Whitchurch’s Sir John Talbot’s School hosted a glitzy celebratory dinner for the Marches Academy Trust as they paid tribute to the continued support of their sponsors.

Mayors of both Whitchurch and Oswestry – Councillor Tony Neville and Cllr Vince Hunt respectively – were among the prestigious guests, all who have made significant contributions to the various initiatives and community projects carried out by the students across the trust.

Sarah Longville, chief executive of the Marches Academy Trust, warmly welcomed guests before they enjoyed an evening of entertainment, provided by students from across both the Marches School and Sir John Talbot’s School, and a two course meal.

The audience was able to witness the success of a school-led initiative ‘The Futures Award’, which enhances students' skills across leadership, organisation, resilience, initiative and communication.

Students shared their achievements and thanked a number of sponsors included in the scheme, including Lanyon Bowdler, Oswestry Town Council, Tara Ethical Education Recruitment and Grocontinental, from Whitchurch.

The evening concluded with SJT headteacher David O’Toole presenting a £5,000 cheque to Kate Thomas, a representative from Macmillan Cancer Support ,which was raised from the inaugural Whitchurch 10k run in April.

Joanne Jones, business manager of the Marches Academy Trust, said: “I would just like to thank everyone who came to celebrate with us this evening.

“Our guests had the opportunity to see in person the extent of the work that their contributions go towards funding and we were able to show our gratitude for their incredible and continued support.”