A Permanent Building

Thanks to the determination of principal Kevin Lambe, Shimna Integrated College and Erne Integrated College were the only Grant Maintained Integrated schools which opened in semi-permanent, but purpose built schools rather than mobile classrooms. We were very, very proud of our home-made school, the year on year success in finding the funding for the next phase and taking every opportunity to add to the facilities for our students. It is a unique feature of GMI schools that they are founded by parents and they start from nothing. No capital funding comes without first proving the school’s worth, proving potential for growth, proving academic excellence and good governance. And funding is never enough for the vision of a full academic curriculum to A level in an all-ability, non-selective school. Everything that comprised Shimna’s school buildings was hard fought for and is a testament to the vision and stamina of Kevin Lambe, of generations of parents and governors, of infectious enthusiasm for the project which brought in individuals within the Allied Irish Bank, Arthur Acheson’s firm of architects, building firms Felix O’Hare, Glasgiven and Eugene Walker, Prunty Pitches, our community partners and many more.

Tributes to everyone who contributed can never completely vindicate the date to day efforts of parents, governors, students and staff in making our school building happen. Founding governor and parent David Maginn not only worked with Kevin to find our temporary home at Murlough House, but came in each evening to clean the building during the year we were in Dundrum. Founder student Neil McGrady, after graduating from Napier University, Edinburgh, joined BE Aerospace, volunteered as a Shimna governor and brought in colleagues to volunteer to paint the walls in phase 2. Parent Jennifer Redmond ran the school office until a first administrative appointment could be made. Annalong parents carried the furniture out of Murlough to the vans and into the Lawnfield site. Students, parents and staff created the 6^th form common room out of an underground cavern. Volunteer students Aaron, Charlene, Connor and two Liams staffed the office for evening community use of the school. Kevin applied for funding from the International Fund for Ireland and from the Integrated Education Fund to fit out further attic spaces, and Ellen McVea wrote the successful bid for Specialist School status which funded the final section of the top floor. Kevin made the case for home economics provision which funded the Forbes Building, the first of our buildings to be provided directly by the Department of Education. Kevin and governors submitted the successful Development Proposal for Shimna to grow, which released the funding to provide the Croí,

While taking action constantly to ensure provision preceded our students’ needs, Kevin was always working towards providing a state of the art, permanent school building. A constantly updated curriculum and accommodation plan meant that when Fresh Start funding was provided by the UK government as part of the Stormont House agreement, Shimna’s new build proposal was ready to go. Ironically, Shimna’s semi-permanent building meant that our school was not listed among the first eligible schools, but a night time race to a meeting in Antrim, and a well prepared presentation from Kevin, won Shimna a place on the list. The day the letter arrived confirming our successful inclusion in Fresh Start funding was a very, very happy one.

Under chair of governors Anne Fitzpatrick, a Project Board was established with the Department of Education, and the process of providing the new school was so much simpler and less demanding that the exhausting early days of having to manage fundraising, project management and building works ourselves. As always, governors were represented on the board and parents were fully involved. Parent Council meetings were regularly updated, and open consultation events organised for parents and members of the community to view the plans for the school and grounds as they developed.