Eastbourne parents organise prom after school cancels due to ‘pingdemic’

An Eastbourne school was forced to cancel its school prom over staffing concerns but the event is back on after parents decided to organise it themselves.

The original event was scrapped due to so many teachers being forced to self-isolate after being ‘pinged’ by the covid app.

However, the Year 11 prom is back on and students will be treated to an event at The Perch in Princes Park this evening (Thursday, July 22) thanks to the work of a group of parents.

Mum Michelle Delany-Payne, “It has been a full-on week.

“My daughter and I were sitting and my daughter, who was due to go to the prom, was in tears.”

Despite a close-call with money, the group were able to gather the donations needed for the prom to go ahead.

Mrs Delany Payne, whose daughter Dallas-Leigh Payne is due to go to the prom, said, “Everybody has clubbed together and we have raised the funds and we are going ahead on Thrusday.

She added, “We only just got it in time to get the venue.”

The group received donations from current and former parents while also subsidising tickets for students who could not afford to come.

Mrs Delany-Payne said, “I have lost many nights of sleep but it is going ahead and our princes and princesses will be going to the prom.

“Everybody has been absolutely amazing.

“We have all pulled together and it shall be a very good event.

“It is worth it to hear how all these students are so excited.

“Hearing all that, there is no money that could give me the satisfaction I am feeling.”

A spokesperson from Causeway School in Larkspur Drive said, “Unfortunately we had to sadly cancel the planned prom for our year 11s due to being unable to safely staff it.

“As I’m sure you can imagine we have a very large number of staff having to self isolate having been pinged by the NHS track and trace.

“We are genuinely devastated to not be able to hold the event and say goodbye to the students properly when they have missed so much over the last year, but as a school we have to safeguard students and without enough staff this just isn’t possible.”