The British School Al Khubairat (BSAK) announced today that it is to receive a major donation of Dhs500,000 for its Ruby Building Fund from leading global independent power generation company, International Power.
The Ruby Building Fund project, launched at the end of 2008 in the school's 40th anniversary year, will replace the existing primary school buildings which date back to 1980 when BSAK first moved to its current site. The building will cost between Dhs60 million to Dhs100 million to complete. BSAK is looking at various ways of financing the project, including approaching key organisations in Abu Dhabi for sponsorship, and International Power is the first company to confirm a donation of this size to the fund.
International Power is dedicated to supporting the local communities in which it operates, acting as a responsible neighbour and employer, and contributing towards the improvement of local amenities such as health and education services. International Power’s investment in the Ruby Building Fund and sponsorship of the science laboratory will contribute to providing state-of-the-art facilities for the long term benefit of the community.
“International Power has a strong corporate responsibility agenda, and we work hard to build long-term partnerships in the communities in which we operate.” said David Barlow, Head of Business Development, Middle East, International Power.
“The British School Al Khubairat is at the heart of the British and wider community in Abu Dhabi, and has made a major contribution to the provision of top quality education here for the past 40 years,” he continued. “It's now time for the British business community to support the school, and we at International Power are proud to take the lead in this, and to play a part in the continued success of BSAK.”
Paul Coackley, Principal of BSAK, said: “We are absolutely delighted that International Power has chosen to support the school so generously. A gift of this magnitude is hugely generous at any time, but particularly so when we are all experiencing very tough economic circumstances. This gift will make a huge impact on the Ruby Building Fund and the school's future, and we are extremely grateful to International Power.”
The Ruby Building is the fourth phase in the school's recent development programme, which has added around 900 places to the school over the past few years. It will ensure that the youngest pupils at BSAK benefit from the highest quality educational facilities, and that the whole school continues to offer resources in line with the best in British schools in the UK and internationally.
BSAK has been working closely with engineering consultants, Mott Macdonald, and architects, Aedas, for nearly a year on drawing up detailed designs for the Ruby Building. The plans include:
• a new entrance hall and reception for the primary school
• eighteen new primary classrooms
• primary sports hall
• three ICT suites and a multi-media room
• primary science lab and food technology lab
• specialist subject classrooms, including teaching facilities for Arabic and Islamic Studies
• three learning support rooms
• twelve instrumental teaching rooms
• primary library
• drama studio
• two swimming pools
• increased outside sports space and pitches
International Power is already a supporter of BSAK, having established a very popular recycling initiative on the school site in January 2007.
For further information about the Ruby Building, please visit www.britishschool.sch.ae and follow the 'Want to make a difference?' link, or contact Paul Coackley on +971 2 446 2280.
