It has been a long journey! It started with a Year 11 trip to watch ‘Romeo & Juliet’ at the Brighton Open Air Theatre a few years ago and I returned to school inspired to create something similar here at Downlands. The vision to create a performance and social space for the students at Downlands was born. We were delighted to officially open HOPS this week!
Many thanks to everyone who has made our vision a reality. We would especially like to thank everyone who has sponsored a seat or a sleeper in the amphitheatre and the people who contributed to our crowd fundraising campaign. Other large donations came from the following organisations:
- The Garfield Weston Foundation
- The Hassocks Parish Council
- The Downlands School Association
- The Southover Manor Trust.
We are especially grateful to landscape architect Nick Dexter who turned our vision into a brilliant design, Nigel Bowcock, Ross Jackson and the team at Acre Landscapes who took Nick’s design and turned it into our wonderful amphitheatre, HOPS.
If you would like to sponsor a seat (£15), a sleeper (£30) or a VIP sleeper in the front row (£50) please contact us at school.”
Nicki Burston
PA to Senior Leadership Team/Marketing & Communications
Downlands Community School
Dale Avenue, Hassocks, BN6 8LP
01273 845892