A RADNORSHIRE school which has been earmarked for closure has typified its fighting spirit by raising an incredible £20,000 from hosting a charity auction.

On Friday, November 26, friends, family and supporters from far and wide came together for the charity auction to raise the sensational five figure amount for Llanfihangel Rhydithon Community Primary School, in Dolau, near Llandrindod Wells.

Organised by the Friends of Dolau School and the Dolau School Action Group, there were over 150 lots, donated by businesses and people from the local area, as well as from across Powys and beyond, all of whom are keen to do their bit to support the school and secure its future.

Items ranged from gift cards to hampers, outdoor pursuits, hotel stays, with a bit of everything else in between. Donations to be auctioned were still being received on the night such was the eagerness from attendees on the evening and donors to save the school.

“The outpouring of support from donors and buyers really emphasises the importance of Dolau school, which sits right at the heart of the community, and the esteem in which it is held,” said a spokesperson.

“The long, hard battle to save the school is far from over and the community will do everything to ensure events like this continue in the coming weeks, months and years to maintain the excellent standard of education at Llanfihangel Rhydithon School.”

Fresh from their support of the fundraising efforts the children of Dolau school went on to win the ‘Miniature Winter Garden 4-11 years Schools’ competition at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair earlier this week. “Beating competition from other schools across Wales, the pupils’ efforts continue to show it is small but mighty,” the spokesperson added.

“It’s easy to see why the school is so well supported, given its importance to the village of Dolau and the school being recognised nationally for its work.”

The school’s passionate supporters, meanwhile, indicated their intent to continue fighting closure plans earlier this year when they told the local authority pressing ahead with these plans that it faces a “long, long fight”.

Llanfihangel Rhydithon is one of a clutch of primary schools Powys County Council (PCC) would like to close to reduce costs – it is believed it would save £59,000 by closing the 37-pupil village school.

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The council’s cabinet agreed to continue with the closure proposal on September 28 by publishing a statutory notice formally proposing it be shut. If approved – the proposal is subject to a review by the Welsh Government, as well as a legal challenge from the community – the 170-year-old school would likely shut on August 31 next year.

Those who are fighting to keep the village school open described the cabinet decision as “another nail in the coffin” of rural communities, and question its legality and sense. The council received 430 responses alone from concerned members of the community opposing the closure during an earlier consultation period, while even the council’s own scrutiny committee said the criteria for closure had not been met.

“Under the auspice of school transformation, rudderless Powys educational officials have been allowed to run feral through the county, spreading untruths and misinformation in order to push through their predetermined agenda of closing small rural schools,” read a statement from the Dolau School Action Group.

“They have shown an arrogance and a blatant disregard for the communities which they serve.

Education portfolio holder Phyl Davies said: “These are very emotive and difficult decisions, we have been criticised by the regulator (Estyn) but part of the problem is we’re spreading our money and support too thinly within our schools.

“We should be spending our money on education, not bricks and mortar.”

Welsh and adult services portfolio holder, Cllr Myfanwy Alexander, had previously described alternative propositions – such as federating with Llanelwedd Church in Wales Primary School, near Builth Wells, and possibly becoming a faith school, or becoming a dual stream and eventually a Welsh medium primary school – as “not showing any profound understanding of the way in which Welsh language education works”.