Mark it on the calendar: Shropshire developer supports school project

Working in collaboration with the Market Drayton Community Enterprise, the project was set up in 2014 in collaboration with Grove Secondary School and 12 different primary schools to encourage, develop and celebrate children’s artwork as an annual community event in the town.

Each year, over 2,000 local school children take part, with a minimum of 10 children’s paintings of all ages shortlisted from each school to be displayed in art exhibitions in Grove School and the Festival Drayton Centre, with one chosen from each school to feature in a published calendar.

David Wilson Homes sponsored the printing of the calendar as well as the VIP preview evening which gave the secondary school pupils, their family and friends, and local people the opportunity to view all the shortlisted paintings from three to 16 years old that were on display in the exhibition.

Suzanne Edwards, Trustee at Market Drayton Community Enterprise, said: “We’d like to thank David Wilson Homes for greatly enhancing our VIP evenings by sponsorship for the last two years, as well as all of our community partners that attended the evening, and to Helen Morgan MP for giving out the awards at our presentation ceremony day.

“We are kindly supported by a wide number of people in the local community, with all proceeds generated by the calendar project going towards painting workshops throughout the year with local professional artist, Malcolm Hague.

“David Wilson Homes’ support over the past two years has greatly enhanced our ability to raise the profile of the Schools Calendar Project  and helped to increase awareness of the project to all sectors of communities in Market Drayton and the surrounding villages.”

The Market Drayton Calendar Project represents a unique initiative to bring 13 local schools to work together to encourage and celebrate children's artwork in and around Market Drayton on a continuous basis.

Helen Lewis, Managing Director at David Wilson Homes Mercia, said: “We are proud to have supported Market Drayton Community Enterprise with the Market Drayton School’s Calendar Project as it is vital that children are encouraged to be creative and express themselves through art.

“The VIP preview evening was a great success, and we’re delighted to see the incredible work of the children throughout Market Drayton and beyond being showcased. We hope this inspires the next generation of artists and commend the Market Drayton Community Enterprise for its fantastic work.”