Thank you so much to everyone who supported our fundraising programme over the last two years.

We have all worked really hard and have raised an amazing and huge amount of money…£120,000!!!

Unfortunately this is not enough. We need nearly £300,000. In July we got the news that our bid to the Sport England Community Asset Fund for £150,000 fell at the final panel stage. We are also proud to have got that far but clearly disappointed to fall at the final hurdle.

Children with Special Educational Needs have a hard time with life in the 21st Century, but you have contributed to a project which is trying to improve the circumstances in which they live and learn at our school.  For this we are truly grateful.

We do have a “Plan B” which whilst not as breathtaking as our Sports Hall project will still have a massive impact on our pupils’ lives. It is significantly cheaper too. In fact we have now raised enough funds to put this plan into action with your support.

The first part of the plan is to extend and refurbish our changing rooms so that for the first time in over a decade all our pupils will be able to change in a proper changing room for their PE lessons instead of having to use classrooms.

The second part of the plan is to cover the area where the sports hall was going to be built and its immediate surroundings with artificial grass so that our pupils can use it in all weathers and all year round. At the moment we cannot use the area for about 50% of the year as it is waterlogged/muddy. This will mean that our pupils will have more space to play and do sport; it will not be a covered area but it will be useable – a massive improvement for our pupils.

If there is any money left over we would use it to install new swings for our younger pupils. The swings at our school are incredibly popular and 100% utilised. There is never an unoccupied swing during break times.

We have been advised that we should pause for 3 months to make public our plans so that contributors can have the opportunity to be refunded if they do not wish to support our change of plans. After that period we can go ahead.

We ask that everyone who has helped so far stay with us. We have the opportunity to really make a difference to the quality of these young people’s lives. Yes, it would have been amazing to have built a sports hall but even at this amazing rate (if the momentum could be maintained) it would take us another four years to raise the money by which time the price will have gone up anyway!

In the meantime if there is anyone out there who works for a building firm who would like to be involved and who would tender a favourable quote we would love to hear from you.

Of course there is the chance that someone might read this article and come to the rescue at the last possible moment!

T. Barlow