A fundraiser to help save a Cumbrian independent school has reached over £100,000 in donations.
Hunter Hall School, in Penrith, launched an urgent appeal earlier this week, after it revealed that it needed to raise £180,000 by next Wednesday, December 3, or be forced to close its doors before Christmas.
Around £60,000 was raised in 24 hours and today, Saturday November 29, the total now stands at £106,695.
The school said it has been overwhelmed by the response to the fundraiser so far from old students and friends connected to the school.
It said that family names, some of which it hasn’t seen in decades, have stepped forward to support the school’s appeal.
The school said it was struggling under the Government’s addition of VAT to school fees and that governors had been looking for ways to secure the school’s future.
Despite significant cost-saving measures implemented over the past year, including negotiated rent reductions and staff voluntarily accepting a 7.5% salary reduction, several anticipated savings had not materialised, the school said.
As a result, the school was facing a larger than expected deficit for the 2025-2026 financial year, it added.
Hunter Hall currently has 79 pupils aged three to 11 years old and opened its doors in 1986. It employs 20 staff.
Donations can be made via the school’s official Crowdfunder page.
