Engineering firm donates 233 pumpkins to two Cumbrian schools

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 14:57 · Archive

Forth, an engineering company, donated more than 200 pumpkins to two West Cumbrian schools for Halloween events.

Forth, an advanced technology solutions business with bases in Maryport, Cleator Moor and Barrow-in-Furness, donated 233 pumpkins to Ewanrigg Junior School and Moor Row Community Primary School. The donation came after Ewanrigg's Friends group contacted the company requesting support for the school's annual pumpkin-picking event.

Mark Telford, Forth's CEO, said the request inspired him to donate pumpkins to Ewanrigg and extend the gesture to Moor Row. He is a governor at Moor Row, where his son Matthew attends school. Telford said he wanted to recognise acting headteacher Fiona Kennedy's work and help both schools save money when budgets were tight.

Telford approached several supermarkets before Whitehaven Morrisons offered to supply the pumpkins at a discounted rate. Forth collected two pallets and delivered the donation to both schools.

Shelley McGlasson, headteacher at Ewanrigg Junior School, said staff were surprised by the delivery arriving on a Monday morning. She said the school used the pumpkins for a low-cost community Halloween event, charging £5 per child ticket with free entry for adults. McGlasson explained that organised Halloween events can be expensive, so the school wanted to make the event affordable and accessible to the community. Ewanrigg used 290 pumpkins in total for the event, more than half from Forth's donation.

Telford said Forth works around the world but is rooted in West Cumbria and tries to help the area however it can.

How it is being reported

• Engineering firm donates over 200 pumpkins to West Cumbrian schoolsAn engineering firm swapped high-tech projects for Halloween fun by donating more than 200 pumpkins to pupils.Whitehaven News · 26 Oct, 14:48
• Engineering firm donates over 200 pumpkins to West Cumbrian schoolsAn engineering firm swapped high-tech projects for Halloween fun by donating more than 200 pumpkins to pupils.News & Star · 26 Oct, 14:48
• Engineering firm donates more than 200 pumpkins to two Cumbrian schoolsAn engineering company has delivered a seasonal surprise to schools.NW Evening Mail · 26 Oct, 14:30

In this story: Forth · Ewanrigg Junior School · Moor Row Community Primary School · Mark Telford · Whitehaven Morrisons · West Cumbria

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