Schools North East has launched a national funding campaign on behalf of schools in the North East and beyond who have been hit by the funding crisis in education.

The campaign calls on the Prime Minister to #FundOurFuture, by asking people to create a banknote with a photo or drawing of their child on it, which we will send to No 10 Downing St. This literally puts our children at the centre of the picture and will show the Government the public support for investing in our children’s futures.

Over the last eight years, school funding in England has fallen in real terms by 8%, this is equivalent to an average of £500 every student is missing out on each year.

Director Mike Parker spoke to ITV Tyne Tees to launch the campaign.

Mike Parker said: “Put simply, young people are the future of our country, so it’s crucial that we give them the best chance to succeed from an early age. Funding cuts are affecting schools across the country, forcing them to remove important provisions, make staff redundant and reduce the levels of care and support each child receives.

Some have even had to turn to parents, asking for donations to help provide the level of support and facilities children deserve. We want to draw attention to the gravity of this situation and demonstrate to Theresa May that we care about our children’s future. If you’re able to take five minutes to create, submit and share a personalised banknote, we can put pressure on the Government to #FundOurFuture.”

Students from Framwellgate School Durham launching the Schools North East #FundOurFuture campaign, calling for Government to commit to plugging the £4.2 billion funding gap.
We need your support for this campaign to succeed. Please take a minute to visit the #FundOurFuture Website create your banknote, then share it online with the hashtag #FundOurFuture and tag us @FundOurFutureED.

The success of the campaign relies on schools getting behind it and encouraging parents to send the Prime Minister a clear message. To get involved, download a Resource Pack from the website www.fundourfuture.org.uk.

We welcome any case studies from schools wishing to share their stories of funding cuts. We will keep names anonymous where requested. Please email info@fundourfuture.org.uk with any stories.