An outdoor space at Westbury Infant School has been transformed into ‘a place of wonder and excitement’ following a £2,000 grant from Imperial Charity, which has funded additional play equipment for the school’s resource base area.
One of the key charitable purposes of Imperial Charity is to support Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools across the county. Its grants are primarily used to purchase equipment or fund activities beyond a school’s normal budget.
Steve Pope, business and charity manager at Imperial Charity, said, “Increasingly, SEND pupils are being incorporated into mainstream schools rather than specialist schools, and we are delighted to be able to extend our support to help more schools in our local community.”
The resource base area at Westbury Infant School consists of two classrooms with a playground and an outdoor learning area for 20 pupils. Many of these children require a quiet, highly structured learning environment, and the outdoor space plays a key role in supporting their development.
Vicky Hackeson, resource base manager at Westbury Infant School, said, “The grant from Imperial Charity has enabled us to improve our outdoor space for our children.
“We have been able to enhance the area with a new mud kitchen, a Wendy house, and a new storage unit with tubs. This has greatly increased opportunities for the children to learn how to communicate and interact with their friends and adults.
“With Imperial Charity’s help, we have been able to make our outdoor space a place of wonder and excitement for them.”
Pictured: Steve Pope of Imperial Charity and Vicky Hackeson of Westbury Infant School
