Achimota Retail Centre (ARC) has presented 340 sets of classroom tables and chairs to St. John’s Senior High School to help the second cycle institution meet some of its most pressing needs for teaching accessories and logistics.
Achimota Retail Centre, known by some patrons as Achimota Mall, and the 67-year-old St. John’s Grammar School are close neighbours at Dome in the Ga East Municipality.
“ARC is a community-based business, very committed to connecting responsibly and positively not just with our customers but also with other players and social entities within our operational area,” Mr. George Adjei Ampofo, a Director of ARC, told school authorities and prefects during a brief handing-over ceremony at the school.
Mr. Ampofo said in pursuit of its social responsibility objectives, Achimota Retail Centre has a policy of reaching out to assist social entities with established needs as a means of helping to improve life in the community and municipality.
Over the past few years ARC has recorded an impressive history of social responsibility initiatives, among which is the donation of a large consignment of classroom furniture and stationery to Paradise Preparatory School (a deprived first cycle institution at Dome); donation of assorted medical supplies to Achimota Hospital to support the municipal health facility’s fight against the spread of COVID 19; and partnering the Ga East Municipal Assembly to clean up the Dome community.
“As a business, we have a special interest in education; and once St John’s fell within our social responsibility radar, we collaborated with the school authorities to assess the school’s needs and realised that classroom tables and chairs for students was high on the school’s long list of needs.
“Today, the Management of ARC, and especially the Board – which gave us the mandate for this initiative, are happy to be of help to the school and pray that the donation goes to ameliorate problem of classroom seating in the school,” Mr. Ampofo told news reporters.
Established from scratch as a co-ed and boarding institution in 1954, today’s St John’s Grammar School has a full stream population of 4,000 day and boarding students, with a teaching staff of about 200 and some 80 non-academic staff.
Reverend Mrs. Betty Baidoo, Assistant Headmistress (Administration) who received the furniture, thanked the Centre for the gesture – stressing that 340 sets of tables and chairs will certainly make an impact on the school’s student seating capacity.
“Today, Achimota Retail Centre has done what a good neighbour ought to do. The school authorities and students are most grateful for this gesture. The good thing is, now that you (ARC) know what our needs are, we believe you will continue to partner us in our quest to give our students a good education,” said Rev. Mrs. Baidoo.
Located at Dome off the Accra-Nsawam highway, Achimota Retail Centre has over the past five years brought modern, secured retail shopping services and quality recreation to communities like Achimota, Dome, Tantra Hills, Taifa, Kwabenya, Ashongman and the capital’s entire north-eastern quarter.
ARC is anchored by the popular food store Shoprite and general merchandise retailer Game, and offers its customers an appealing mix of tenants comprising both Ghanaian and international brands.
