Selwyn_Times: February 14, 2024

Wednesday February 14 2024 Selwyn Times
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NEWS 7
Bright idea for school’s IT fundraiser
• By Daniel Alvey
SUNFLOWERS, sunflowers and
more sunflowers, that’s what
one rural school is hoping will
provide a much-needed cash
injection.
When James Christie, a parent
at Ladbrooks School, was trying
to figure out a way to raise some
funds for new IT equipment,
he wanted to do something
different.
“We’ve all done sausage sizzles
and been involved in car washes
and selling things . . . but we
wanted to something that had
a bit more impact and bit more
scale,” Christie said.
The solution? Plant 150,000
sunflowers on his 3ha back field
and open it to the public. On day
one, Waitangi Day, it attracted
about 1000 visitors.
“From just being open on
Tuesday, people just love it. They
just like going for a walk through
the sunflowers, being out in
the country, they have driven
10 minutes from their house
and they love being out in the
country.”
Christie wants to give all the
extra funding he can to the
school.
“If you look at any school,
especially a small school like
Ladbrooks (about 120 pupils)
you only get a limited amount of
SUNFLOWER SUCCESS: The entry to the field is marked by a big yellow door. From left:
Joseph Leeman, Archie Barnsley, Max Pont, Annabelle Dash, Alice Leeman and Mahima
Millar.
PHOTO: DANIEL ALVEY
government funding, and as parents
we want to be able to help
the school give the best possible
education they can.
“The more we can raise, the
more we can do with the money.”
The flowers were planted in
November, with some help from
the neighbouring farmer who
provided the tractor and other
equipment, and Bassett Agriculture
which provided a precision
COMMUNITY EFFORT:
The sunflowers were
planted with help from a
neighbouring farmer, while
Bassett Agriculture helped
drill the paddock.
seeder to ensure the flowers got
the best chance of growing.
“We definitely want to thank
the people who have supported
us,” Christie said.
The field is at 108 McDrurys
Rd. Entry to the field is $5 per
person with under-5s free, and
sunflowers are $3 a stem.
Christie also said the field is
available for private hire, with
one wedding booked so far.
Private hire costs $10 a person
per hour, and under-5s free.
Minimum charge $100/hour.
Dates will be subject to
change due to weather. To see
when the field is open head to
Christchurch Sunflower Field on
Facebook.
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