Support for the schools in the village of Pennants and nearby areas. 

Nov 2023: we now have applications ready to send to the DPFF

April 2023: We are still working to find the best way to transfer funds that may be granted Douglas Pennant Family Foundation for educational projects in Jamaica.

January 2023: The JWA Advisory Group met with Michael Armstrong from the Douglas Pennant Family Foundation. 

December 2022: Members of the JWA Advisory Group visited with Dr Barrington Richardson and his team from the Ministry of Education to explore ways forward with the Infant Department. 
 

Feb 2018 update: The school has been found funds to replace the pit toilets.

The North Wales Jamaica Society is working with Rotary International to explore if we can raise funds to help both this school and the Pennants Basic School (Nursery School) improve their facilities and support the next generation of children, as well as to create a Heritage Enterprise Centre.

The children of Grade 2 kindly offered a home to visiting Dragon, named Irie / Bendegedig, and promised to look after him well, and John Austin school is interested in linking with a school in Bethesda. 

Feb 2018 update:

Ysgol Dyfryn Ogwen is exploring links with Edwin Allen Secondary School which is north of Pennants. 

Ysgol Pen y Bryn School is interested in exploring links with John Austin Primary All Age School, as well as Ysgol Abercaseg with Pennants Basic School. 

However links are stalling as the British Council do not currently have links with Jamaica on their list for funding support. 

2016 - As part of the delegation team visit in September 2016, Liz Millman and Rhys Trimble visited John Austin All Age School in the area called Pennants, to negotiate the donation of £1,000, given via the NWJS, from the Laspen Trust which was set up by the Pennant family.  

Rhys entertained students with his mediaeval and modern Welsh poetry, while Liz was taken on a tour of the school, accompanied by Zahra and her TV cameraman from 18 Degrees North, to see what the donation of £1,000 from the Laspen Trust could be used for. Principal, Clover Clarke Bailey, has decided that the priority is to use the funds to replace 4 rotten windows.

However the school is in a bad state of disrepair, with limited local funds available to undertake the work needed to even make the buildings safe and upgrade the pit toilets.