Mathilda Marks-Kennedy Jewish School crowdfunding campaign raises £350K

A crowdfunding campaign ending today has raised £350,000 for Mathilda Marks-Kennedy Jewish School.

The description for the campaign launched on the online platform Charity Extra at the weekend laments “the combination of overstretched government funding along with an ageing Grade II listed building and tired facilities.”

The bulk of the sum was raised over a 36-hour period, with parents and staff gathering in the school’s main hall on Sunday to collect online donations.

While their parents put in calls, children decorated masks and tried on costumes ahead of Purim, which starts next Monday. Volunteers returned to the school on Monday evening to collect more donations from donors.

A group of donors, most of them anonymous, doubled every pound donated to the campaign.

They included the Mathilda Marks-Kennedy Jewish Primary School Trust, Avril and Jonny Manson, and the group Friends of Mathilda Marks-Kennedy.

The money raised will go towards purchasing new classroom furniture and technology, building mental health and well-being facilities and revamping the playground and school halls.

Caroline Kleinman, a parent who spearheaded fundraising efforts, said: “Seeing everybody all together on Monday night working tirelessly to help support this initiative and watching everyone, the excitement in the room, and the coming together of all the families was a very unique thing to witness.”

“We had quite a lot of alumni that helped us. We had ex members of staff and ex pupils that were helping us with our campaign,” she said.

But she added: “It would be great to reconnect with more alumni. We’ve already started with a Facebook group and a LinkedIn group.”

Dozens of grandparents attended a breakfast at the school on Monday, attended by the Hendon MP Matthew Offord, pictured above, to mark the school’s 60th anniversary.