A 75-year-old private boarding school in Dorset that fell into administration last week has raised £250,000 in 24 hours as it fights to stay open.
St Mary's in Shaftesbury, a Catholic independent school for girls aged nine to 18, announced its permanent closure after a deal with Chinese investors collapsed in July.
Shanghai-based education company Achieve Education Group was due invest £6million in the former convent school but pulled out the night before contracts were due to be exchanged, citing "political tensions" between the UK and China, a source close to the school told BusinessLive.
Around 40 interested parties came forward after the deal collapsed, according to a letter sent out to pupils and staff, but no firm offers had been received by a deadline of July 6.
The school, which counts Iain Duncan-Smith and the Duchess of Cornwall 's daughters among its former pupils, said 120 jobs are now at risk.
Staff, parents and former pupils are now fighting to save the school, which has been in some difficulty for a number of years.
A steering committee, which includes headmistress Maria Young, has been set up and is hoping to raise enough funds to "preserve" the school.
The group said it was "cautiously optimistic" that a "viable" rescue package of support could be formed to "guarantee the long-term survival" of the school.
A GoFundMe page to raise money for St Mary's has also received donations of more than £33,000, while total pledges to the school have reached £271,242 today (July 23).
To support the campaign to save St Mary’s, email smspledges@gmail.com.
