A Workington nursery and infant school has been given a surprise makeover thanks to a local property developer.

Following a fundraising appeal from St Michael’s Nursery and Infant School on Station Road to buy pupil resources, Stockton-based Mandale Homes went one better and volunteered not only the supplies, but also the services of two of its decorators to give a much needed lick of paint to the upper school.

A joiner also attended and fixed the children’s stage.

Chair of governors, Sheena Brown, reached out to local businesses to help fund library and maths resources for the school and was delighted with the response from generous companies, including Iggesund whose donation bought Maths Beebots for reception children.

The fresh new look of the upper school used by Key Stage 1 pupils added a welcome gloss to the appeal.

Mandale Homes, which is developing its Potter’s Meadow 35-home residential scheme on Ashfield Road South, is delighted to support the school with the school makeover.

Marketing manager Caroline Graham, said: “When we received a letter from St Michael’s looking for support, we wanted to go the extra mile to do something they couldn’t fund themselves.

"We were delighted to improve the environment at the school for pupils and teachers alike.

"We always aim to forge strong links and relationships with the communities in which we develop, so it was a great opportunity for us to help out.”

St Michael’s Nursery & Infant School head Anne Richardson, added: “We cannot thank the team at Mandale Homes enough for the work they have put in to supporting us to spruce up our upper school.

"We simply could not have funded this ourselves, so it was a fantastic surprise for us and our students.

“It’s increasingly difficult as a small school to fund all the resources we need for our students, so we rely on the generosity and support of local companies to help us.

"We want to give our thanks to everyone who generously donated, including St Michael’s Church, Jeff Taylors, Identity Hair Salon, Little Angels, Flavour, Monkey Madhouse, Funtastic, The Carnegie, Darling Manor and many more.”