we wanted to transform their staff room into a chill-out-lounge during the February half term.

Full of energy the first team started on Saturday morning, ripped the carpets out and build a huge pile of old furniture in front of the door. After that it was just amazing to see the place transforming over the next week – a brand new kitchen arrived and was build in, new carpets were laid, the blinds, new furniture, plants and the light green paint on the walls made a incredible difference! We filled the cupboards with matching cups, plates and cutlery, a new toaster as well as a microwave.

The amazing thing for me was how things just came together in this week: the helpers, the sponsors and even local businesses who loved the idea and caught the vision!

We shut the doors 15 minutes before the deadline, leaving a wonderful looking staff room behind. Every teacher was welcomed back with sweets and a handmade card Monday morning. I wished I could have been a flie on the wall to see their faces when they arrived ... but here is just one of their comments:

“What an amazing transformation! It felt as though Spring had arrived in its full splendour: our Staff Room suddenly turned...green...fresher....lighter....more airy...inspiring. Thank you for such a lovely surprise!” Jane, Teacher at South Borough School, Maidstone

Thanks SO much to everyone who came on board and offered time, skills and money to make it all happen! We could never have done it without you!
A special thank you to James Coltart – your commitment to this project was just incredible! And of course Tony Forza Senior, the legend – what would our building projects be without you...?

Article by: Daniela Helfrich, Restoring Hands