The campaign to save a Co Tyrone primary school from closure has seen those behind it nominated for a prestigious UK-wide award.
The Save Save St Mary’s campaign, which successfully prevented the closure of St Mary’s PS in Fivemiletown, has been shortlisted in the Best Community Campaign category at the annual Sheila McKechnie National Campaigner Awards.
The London-based charity is named for Scottish trade unionist and campaigner Dame Shelia McKenchie, and founded after her death in 2004.
The campaign saw hundreds march in protest and a legal challenge launched after the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) deemed the school, which has just over 40 pupils, “unsustainable”.
Campaigners gathered almost 10,000 signatures against the planned closure, gained cross-community support, and were backed by both Sinn Féin and DUP MLAs.
At the start of this year, the school’s board of governors learned the closure application had finally been withdrawn.
Chair of the board of governors, Mairaid Kelly, said: “To say we were blown away is an understatemen. For our small rural school campaign to be finalists in these awards is absolutely incredible, and testament to the amazing support we received to save our school from closure.
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“We have shown that small rural schools are the lifeblood of communities like this, and when we work together we really are undefeatable.
“Having seen some of the other finalists, we’re so honoured to even be named alongside these amazing campaigns, and as the only finalists from Northern Ireland we’re delighted to be representing a positive example of cross-community campaigning.”
