As most of you are aware, recently, we have been working to remodel certain aspects of the school so that the children have an inspiring environment to learn in and to be proud of. Our most recent refurbishment has been of our school hall.
The school hall is the heart of our school and is a place where we can all come together as a St Gregory’s family. It is also a place in which, when times become more ‘normal’, we can come together to worship God, reflect upon the beauty of life and celebrate our successes as a school family.
When we thought about the future uses of our hall and looking ahead to those brighter times, another person also came to mind – Fr Bob! Like the hall, he was also the heart of our school and brought us all together for many of the same reasons as detailed above – times of worship, of celebration, of comfort and who could forget times of pure joy?!
Therefore, as a tribute to Fr Bob, the newly renovated hall will now be known as the ‘Robert Wright Hall’. It will become all that he entailed: a place of reflection; a source of comfort and a reminder of his lasting legacy. Something which we all know he would have – let’s face it, be totally embarrassed about – but at the same time would have loved and have been so proud of. This will be our special way of remembering him, so that each and every pupil who walks through those hall doors will know of a place and time where a real-life saint walked amongst us and will forever be inspired by the legacy he left.
Those of you who have seen the hall, will know that at present, it is a bit of a blank canvas. We intended it to be left this way as we want to create and design a space that celebrates and commemorates Fr Bob – working with staff and pupils to do so. In order to do this, we are asking for donations to allow us to continue with a huge financial burden impacting upon our choices. There is no pressure to donate yourselves, however, we are asking for your support in spreading the word.
Many people – whether that be friends, family members, parishioners, ex-pupils – have been touched by Fr Bob’s ministry. And for many of them, the opportunity to give back would be welcomed as a way of remembering him. The link can be found here:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/therobertwrighthall
Money raised will be spent on the décor and design features of the hall and any left over will be split between Fr Bob’s 3 charities.
Fr Bob is never far from our thoughts and is always in our hearts. The name alone, ‘The Robert Wright Hall’ will trigger many a memory for us all, and we hope that together in the design, we will be able to provide a place that will be a source of remembrance, comfort and strength for all of our pupils – just like he was for many of us.